Does anybody have experience with these? I see/read a lot about camp chef and Blackstone but kind of tucked away at a Blackstone price point is this guy:
As long as you don’t need a warranty. I bought their ceramic cooker from Costco in 2017 and the ceramic cracked. I sent them the original receipt, pictures of the crack (it cracked from the center of the bottom to the intake vent) and requested a replacement. They told me it will last for years like that. I have since taken it up with Costco. No luck yet?? Beware, they do NOT stand behind their products!
I just got one for free at work, it was used twice... its very rusty for something barely used. The reason we got it is one of the burners is broken and they just fully replaced the whole unit for the previous owner. We haven't cooked on it yet, but it's very flimsy compared to the Blackstones and Camp Chefs I've laid hands on. I'm still gonna hold out for a deal on the FTG 600, barring that I'll snag a Blackstone on sale at wally world in a few weeks maybe, even though the small BS is too small and the med one is too big for my intended usage spot. The FTG 600 is the perfect size, but very expensive when not on sale.
Mr. Bones yeah I have the removal as an option, but I'm weird (still buy CDs and DVDs) because if I pay for it, it's mine. Don't want to buy something that parts of it live in a box, because I don't throw things away that might be needed some day. That's why the CC is my priority. But, for the right price I'll do somethin' else. Those Blackstones with their fancy built in covers sure are hard to walk past...
Andrrr I will vouch for the Camp Chef - I really like my FTG900. The FTG600 looks to be a great cooker, but the cheapest I’ve seen it is $349 at homedepot.com. I just don’t think they are as mass marketed as Blackstone, so you don’t find the discounts on them.
Oh believe me jfmorris I see your FTG900 shenanigans and it’s been fueling the fire so to speak. Are you using it to cook a wider variety of foods than what you Initially expected, all things considered? (You both are in my thoughts and best of wishes). I want to get one and I know a lot of things can be cooked on one, but aside from breakfast what is the compelling reason to cook "whatever" on the griddle vs how I’ve been doing it. And "because it’s more fun" is a valid reason 👍
I would say that the big griddles can be used to cook a LOT more than just breakfast. While they are great for breakfast foods, I would say that breakfast is what I have cooked the least on the flat top. And I've found myself using my gas grill much less, as things like burgers are better on the flat top - I was doing smash burgers on the flat side of Grillgrates anyway. Things that I find myself cooking:
1. Hibachi style cooking. I.e. stir fry. Veggies, fried rice, various meats to go with it.
2. Fajitas and other tex-mex fare of that sort.
3. Sauces, melted cheese, things like that in a pot.
4. It's a lot easier to cook veggies than on the regular grill.
5. Clean up is a lot easier. Just squirt some water while still hot, scrape it, and toss the scrapings in the trash or out into the grass for the dogs to root around in. Then wipe down with some oil.
6. It's more fun and less messy than cooking on the stove top in the kitchen.
One of the BIG things, and this is something in the intro to the book by our member allsid , is that yes - you COULD cook all the griddled stuff in separate pots and pans in the kitchen, but so many meals might take half the pots and pans in your kitchen, versus the one griddle top. Then you're stuck having to soak/scrape/wash all of them, then wipe all the grease off the stove and clean up the counters.
Last night's dinner was a good example. I used the flat top to do 6 center cut pork chops - I would not have fit all 6 in my 12" Lodge skillet, so that would have either required batches, or a second skillet. So that takes us to 2 pans. Then I grilled onions, added squash, zuchinni, broccoli and some bell peppers, and did a veggie stir fry with a little soy sauce. So that would have added a 3rd pan - let's say a wok, and we are up to 3 of the burners on my stove. Then I did a weird dish where I cut a cabbage head into slices about 3/4 inch thick, and grilled those with a drizzle of Dale's sauce. That would have probably required my 2 burner Nordicware griddle, and since I only have 4 burners, it wouldn't have fit the stove. So then back to cooking in batches...
All the food was done in about 12-15 minutes from start, I took it all in, we ate dinner, and I came back 30-40 minutes later after watching some TV, and turned the griddle back on low, just to get it hot enough for water to steam, and spent a couple of minutes with the scraper and a squirt bottle of water, cleaning off some carmelized sauce and such that had stuck. Then a squirt of avocado oil, wipe it in with a rag, and cover it up. I was done with cleanup in under 5 minutes. The only dishes we used were for carrying the food out and in, and our plates, and it all went in the dishwasher.
