Blackstone 36” model advice

[SavageSmoke]

I may be in a minority here, but I like a removable flat lid. It is aluminum and weighs nothing. But I can remove it completely and be back to nothing in my way.

[jfmorris]

Yohawk great looking setup!

Only thing I can think of for grease spatter is to put down some type of mat in front of the Blackstone, while cooking. I've got the same issue with my flat top, and have made some nice grease spots on the concrete in the two different places I've cooked with it. To be fair, I've dripped stuff when cooking with a conventional gas grill as well.

[Yohawk]

Thanks. With the lighter colored Trex decking, the grease splatter was pretty noticeable. I was surprised at the mess I made. My bride has decided the grill area would get the old rug in the covered deck area and she would get a new one to replace it. I think I’ve been played!

[SmokeyGator]

Mine did not have a metal cover, but I did buy the Blackstone waterproof cover. The problem is the cover will leak if water is allowed to pool on it for too long. Which is what happened. I ended up taking an orbital sander to it with 60 grit paper, that got it down to the bare steel in short order (rust was not too bad). I used a milti-tool with a triangular sanding head for the corners and ridge around the cook surface. Then I re-seasoned the thing.

I also built a simple wood support that will prevent the new cover from pooling. Water will run off it like it is supposed to, and it will last much longer. The support is in three sections, for ease of removal and storage - and it is slightly sloped for runoff.

A hinged metal cover would have prevented the problem in the first place.

[ecowper]

Well, it’s clear to me that when I get a flat top, I’m going to have to get a hinged cover here in WA

[Steve R.]

ecowper, the hinged hood is great. But the thing it is best at is providing a sloped surface under my water resistant cover for rain to runoff instead of pooling. I recently got lazy and forgot to replace the cover before it rained again. The hood was closed, so I thought it wouldn't matter. But after a couple of rainy nights I now have rust forming on the outside sides of the griddle surface for the first time ever. Mine is out in the open on my deck, so YMMV.

[ecowper]

Steve R. Okay, so I would need both hinged hood and the soft cover

[realdocBBQ]

I looked for one a couple weeks ago and no stores nearby had them - within 75 miles. Actually drove to a store that said they did, and they didn't. So much for online inventory, right? 2 hour round trip and I learned to call the other stores, who all checked and told me they did not have it, in spite of what the website said. <sigh>

So I guess I'll wait 'till next year - again. Been saying that for like 3 years now.

[Dan Deter]

Deck looks awesome!

[Yohawk]

Thanks Dan. The price differential between salt treated lumber and Trex was not much, and I won’t have to go through the staining process anymore. The one thing I didn’t consider was hot coals from the charcoal grill. I’m thinking cement board might be the way to go….need to do a little more research.

[Dan Deter]

We are planning on trex or another composite when we redo ours for the same reasons. Maybe next year...

[Santamarina]

Congrats on the new griddle. I bought my all-stainless 36” Blackstone at Ace a couple years ago when they had a killer sale. It quickly became my most used cooker!