The 7 Best Flat Top Grills and Griddles of 2023

This griddle is also small enough to be stored in the cupboard when you don’t use it. You’ll enjoy two expansive prep shelves and a culinary-style hood offering precision heat control. The patented grease management system keeps fat out of your food and contained for quick and easy cleanup. There are higher-end griddles on the market, but you’ll spend more and get less.

Its small size allows it to fit in a trunk with plenty of room for other gear. It also runs off a small 16-ounce propane canister, so there’s no need to tow along a 20-pound tank. Though its cooking surface is smaller at 267 square inches, it’s still large enough to grill up to 10 burgers. It also boasts a hood, which is a feature not typically found on portable griddles.

Light your charcoal or gas grill and place the griddle smooth side up, in the center of the grate. Warping is also an issue if your griddle is exposed to extreme temperatures. When cooking dishes you should use good quality oils, especially with a high-smoke point. You do not require expertise to use a griddle while some cooking units need the experience to use them. Griddles are straightforward to use however, you should read the instructions carefully to avoid the hassle.

On the other hand, Blackstone griddles have a flat stainless steel surface that offers a slightly juicier and fattier piece of meat. Blackstone griddles offer a wider, flat cooking surface compared to gas grills, making them more suitable for cooking for a crowd. Blackstone griddles offer an even cooking surface, resulting in evenly black stone griddle cooked food every time. The H-formation burners on Blackstone gas griddles can reach temperatures of up to 60 thousand BTUs, making it a perfect choice for cooking a variety of food items at the same time. In contrast, while gas grills also use propane heat, they typically have raised surfaces that can create hot and cold spots.

blackstone flat top grill

Mid-sized models with frames are heftier at 70 to 80 pounds and will fit better in small SUVs and trucks. The knobs on some models have high-visibility orange trim for those early tent-side breakfasts. How many people you can feed in one sitting comes down to the size of your griddle’s cooking area. Regular Blackstone gas griddles shouldn’t be used indoors unless you have a powerful ventilation hood and a dedicated cooking area made with durable and fire-safe materials. A basic option for outdoor enthusiasts who value function over frills, it’s all that you really need to cook for 2 to 4 people.

The traditional Blackstone griddle is a liquid propane powered, outdoor cooking apparatus with a large flat cooking surface. Similar to a gas grill, you can use a griddle to cook burgers, steaks, chicken, and other meats. When cooking with charcoal or wood chips, “There can be flare ups with fatty foods, you need to maintain temperatures … It can be messy and can sometimes take a lot of attention.” If you’re entertaining or juggling multiple foods at once, this can be hard to manage. When cooking over indirect heat, it’s easier to control temperature and therefore easier to swap between foods.

Technically portable, breaking down backyard grills for transport requires two strong people, a screwdriver and patience — they weigh up to 200 pounds. The largest models are designed for a permanent place on your deck or patio. They are heavy, but some of them can be broken down for a road trip. Grilling blackstone flat top grill power is noted in British Thermal Units (BTU), but it’s not the whole story. More of an efficiency rating, BTUs don’t necessarily reflect how hot your grill can get. With two prep shelves, magnetic tool holders, a paper towel holder and a garbage bag stand, you’re ready to take on the world.

In this instance, Blackstone has an instructional video on how to properly remove rust to ensure your griddle is safe to cook on. Before you get to cook on the Flatrock, you have to cure the steel. When you first put the steel plate in, the surface is incredibly rough. To cure the top you have to use vegetable oil to create a nonstick surface to work on, much like a skillet. It’s a long process, but one I enjoyed as I could see it working, and by the end of the process, the entire cooking area had a black sheen that’s smooth enough to cook eggs on. Those with a grill and a free-standing griddle, like a Lodge or Back Country, or a skillet, can experiment with a technique I call smoke-griddling.