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Ok...talk me into/out of a Blackstone type outdoor griddle...

Nole Lou

HR Heisman
Apr 5, 2002
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The idea of these things has sort of wormed into my brain. Never thought I might want one, but am thinking more and more about it.

I have a limited space on a deck of a townhouse, so I need to be judicious about these things. I already have a Weber kettle which is my main go-to, but this seems like a good alternative for some things. Thinking about getting the 28", bigger is always better but the 36" will be a bit of a spacing issue.

1) Anyone find they don't use it as much as they thought they would? This is my biggest concern...don't want to end up with something I don't use that much after a month or so

2) How much of a pain is the cleaning after each use? With the grill, I just close it down, and I scrape it before I cook again. Not sure how committed I'll need to be to a cleaning routine after I've eaten and it's dark or whatever. And I assume they just get covered like a grill when not in use?

3) Is electric and option, or is gas the only way to go here? I don't have a gas grill so I don't have a tank and I'm not already in the habit of keeping gas on hand. If all things were equal electric would be more convenient for me, but I'm guessing they just don't get as hot or heat up as fast. Anyone satisfied with an electric version?

4) Anything special about the Blackstone brand? Are other brands a better value? I'm always about spending less if I can, but don't want something that's total crap.

5) Anything that you do on it that might not be obvious? I'm thinking breakfast, burgers, cheese steaks, stir fry, fish...anything cool you use it for?
 
I have a blackstone gas griddle and only use it occasionally but still like that i have it. It's been in my patio for a couple years with no issues. Quality is good and i'm satisfied (not saying other brands might not be better)
I preferred gas because all other appliances in the kitchen are electric. One time when the power went out for a few hours, it was really convenient to be able to heat/cook without missing a beat.
Cleaning is easy, i don't even cover it (the griddle has a solid lid) and no issues.
 
I've considered one just to keep my stovetop from getting greasy, but I just can't see myself using it enough to be worth it. What would I make? Burgers.....
I'm still doing bacon and eggs inside in a pan unless I'm feeding a bunch of people. Would be useful for the chicken tacos I make, those make a mess too.
So....maybe use it 2-3 times a month? Pass.
 
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I've considered one just to keep my stovetop from getting greasy, but I just can't see myself using it enough to be worth it. What would I make? Burgers.....
I'm still doing bacon and eggs inside in a pan unless I'm feeding a bunch of people. Would be useful for the chicken tacos I make, those make a mess too.
So....maybe use it 2-3 times a month? Pass.

That's what I'm pretty much wrestling with. If I used it only for the things I currently cook in pans on the stove top...that wouldn't be enough.

But I'm trying to ask myself if I would use it a lot more than I do with the extra space, less mess, and not smoking up the house. Like, we enjoy breakfast for dinner sometimes, moreso than for breakfast actually. But when that's over, I just want to burn down the house and move somewhere else. It takes forever to clean, I've used 4-5 different pans, the burners are trashed, etc. So it's something we only do a few times a year, even though we enjoy it. Less extreme, but similar for philly cheese steaks, etc.

I also like the idea of being able to do peppers and onions outside while I've got sausage on the grill.

But considering they aren't cheap, like you said, I don't want to spend $400 and take up the space to use it rarely.

Maybe I should get a portable table top one that uses the small gas canisters for like $100 and see how much I use it.
 
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I got one three years ago and I love it. I was using it almost exclusively when my only other cooker was a gas grill. I’ve tinkered around a bit, and now I have found a good charcoal grill together with my Blackstone is everything I need,

Blackstone is great for tacos, fajitas, fried rice, smash burgers, Philly cheese steaks, Cuban sandwiches, etc. It’s also handy if I don’t want to take the time to fire up the coals, because it does a decent job with some basic things like pork chops and chicken. It’s also great for veggies.
 
Cast Iron griddles and your existing grill. Most brands sell them and it's vastly cheaper and makes your existing appliance more versatile. My private chef loves the set up.
 
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I have a blackstone gas griddle and only use it occasionally but still like that i have it. It's been in my patio for a couple years with no issues. Quality is good and i'm satisfied (not saying other brands might not be better)
I preferred gas because all other appliances in the kitchen are electric. One time when the power went out for a few hours, it was really convenient to be able to heat/cook without missing a beat.
Cleaning is easy, i don't even cover it (the griddle has a solid lid) and no issues.
Basically my experience. I like that I have it but mostly use it for stir fry/hibachi. If I had to break down outdoor usage: 70% traeger; 10% green egg; 10% Weber kettle; 10% blackstone.
 
