MCS is setting in - New Griddle - Help me decide

[BKYDBBQ]

Happy Holidays...

I am trying to decide on a Christmas gift to myself. This is partially fueled by my sister buying a new iPad for herself, so now I want to get myself something.

I am considering a new griddle, new deck needs a new griddle. I have had a 22" Blackstone but want something a little larger, not huge though.

I see Blackstone has a new Iron Forged line of griddles, I know Weber has the Slate, and almost everyone makes a griddle.

I am just starting the research process so please give me your thoughts on the griddle that you have, Pros and Cons.

This will likely lead to me going into decision overload with at least one Excel spreadsheet, etc.

Thanks in advance,

clb239

[klflowers]

Instead of a griddle, I would suggest a camp stove. I have a Camp Chef Tahoe 3 burner stove. It has 3 - 30k btu burners. I have a CI griddle I use on it. It is very versatile.

https://www.campchef.com/shop-16-inch-stove-systems/

[jfmorris]

This is a good way to go, but if you want to leave it setup all the time, not sure there is a cover to go over the stove and griddle?

[klflowers]

jfmorris I have a cover for the stove. It resides on my outdoor deck and is fine. The CI griddle is a standard lodge griddle and I don't leave it in the stove - i keep it indoors. I got it for the RV, but I use it here at the house a lot.

[Richard Chrz]

Boy that 2 burner 14 explorer sure seems like a nice little set up being able to take the legs off to store!

[barelfly]

Love my blackstone 4 burner, but not sure if you are wanting to just go up in size, or change from what you have. The Weber Slates look nice, but do you want to change the cooktop material or???

the nice part of having the 4 burner for me, having control of temp areas to hold food while cooking other stuff. Or to do larger cooks. If I remember correctly, the 22” is only 2 burners? So you get some flexibility with the extra burners.

Otherwise, enjoy the search!

edit - one thing I’d do differently with my blackstone is buy one with an attached lid rather than the lift top that mine has. I could buy a hinged lid for mine, but the price is a bit up there. I’ve seen a video where I can do that with a few brackets and such. But that is the one change - getting an attached lid.

[BKYDBBQ]

I am not sold on just blackstone, I like the looks of the slate.

The 22" is nice and has two burners but even if you have one burner off I always seemed to end up with a hot side and a not as hot side. I figured with the larger ones you can get more distance between the hot and cool sides.

[jfmorris]

I love my now discontinued Camp Chef 6 burner griddle (900 square inches!), but sadly, it is history. And did not have a hinged lid.

Personally, you are most likely to find a good deal on a Blackstone 36, locally, or one of the ubiquitous off brand griddles at the local big box stores. I'm a fan of sticking with name brands when it comes to my grill purchases, so that I can get parts down the road. If I were shopping today, I would compare the Weber Slate, the current crop of Blackstone 36 inch griddles, and the Camp Chef Gridiron 36.

I know quite a few around here have bought into the coated griddles (Pit Boss?), but knowing how I have to replace my coated non stick skillets every few years, I just can't bring myself to think it is a good idea for griddles, and feel that sticking with cold rolled steel is the way to go. Camp Chef comes pre-seasoned. I think the Weber Slate is also pre-seasoned.

I also highly recommend a griddle that comes with an attached hinged lid. I had to add an aftermarket lid to my Camp Chef, but back in 2020, most griddles did not come with an attached lid. Most do now. I will say that even with a lid, you likely also want to buy a cover, if it lives out in the rain like mine does. My experience is that without a cover, rainwater can get on the shelves below the griddle and cause damage to paint or rust over time.

The last thing to look at is grease management. Camp Chef and Weber put the grease cup and hole/trough up front, where you can access it easily by opening the front door on the cart. Blackstone puts it in the rear, which is problematic if your griddle is up against a deck railing or brick wall. I've never been a fan of the rear grease management on the Blackstone griddles. I feel it is easier to pull debris and grease towards the hole in the front, than it is to push it to the rear. I do scrape the griddle front to back, but then pull the debris forward with a spatula.

Good luck! Let us see the spreadsheet and comparison you make!

Jim

[yakima]

Echoing the above. 4 burner for space and temp control. Hinged lid, regardless of whether your area is covered or not.
I have the PitBoss ceramic, but found it a bit finicky to get used to. Front grease trap.

[DavidNorcross]

I have the Grilla Primate. No secret I am a fan of Grilla. But I use this flat top everyday and love it even after several years of owning. I did purchased the leveling legs and that was a game changer. I really want to give you a con, but I honestly cannot. Support is awesome, the thing is built like a tank and it cooks very even. Cannot recommend enough.

[dpearce]

I want one too... I'm trying to get by cheap, so that's my problem.

