Understanding amazingribs review of the Blackstone 36" vs Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600

[AdequateEatin]

So I have been in the market for a backyard griddle for a while now, and like everyone else in this forum, I like to put a lot of research into my purchases. After a bit of research I got to a place where I decided to either the Blackstone 36” Griddle or the Camp Chef Flat top Grill 600. Two pretty similar flat top grills. After I decided the two models I want to pick between, I turned to the source I trust, amazingribs.com to find the reviews of the two models. Now it might be my own bias shining through from my research outside of the amazing ribs reviews, but I was a little disappointed in both the reviews and the rankings of the griddles.


In my mind, from my research I have done, the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600 blows away the features of the Blackstone 36” griddle, and yet the Blackstone 36” Griddle is rated platinum and the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill is rated gold. Am I missing a flaw in the Camp Chef because it seems like overall the better griddle? If so the review does not mention a single bad thing about it.


These two flat tops have a lot in common, such as the heat flux is basically the same for the two grills (the Camp Chef seems to burn a minuscule hotter), they both have 4 burners, cooking height is basically the same. Below is the pro/con list that I can find.


Blackstone 36" (https://amazingribs.com/grill-tailga...-system-review):

Pro:

• Griddle Surface Area
• Higher BTU burners
• Wider variety of Accessories

Con:

• No windscreen between griddle and base
• Battery powered Ignition
• Grill Box has been discontinued
• No Griddle leveling

Camp Chef Flat Top Grill (https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...ill-600-review):

Pro:

• Windscreen between the gap of the griddle and base
• Mechanical ignition source
• Includes grill grates
• Has built in griddle leveling

Con:

• Grease tray attaches to collapsible shelf

Basically with all this info that I can find, I simply don't understand why the Blackstone has a platinum reward, where the Camp Chef is a gold. It seems like with all the features that the Camp Chef has and the cons that the blackstone has the results would be reversed. Can someone please shine some light on why amazingribs holds Blackstone in higher regards then Camp Chef?

[Polarbear777]

Good question. I’ve cooked on the CC and I like pretty much everything about that design. The grease tray works well and you get plenty of heat when needed.

[Jfrosty27]

I am planning the same purchase. I’ll be watching this closely

[Uncle Bob]

Both are enjoyed by their owners, so for the most part you're going to get a bias based on the choice of others. That said, your gut is telling you that what you've learned favors the CC from what your subconscious mind values.

Last year I went through the same process as you and came to the CC being best for me. The wind deflector feature is pretty important and would cost an extra $40ish bucks for the BS as an accessory. The difference in BTU is a bit nebulous, and I suspect you've seen some of the side by side comparisons on YouTube where actual users liked the heat output and surface coverage of the CC over the BS. The BS is no longer configured like the one Max has pictured, they now have the grease catch bin in the rear. While that solved a problem of grease running down the front leg on the BS some don't care for having the grease level a slight bit more difficult to see with it in the back. Again, a personal choice thing. Having to remove the bin on the CC to fold the shelf isn't much of a pain as you'll likely be doing that as part of your post cook cleaning anyway (leaving grease in any bin can attract undesirable animal attention). As a personal perspective to my eye and feel, the CC is a tab bit more substantial feeling (not meaning heavy) which again is subjective, but adds to the enjoyment of ownership. You didn't mention that the CC also is a gas grille under the removable griddle, but that's a feature some value. Me personally, I don't as I have quite a few cookers, but if we were having a big neighborhood party out in the street or the like, I can see where it might be useful (low probability for me). The individual burner lighting was a big plus for me as I enjoy not having to go through the sequential lighting mambo, but again, there are lots of BS owners out there who apparently don't know any different. I have other CC gear and have always been impressed by their quality of build and materials as well as a responsive customer care crew on the few times I've had cause to call. One last thing, you see a lot of BS units for sale in the used market, very few CC griddles. Meaningful? You decide.

[AdequateEatin]

Awesome! Thanks for the comment, I didn't realize that you had to light the burners sequentially with the Blackstone. I guess you found another con for me! Again that is some information I would of loved to see in the amazingribs review.

[DavidNorcross]

Really very hard to say. I have had both and am currently very happy with my CampChef.

[Attjack]

Why did you switch?

[DavidNorcross]

I had the 36" blackstone and sold it for the griddle and deep fryer all in one. I was very disappointed in the deep fryer, the ability to get the grease hot enough and the overall support from Blackstone. I also had to constantly fight wind. Always been impressed with CampChef and their quality, so I sold the griddle and deep fryer and purchased the 600. Had it a while now and have had zero issues.