I think you will use a griddle a lot more than you think you will. Like I said, aside from a few things such as chicken wings, it has replaced my gas grill.
jfmorris You are 100% correct. I use my Blackstone almost all of the time. If I'm not, my kids ask me why I'm not cooking on it. Now, I do make a bunch of B-fast on it, but you are spot on with Hibachi and Mexican. You can get a ton of food on these things and not have the skillets/pans to worry about. My wife loves that the kitchen doesn't have odors lingering for hours. I have to admit, that is a nice added bonus. I made some fantastic T-bones the other night on it. It can get pretty darn hot for a nice sear on it. I'm a Fall kind of guy, so I love being outside in the morning this time of year making stuff and relaxing.
I have yet to do a steak other than as stir-fry meat on the griddle, but did do some outstanding pork chops yesterday, which we finished up tonight. I'll be doing some actual steaks soon. I probably need to do something thinner than my usual 1.5 to 2 inch steak though...
jfmorris - awesome write up. I have had my Blackstone with the air fryer for a bit over a month and use it all of the time. I love breakfast on it, but yesterday I turned left-over smoked tri-tip into the best fajitas I have ever had. Smash burgers are phenomenal on it.
Clean up is a breeze as you pointed out and if you have a couple of dogs, even the ground gets cleaned of any spatters! I can’t compare models because this is the first dedicated outdoor griddle I have owned but I love mine.
jfmorris - I love the air fryer. I have done onion rings, fries and tots. They are great. No homemade stuff yet. The framing for them adds stability to the unit They also serve at low heat levels as great holding units.
Andrrr - my wife does not like greasy food. She loves the potatoes coming out of it. I really appreciate the feature and with time I hope to really maximize it. I’m really happy with the purchase. As I said, I can’t compare unit A to B but don’t give up the MCS! A griddle is worth it.
It resembles the Blue Rhino griddle which also has shelving that becomes a cover. I have no experience with this or the BR but I am in enough groups where people have said the covers may keep the surface from getting sunburned but not much more. Hold on to your wallets folks because you're going to be seeing a lot of griddles in the future and MCS will be going mainstream-
Bronco Pro Barrel Smoker
PBC
Pit Boss 757GD Griddle (2)
Blaz'n Grill Works Grid Iron
Weber Genesis E-310
Original Original Grilla
Smokey Joe® Charcoal Grill 14"
Fireboard 1
Thermoworks ThermoPop
Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4
Thermoworks Smoke Thermometer with gateway
2 iGrillminis - from before they were Weber.
This is a relatively old thread. I've read through it a couple of times, because I've been wanting a griddle. The original post asked about opinions on buying the Pit Boss Deluxe Griddle. It didn't take long for the discussion to dissolve into, "Heck no, just buy the Blackstone, they sell'em at Wal-Mart, so they must be the very best." Or something like that.
So, last week I bought a Pit Boss Deluxe 4 burner griddle. Among the reasons I didn't head down to my local Wal-mart to buy the Blackstone is that my son manages a store that sells Pit Boss, but not Blackstone. He had a pretty good price on them last week, and since I've bought an OG, and a Blaz'n Grid Iron, which he doesn't sell, since I didn't see that much difference between it and Blackstone, Pit Boss it was.
It putting it together, I am puzzled by a few reviews I've seen who thought the thing was flimsy. Mine seems very solid, and the casters are great. Yes, the temps across the griddle surface vary, but I've heard people say the same thing about their Blackstones.
So far, I've cooked bacon smash burgers twice, and it's getting better each time I use it, as it becomes more seasoned. Got some chicken breasts marinating for tonight. No pictures yet, because I've been to busy learning how to cook on it, and eating. Eating the burgers last night reminded me of the burgers my grandma used to make. She fried thin patties in butter. She at one time when I was very young owned a cafe, and while I don't know for sure, I suspect she had a griddle in the cafe. There are only a couple of people left I can ask who might remember, so it will have to be soon.
No hate, it cooks probably near the same as the competition. But having wiggled blackstones and camp chefs, the pit boss we got for free feels flimsy... specifically the legs and the two covers that flip open to become shelves. The top is about the same from the top as the others though some have underside reinforcement, our top at work hasn't warped or anything like that. To be honest, for a work cooker I actually prefer the PB... my guys will neglect it eventually
Or something like that.
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