Blackstone Griddle Review – Great for Cooking Different Food All at Once

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If you go into to the kitchen of the overwhelming majority of restaurants you’d notice the whole menu is cooked on a griddle. From nice restaurants down to diners, the griddle is the tool of choice.

The ability to cook tons of different types of food, and to cook different things at the same time, are what make griddles so great. What once was secret weapon for commercial kitchens, Blackstone turned into a new category of outdoor cooking.

Blackstone 36″ Griddle

Blackstone sells griddles in all different sizes, from small camping griddles up to their 36″ 4-burner griddle, which is what most people associate with the brand. Even within 36″ griddles, there have a bunch of different models, all with different model numbers.

I reviewed the 1825 griddle, which is a pretty standard 36″ griddle. Why I chose it is because it’s still reasonably priced at $439.02 (check price) and I like that it has an built-in trash bag holder, and a paper towel roll holder. Both of those features come in handy when cooking on a griddle.

If you’re fine with having a trash can nearby, rather than on the griddle, I’d also look at the 2267 model. That model wasn’t available when I ordered a griddle to review, but it has their new Omnivore griddle plate which is better for even heating and efficiency.

It also comes with a hard cover, which I’d advise buying anyways. It retails for $499, but Blackstone runs it on sale sometimes and it ends up being a better value than the version I reviewed.

Summary

There’s a reason that Blackstone has been so successful at creating a new category for outdoor cooking. Their 36″ griddle unlocks lots of different meals for the outdoors, and makes them easier to cook.

The styling of some of their lower end models could use a little work, but they perform so well that it’s a minor detail. It’s easy to recommend a Blackstone griddle as they really do live up to the hype.

Bigger is Better

When it comes to griddles, I’d always get the biggest one your budget can afford. If you’re cooking a big breakfast or fried rice you need a ton of space. You can do it on a smaller griddle, but you’re sacrificing time to do things in batches.

Features and Specs

• Retail price of $439.02 (check price)
• 768 square inches of cooking area – Amazon has a typo for the surface area
• Four burners let you set different temperature zones
• Electronic ignition for easy starting
• Four wheels make it easier to move around for garage storage

Seasoning

The most essential part of caring for a Blackstone Griddle is keeping it seasoned. That’s another way of saying to make sure that it’s always oiled, like you’d care for cast iron.

If it’s your first time seasoning it, you’ll want to start by washing off the griddle with some soap and water to remove any dirt from the manufacturing process. The griddle plate can be pretty dirty when you first get it.

After that, heat it with high heat until it gets hot. Once it’s hot, coat the surface with an oil that has a high smoke point like grapeseed oil or avocado oil. Blackstone sells their own seasoning oil, which is my favorite to use because it’s really thick like coconut oil.

You’ll want just a thin layer otherwise you can end up with oil build-up that you’ll taste in your food. I use a paper towel crumpled at the end of some tongs to spread the oil out evenly and remove any excess.

Keep the grill at high heat and watch the oil smoke on the surface. Once it’s done smoking, the grill has been seasoned. For a new griddle you need to repeat this process a few times. The corners of your griddle might not have turned black like the rest of the surface, because there’s cold spots there, but they’ll fill in over time.

A Parents’ Dream Cooking Device

If you’re a parent of kids that are picky eaters, this is a real problem solver. Some days you just want an easy meal without quoting a number of bites over and over again.

The Blackstone is perfect for that because you can easily make something different for the adults and the kids. Cook shrimp fried rice on one side and hot dogs on the other. Have a kid that won’t eat burgers? Pancakes on one side to the rescue.

Like I said, there’s a reason that restaurants use griddles. You’ll be a diner cook in no time if you have kids that have a narrow band of food they’ll eat.

Cleaning

Every time you’re done cooking, keep the grill warm, or warm it back up after you’re done eating. Take a scraper and scrape all of the food remnants off the surface and push them into the grease management hole to the grease cup below. For food that’s really stuck, spray a little water on it with a squeeze bottle when you scrape it.

Next, wipe down the surface with paper towel to remove as much surface grease as possible. If you’re griddle is too warm to touch, use a set of tongs to keep your hands safe.

Then, use a brillo pad and water to scrub down the surface. They sell brillo pad holders that make this easier, or you can put it under a spatula for scrubbing. Once the surface is clean, it’s time to spread a thin layer of oil on it to keep it seasoned.

Pros

• Versatility – Like I’ve hammered home already, a Blackstone is all about food versatility. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, different styles of food, you can cook it all on here.
• Fun to Use – This piggybacks a little on versatility but it’s fun to cook different types of food than you normally wood outdoors. It’s also a more involved experience than other types of cooking.
• Quality – The Blackstone griddle feels really solid. Both the cart and the griddle top can take some punishment.

Cons

• Styling – Some of the lower priced models, like this one, have a pretty spartan design. They’re just black coated steel in a big rectangle.
• Ignition – This isn’t really an issue but more of a preference. There’s only an ignitor one one burner on this model, so you light one burner then turn on the rest to let the fire jump. I like the ease of having an ignitor for every burner. I never had an issue with it lighting though.

Conclusion

The Blackstone griddle lives up to the hype. It might not be the best for your waistline, but you’ll be outside cooking big breakfasts every chance you get. The griddle opens up a new world of cooking outdoors. There are a couple areas I wish Blackstone would have put a little more into the design, but it’s overall a quality package.