I've been watching FB marketplace in my area. You might find a few decent deals on there? I don't see any Camp Chef, and the Weber would be doubtful, but Blackstones come up all the time.

Trouble is, like most people have mentioned, they're the ones without the hinged lid, or just the two burner ones. I'm hoping (really hoping) I'll find a four burner with an attached lid for a good price.

I'm amazed at how many people around here either bought a Blackstone or acquired one, and are getting rid of it after just one or two seasons.

Sounds like you want to go new, though, so let us know what you get!

[jfmorris]

My son picked up a Blackstone 36 with hinged lid on the side of the road about 2 years ago. It looked almost brand new, but the top was all rusted up because someone bought it, and didn't know how to season it properly, or maintain it. He cleaned and reseasoned it, and sold it to someone for $200 on Facebook Marketplace. He got his Weber kettle - one of the premium ones but not the Performer - practically unused - on the same street.

[jayjordan]

This one's interesting...oval, no corners.

https://www.solostove.com/us/en-us/p/steelfire-stainless-griddle?sku=SS30-G-UNIT

[Panhead John]

$900…….😳

[Santamarina]

I’ve got a 36” Blackstone. Mine is the now-out-of-production all stainless steel model (top is still cold rolled steel, but everything else is stainless).

It doesn’t have a lid of any kind, so if I were to buy a replacement that would be on the top of my list. And I wouldn’t buy anything less than 36” - even if I were a bachelor, it would be my choice. You can always use less griddle if you don’t need the space, but you can’t add on to a small griddle!

Some of these coated tops seem nice, but I’ve spent the last 7 years slapping spatulas on the top like a Benihana chef, and I’d worry about damaging the surface. So I’d stick with cold rolled steel or maybe stainless steel.

The market has really exploded in the last 5 years or so. You’ve got a ton of options. I’m sure you’ll make a great choice.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I still really like the Grilla option, especially at the sales price its hit a few times.. if it was a tad smaller I'd have one already.

[glitchy]

I’m not a dedicated griddle guy myself, I’ve had a couple and got rid of them and just have a topper now that I throw on my Genesis for the once in a blue moon I really want a griddle. That being said, I wouldn’t buy another griddle without looking at the Traeger Flatrock. Glanced at them a couple times in stores and the look very impressive.

[OC Sandy]

I got the Camp Chef Gridiron (36") a year and a half ago. I have to say, I'm very impressed by it. The thing is solid as a rock. It's on wheels so it is easy to move around if desired. The wheels lock. It has a hinged lid which I love for both cooking use, and also when it's stored. I'm a fan of the front grease management, as well as the easy front access to the grease bucket. The cooking surface is big enough to have a lot going on at the same time if needed, but with the 4 burners, it's easy enough to use only part of it if I am cooking less. Speaking of the 4 burners, this thing has very even temps across the surface. I did a toast test on it when it was new and all the pieces of bread toasted evenly. An added bonus, in my opinion, is that not only can the grill get very hot (I've had it at 600 degrees), but it also adjusts to very good low temps which I understand not all griddles can do. I don't always want to cook at screaming high temps. There is another neat feature on it that I like - it has leveling adjusting thingies that let me level the griddle. Or, with the levelers, I can deliberately create an uneven surface if I want to be able to pool grease to do shallow frying on it. The two side shelves are convenient too. I think I'm sounding like an advertisement here, but I really do like the features.

[Uncle Bob]

Some folks will criticize the grease trough for using up cooking space, but that's a rookie view. If you look at videos of initial seasoning, I'll reference Blackstone because it's most common but not alone, that front 3-4" doesn't get hot enough to season/cook anyway. Reason? Burners aren't under that area by design.

[jfmorris]

I’m a big Camp Chef fan. I feel like Camp Chef learned from the few issues with their older series, making the new Gridiron a major improvement. I also think that front grease management is a better way to go.

[ssennott]

I use a Steelmade topper for when i want griddle it works great even heat with 3 burners on my Genesis.

[BKYDBBQ]

RonB are you still liking your Weber Slate. That is leading the list for me. Any Pros / Cons you have discovered so far.

ckb239

[RonB]

Actually, when I cook for the 2 of us, it's fine - EXCEPT for fried rice or hibachi cooking. I can do both on the 30" model, but it would be a bit less cramped on the 36 incher.

[Panhead John]

Chris, you might have seen this already but Huskee really liked the Weber Slate! Platinum Award winner……..

https://amazingribs.com/ratings_reviews/weber-slate-36-rust-resistant-griddle-reviewed-and-rated/

[Panhead John]

Forgot to mention this but the left side shelf DOES fold down, if this helps. I’ve got the Pit Boss 2 burner model and I really like that Weber Slate! If I was in the market for a larger griddle, I’d probably get the Slate myself.