[au4stree]

I can’t speak to the review, but purchased my Blackstone because they had a NG conversion kit.

[rwalters]

I cooked for 5-6 years on Blackstone’s and the past 2-3 years on a Camp Chef FTG900. Much much much prefer the CS

[jfmorris]

I've got the FTG900 and absolutely love it. Having done research on both, I have to guess that the reason the Blackstone scores higher on the reviews here is due to it usually selling for less than the Campchef FTG600. I.e. maybe its a better value, if all you want is a 36" griddle.

As you've found, feature wise, the Camp chef FTG600 beats the socks off the Blackstone. And having seen both in person, I will vouch that the Campchef seems to be better constructed. It's just not as readily available at your local Walmart and Home Depot.

All burners on the Campchef have independent ignition - and for me, it lights every single time I turn the knob. I like that the FTG600 can use grillgrates, if you don't have a gas grill and think you would use that feature. I am considering building my FTG900 into an outdoor kitchen this summer, and I can see where the FTG600 would be even more ideal for that, as you can pull off the griddle and use it as a grill too. Personally - about the only time I would use that feature would be if grilling chicken or other non-flat items.

I can also vouch that I never have had any issues using the Campchef in windy conditions.

One thing that I wish were available from Campchef are the rigid metal tops for their flat top grills, like Campchef offers. There are a few third party resellers. For now, with mine being outside, I put two basting domes on top, and cover it with the Campchef nylon cover. The domes just help ensure no water puddles on top of the cover, and as long as I use the griddle fairly regularly and keep it clean and oiled, its good to go with a wipe down before each use.

[Andrrr]

I had the same conundrum and the middle of last summer I ended up going with the BS ultimately because I wasn’t sure the higher price tag was worth the additional features in the CC, and maybe because I’m a little cheap. I have no regrets but hindsight the price is negligible because like most of these purchases a year from now the price won’t matter. I would have to agree with you though that the CC is a better griddle on paper and probably in real life. I do love the BS and have no complaints but I’ve never had one or cooked on one prior to this so it a bit of a biased review. Interesting to see those that had the BS and switched and like the CC better.
Not sure if that helps at all but even though I have a BS and I haven’t found anything I don’t like about it and given the chance I don’t think I would go back and choose differently even though it’s probably better, it sounds like you want the CC and that’s what you should get.

[latenight71]

I got to know the at the time marketing guy at Camp Chef around 2002 after meeting him at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. He sent me a handful of the latest products to review in the mag I worked on at the time. This was a few years before they started selling their 2- and 3-burner stoves and griddle plates at Costco. I gotta say I was always very impressed with Camp Chef and its products have never let me down. I really liked the people who ran things, too. felt like a mom and pop place.
That said, I carry a 17-inch Blackstone propane griddle top in my RV and it gets used more than every other cooking device I have on board - including my Jumbo Joe. I also used to have a 36-inch Blackstone griddle cart that I used for my taco cart catering biz and I used the heck out of it and abused it badly and it never let me down. I have been eyeing both the models you speak of at my local BBQ shop. It's a tough call. I also really like some of my local custom offerings. not sure if they ship but I got my big taco cart at this place and I put it through hell and it loved it - https://latacocarts.com/

[Santamarina]

I’ve had a 36” stainless steel Blackstone for two years and love it. Don’t have any experience with the CC, so my endorsement may not carry much weight.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I've been holding out for an FTG600 sale forever, but keep missing them or they aren't happening. The FTG 600 is not a great value when you consider you need to buy a topper so the cover (you also have to buy) doesn't sag and get greasy. At typical sales prices you're looking at a $550ish dollar entry price before you start getting things like the tools and nice to have accessories.

The Blackstone models at walmart have a built in lid and often are on sale under $200 (usually $297ish) and sometimes include a cover and tools. The wind protection upgrade is about $50.

Reason I'm holding out is I like the FTG600 size better, it will fit my deck space a lot neater than the blackstone will. But if I don't find a CC deal soon I'm jumping on a blackstone. Worst case I might do the smaller CC, the smaller blackstone only has 2 burners so not an option for me.

