Once you get past the housing, the outdoor griddles are pretty similar. They start with a thick carbon steel slab that is heated by burners connected to the familiar backyard propane tank. The Traeger comes with a gas gauge with an almost-empty alarm and flame sensors to let you know when the burners are actually lit. Weber uses end-to-end burner tubes, which light with a whoosh of flame and an audible click. Stand-up outdoor griddles, which eliminate the unpredictable heat control and flare-ups of live-fire cooking, are designed to take their place next to — or even replace — the barbecue grill.
The main difference between a Blackstone griddle and a gas grill is their cooking surfaces. Traditional grills have a ridged cooking surface where food is cooked using the direct heat of the gas or charcoal flame. In contrast, a Blackstone griddle has a flat stainless steel surface where food is cooked. A gas grill is a cooking appliance that uses propane or natural gas as fuel to heat grates on which you can place your food for cooking. Gas grills typically consist of a metal box that houses the burners, a cooking grate, and a hood to trap the heat and smoke. The burners are the heart of the grill and are responsible for heating the cooking surface.
With a griddle, it is possible to cook foods such as pancakes, rice, eggs, and stir-fry dishes that wouldn’t be possible on a standard gas grill. Mexican dishes, fajitas, and a traditional breakfast with bacon, eggs, ham, and potatoes can also be easily prepared on a Blackstone griddle. However, gas grills are still popular for allowing grease and water to escape, preventing them from pooling up on the cooking surface.
However, the good thing about these two brands is that they both set their prices with their customers in mind. Your Blackstone griddle collects grease and food residues every time you cook on it. The cleaning process is simple and won’t take much of your time.
Charcoal grills require preheating with bunched-up newspaper or a starter chimney to light the briquettes, which can take up to 30 minutes. On the other hand, propane grills light up at the touch of a button and heat up quickly. Both gas grills and Blackstone griddles require some maintenance and cleaning, but they may be slightly easier to clean due to their removable parts and materials. While traditional grills offer that signature smokey, charred flavor, griddles are known for producing juicier, fattier meats with a unique flavor. Additionally, griddles allow conduction cooking, where the entire surface of the food comes in contact with the heat, making for a tastier result. When it comes to flavor, the main difference between a Blackstone griddle and a gas grill lies in the type of meats they produce.
It’s a 36” griddle that’s equipped with two side shelves for extra storage and is created using the same quality materials that you’ll come to see in all of Blackstone’s grills. The 4 burners each have their own individual controls, so you can adjust the temperature depending on what you’re looking at the time. The stainless steel burners go hand-in-hand with the thick rolled steel surface to provide a longer life and a more even heat distribution.
All of the griddles we selected have burners capable of providing the output needed to reach high cooking temperatures and evenly heat the cooking surface. A compact version of the original grill blackstone grills station, it provides 448 square inches of cooking space over two independent, stainless steel burners. Designed for 20-pound propane tanks, the total heat output is a surprising 34,000 BTUs.
On the other hand, if you’re going to be cooking the perfect Blackstone steak, then you’ll want to preheat for a longer time so that your steak can get a nice sear. Anything that is cooked low and slow won’t do well on the griddle. That’s because the rolled steel griddle top constantly builds heat if your unit is on. In fact, with most Blackstone griddles, the surface temp can climb to over 400 degrees F even if the knobs are turned on low. The flimsy quality of disposable pans combined with the high temperatures of frying oil is an accident waiting to happen.
But Blackstone got it right the first time with their original 1984 griddle. This strategy has clearly paid out as they control about 80% of the U.S. outdoor griddle market. That said, you will most likely find the Blackstone grill at relatively lower prices. One might think that the Blackstone option is less effective or less decent.
A great value, the Blackstone delivers a budget-friendly, pro-level grilling experience. Aesthetically, the Blackstone is simple — the plain black finish belies the grill’s quality. At 130 pounds, blackstone flat top grill it’s designed for home use, but you can travel with it in a pinch. Seems like focusing on griddles only has allowed them to perfect the design, quality, and overall user experience.