Thanks so much PBCDad for providing such a detailed response. It’s extremely helpful and provided some details I never would have thought to ask about. I have been thinking about a future outdoor kitchen with built ins, which is why I asked But I actually haven’t gotten any large griddle yet. Though I have used a lodge steel griddle on my camp stove, but not a larger flat top.
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PBCDad, dirtman, TinyRob and anyone else...stumbled on this thread because I'm doing the design and prep for an outdoor kitchen/built ins myself. Similar situation it seems to you all, especially PBCDad...
-Right now have a PBC which is great, but not suited to built in.
-Had a Weber gasser for years, then 2 years ago got a 36 inch Blackstone and now BARELY ever use my gasser except for occasional overflow. I do find that maybe hot dogs/sausages are slightly easier on the gasser, but literally use the Blackstone for everything else
-As such, considering foregoing a regular grill on the kitchen and just doing a built in griddle, which led me down the path of the LeGriddle. I love my Blackstone surface and this would be the stainless steel.
-For built in smoker I will probably do a Kamado...I figure if I REALLY need traditional cooking grates I can fire that up as a regular grill, and otherwise get an auto-fan control for it.
I'm curious, 3 years after these posts, if you all have tips, would do it again, would do anything different, regrets, etc. Especially:
-Do you regret not having a regular grill? I will likely have space for a small 1- or 2- burner "sear station" that could maybe double as a hot dog/sausage cooker.
-How has the LeGriddle held up? For those that cooked on the cold-rolled steel or cast iron of a Blackstone or Weber or other griddle before, notice any difference?
-Anyone chime in with other good experiences with built-in griddles? Options for built-ins with natural gas are a little limited. The Grilla Primate is tempting but smaller cooking surface in griddle mode.
And any other tips apprecitated!Comment
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doctorak I don't regret it at all. I love cooking on the griddle, but I've found there are times when I'm not cooking on it at all. Right now it has a bunch of gunk on it because the last time I cooked with it was probably September. But it's easy to scrub that stuff off and get cooking! I don't remember how much it cost now, and I don't regret the money I spent on it.
I have a Camp Chef camping grill that I got flat-top inserts for, and that was a lot of fun when I was starting. But it would rust, and prepping it for a cook could be a project. It also had more hot spots than the Le Griddle. I've cooked on a Blackstone as well, and it's a similar cooking experience, but I've very much enjoyed not having to worry about the care for it.
I don't miss having a gas grill. Almost anything I would do on a gas grill I can do on my griddle, and for the other stuff, I have a Weber kettle. I would think your kamado would do just fine for those situations.
The one thing to know is that it takes a while (5-10 minutes) to heat up. It's a lot of cast iron under the stainless steel, and the burners aren't quite as intense as I've seen on some Blackstones. So if you are expecting to turn it on and start cooking, it may disappoint. What I do is turn it on, then go inside and get my ingredients and everything together. By the time I'm back outside, it's ready to go.Comment
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Thanks! This is a good endorsement and I'm leaning this way. Another option is to do a "side-burner" one burner gas grill with grates for hot dogs/sausages. Will see if I have room because I've found those are the only things so far I think are better on a gasser than on the griddle. Can justify it as a sear station.
5-10 minutes is no biggie. I'm used to that.
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doctorak As for not needing a grill…
Seven years ago we put in an outdoor cooking island and I dropped in a $2k stainless grill. It got used multiple times per week. Six months later I bought a 36” Blackstone and that fancy grill went from regular use to maybe once every 4-5 weeks. If you’re anything like me you won’t regret not having a gasser.
I fire up the charcoal/wood grill for steaks and tri-tip. Everything else hits the griddle or the stickburner.
Dont personality have a Le Griddle, but I’ve been following them for years. Recently did a job at a house with one and the owner spoke very highly of it. When I build my next outdoor kitchen (planing a move later this year) a Le Griddle is at the top of my list.Comment
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Yeah, in the 2 years I've had my 36" Blackstone, I have fired up the gasser exactly twice, both times as overflow from a big griddle cook for a party. As I mention above, another idea I had was to have a one-burner grill grate sear station if room...can use for searing and for hot dogs/sausages. Doing planning now so should know soon if I have the room.
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