[jfmorris]

The Home Depot price of $349 is pretty good, and I think included free delivery to a local store. I think the FTG600 is a good buy at that price. Just add the cover, a basting dome or two for $7.99 each off Amazon, and a $20 tool set.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

The problem is I've seen the FTG600 go for 250-ish a few times, anything sub $300 I'm jumping on Basting dome thing won't work for me (but sounds like a reasonable approach for many) I don't think because we get very high winds, I'd rather have something solid to cinch the cover around. I might be able to make one for $40 but they go on ebay and etsy for around $100 shipped. I realized I was including tax and shipping on the CC/accessories and wasn't on Walmart which isn't fair.

[jfmorris]

I don't think you get what I am talking about for the cover.

The Camp Chef cover cinches very tightly on the two ends of the flat top grill - at least the one for the FTG900 does. It has straps that you tighten with a quick latch thing to connect the two pieces at each end. I am putting a couple of aluminum basting domes from Amazon on top of the griddle before putting the cover down, expressly to prevent sagging of the cover and encourage water run off. To date its worked very well.

[jfmorris]

ItsAllGoneToTheDogs this is the cover I would buy if you are worried about high wind - it is designed like the one I have for the FTG900:

https://www.campchef.com/flat-top-gr...600-cover.html

With the tables extended, and that cover cinched down on the bottom, its not coming off even in high winds.

What I put on top are a couple of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just put two of those on top of the griddle after cleanup and oiling, before putting the cover on. The knobs are at about the same height as the back edge of the griddle. I don't know that they are needed, but it makes me feel better keeping the cover supported out in the middle, and off of the griddle top. The domes are held tightly to the top of the griddle by the cover, and are not blowing off or going anywhere. They are just there to help ensure runoff. I keep them on the shelf underneath when not using in that manner or cooking with them. I've not seen standing water on the cover yet, so feel they do their job.

I saw some stainless steel covers made to go on the FTG600 on Etsy or eBay, but they were over $100. I'm coming in on a year with the Camp Chef Nylon cover, and its doing well.

They have a different cover that requires you to fold down the side shelves, which has an elastic cord around the bottom, but I feel this design would be more secure in windy conditions. Mine has stayed secure through last tornado season and winter winds so far.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I knew what ya meant in the post above Is your CC on a patio or a deck (I think I remember your pics is a patio)? The reason I was focusing on the hard top is there is a cover that cinches around the top & the base but needs a hard top. Saw it on the CC FB group where people were having issues with covers blowing off when on a deck from wind coming up and that combo helped them. I don't think I ever looked at the CC brand cover though & that looks just as secure, can't blow up I don't think.

[jfmorris]

ItsAllGoneToTheDogs my CC is out in the very middle of my backyard, behind the pool. It's on the back edge of the concrete pool deck, and under the edge of a pavilion right now. It's enough to keep straight rain off, but 99% of the time if its raining, its blowing in that side, as that is the side all the weather comes from. During the summer when we are sitting out there, the CC and the SNSK will have to move out from under cover.

[jfmorris]

The cover that keeps the shelves out rather than folded secures pretty well, and the bottom shelf of the grill being solid, not a ton of wind will come up through a deck and up inside the cover I would think. The other cover that just uses elastic and works with the shelves folded down would probably be more likely to blow away.

If I build mine into an outdoor kitchen, I'll be paying for a hard cover and figuring out a way to latch it down to the counter top.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I ended up selling my 36” BS because it was just a flat top. Don’t get me wrong, it cooked just fine but I needed something a little more versatile. So my wife bought me the camp chef 3 burner cook stove which came with a griddle. I love this thing, I can make a doz smash burgers on the griddle and cook my beans on the 3rd burner. We canned veggies this past fall and it works great for frying fish .

[Dan Deter]

That's what I'm trying to wear down SWMBO on...

[jfmorris]

If I didn't already have outdoor burners for pots, I would look hard at one of the Camp Chef 16" stove setups. With that 3 burner griddle, its the same size as the FTG600. And more flexible. My son in law plans to get that setup along with a Weber kettle to replace his current Charbroil dual fuel propane/charcoal cooker when it dies. To some, the folding legs make it look a little too "campy" for the patio I suppose.

[DavidNorcross]

There are alot of pluses to their cooking systems for sure.

[tRidiot]

I've been eyeing a BS for years... but I always play and fiddle with them when I'm at WM and I don't like the knobs - they feel cheap and cheesy and I just don't get the feeling they're going to last. This doesn't engender good feelings in me. I've never seen the CC to be able to play with it in person, people are saying it seems more well-built. Is this the kind of thing you mean?