Cast Iron griddles and your existing grill. Most brands sell them and it's vastly cheaper and makes your existing appliance more versatile. My private chef loves the set up.

Ok...maybe this is the obvious answer, and also solves a bit of a problem for me.

In addition to my Weber kettle, I have an Original PK Grill. If you know, you know. I found it on Craigslist years ago for about $100 and restored it. It's an awesome little grill, and costs about $500 to buy new, and it pretty much just sits unused taking up space, because the Weber kettle is more convenient to clean ashes from and has a lot more space. So I rarely use it, but I just can't bear to get rid of it, because I'll never have another.

Looks like I can buy a custom grilltop for that for about $90, and I'm sure there are many others that would fit as well, probably even cheaper. And since it's my second grill, I'd be able to grill on the Weber, and do vegetables on the PK Griddle.

If I end up using it a ton, I could always get a blackstone later. If I don't use it that much, $100 isn't a bad investment for occasional use. Would feel great to get my PK back into action again.
 
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I have the 36" Blackstone and enjoy it. I will tell you if you can find the space go with the 36". You'll never regret having too much space. You can pretty much cook anything on it. Clean up is a bit more than your grill, but not to bad.
 
Got a Blackstone coming in the mail. I plan on getting a charcoal grill and that should be all I need.

Our family brought one down to the game this year and it was great for tailgating. I am not sure if it was a Blackstone or what brand but it folded up and moved very easily.
 
We have a 36” griddle, the tailgater and now a 17” electric. Use multiple times a week and take camping with us.
 
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Ok, I think I'm going to go with a griddle for my PK Grill to start. I will either get a custom fit one for about $100:

140685457_4358766254139761_9030407878672869167_n.jpg


Or do it like a poor and just put a cast iron on top of it:

90322890_10157661787689748_5048538137219825664_n.jpg


Small investment to see how much I use it before going all in on a dedicated griddle.
 
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Oh damn...while looking at this, I just saw they make a Santa Maria accessory for the PK, for a reasonable $300. This is pretty sweet, but it would be a pain for me to store when not in use.

273026814_3050769378573322_4113196196765899183_n.jpg
 
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I just got the 22 inch "Adventure Ready" one last week. Wanted something I could take camping and tailgating. Any tips for the seasoning process? It came with the seasoning that Blackstone Seasoning and Conditioner.
 
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Also, you can have different zones with different heat. 36 inch has three burners. Imagine the 24 has 2. Helps to have a hot one and then a cooler one for different foods being cooked.

My Blackstone 36 has four zones.

But, yes, multiple zones, no concern about smoke, and massive cooking area makes it significantly different from a cast iron skillet. Is it the same cook result? Yes. But still a completely different appliance.
 
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The idea of these things has sort of wormed into my brain. Never thought I might want one, but am thinking more and more about it.

I have a limited space on a deck of a townhouse, so I need to be judicious about these things. I already have a Weber kettle which is my main go-to, but this seems like a good alternative for some things. Thinking about getting the 28", bigger is always better but the 36" will be a bit of a spacing issue.

1) Anyone find they don't use it as much as they thought they would? This is my biggest concern...don't want to end up with something I don't use that much after a month or so

2) How much of a pain is the cleaning after each use? With the grill, I just close it down, and I scrape it before I cook again. Not sure how committed I'll need to be to a cleaning routine after I've eaten and it's dark or whatever. And I assume they just get covered like a grill when not in use?

3) Is electric and option, or is gas the only way to go here? I don't have a gas grill so I don't have a tank and I'm not already in the habit of keeping gas on hand. If all things were equal electric would be more convenient for me, but I'm guessing they just don't get as hot or heat up as fast. Anyone satisfied with an electric version?

4) Anything special about the Blackstone brand? Are other brands a better value? I'm always about spending less if I can, but don't want something that's total crap.

5) Anything that you do on it that might not be obvious? I'm thinking breakfast, burgers, cheese steaks, stir fry, fish...anything cool you use it for?
Sorry! Both my brother in law and my brother have one and love it.
 
My Blackstone 36 has four zones.

But, yes, multiple zones, no concern about smoke, and massive cooking area makes it significantly different from a cast iron skillet. Is it the same cook result? Yes. But still a completely different appliance.
Mine does too, now that I think of it.
 
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