Many nations like outdoor grilling, and people use their grills all year to prepare foods like vegetables, shrimp, and breakfast in addition to steak and hamburgers.
Since the flat-top grill has no grates or openings, food or liquid may be grilled without worrying that it will fall through. These grills can BBQ, sear, fry, and bake just about everything that will fit on them. They are also flexible and simple to operate.
It’s simple to prepare foods like pancakes, asparagus, roasted veggies, eggs, and more. Actually, this is the griddle’s most important feature.
If you’re seeking features like these, the Blackstone Griddle 36-inch could be just what you’re looking for. This flat-top grill has a sizable cooking area, is versatile, simple to operate, and has all the necessary elements for a flat-top BBQ.
Blackstone 36-inch Outdoor Flat Top Grill
Specifications
- Burners – Four with a total of 60,000 BTUs
- Main cooking area – 720 sq inches enough to feed up to 10 people
- Griddle material – Cold rolled 7-gauge steel
- Control knobs – Four, adjustable, with built-in battery-charged ignition
- Grill frame – Powder-coated steel
- Additional food prep space – Two side shelves, plus one big shelf underneath the grill
- Item dimensions – 62.5 x 22 x 36 inches
- Item weight – 120 pounds
- Mobility – Foldable legs with four commercial-grade wheels
Overview
The Blackstone Griddle 36-inch Flat Top Grill is one of the biggest outdoor grills you can get on the market today. This grill has a total cooking area of 720 square inches, which is more than enough to cook for up to 10 people at once.
You can fit 16 steaks or 28 burgers at once on the spacious grill, which is sufficient for a big gathering of people.
The cooking surface is made from cold-rolled steel that is easy to clean and exceptionally durable. This makes this grill ideal for both commercial and home use alike. However, this is no stainless steel, so regular seasoning is required.
Four 15,000 BTU burners put out a total of 60,000 BTUs and can be adjusted via four control knobs.
There are two side shelves and one big shelf underneath the cooking griddle for putting your cooking utensils or ingredients on as you’re preparing to cook.
The legs fold down for easy storage, and there are four commercial-grade caster wheels. Yet, this is a heavyweight grill that weighs around 120 pounds, making this a little bit hard to maneuver. But, you can simply leave it in one place as you won’t need to move it much once the party starts.
With a powdered-coated steel frame, this grill looks great and is quite sturdy. With proper maintenance, you can expect this grill to last for years.
Features
The Blackstone Griddle 36-Inch takes outdoor cooking to the next level. Here are its best features:
Large cooking surface
The large 720-square-inch grilling area is one of the best features of this Blackstone griddle. You can cook for a large number of people without worrying about separating your food in batches. This gives you more flexibility when it comes to cooking. You can fit all kinds of food on this big grill, including vegetables, fruits, eggs, bacon strips, and so much more.
We have to mention here that the cooking surface isn’t stainless steel, so it needs to be seasoned like a cast-iron skillet. After every use, the cooking surface needs to be cleaned trough roughly and reseasoned before storage.
Adjustable Burners
The four 15,000 BTU burners put out a total of 60,000 BTUs and can be adjusted via four control knobs. This is a lot of heat that can be adjusted according to the size and thickness of your food.
You can control each burner separately, so it’s very easy to fine-tune the heat and set two, three, or even four grilling zones.
Food Preparation Space
The design of this grill is simple, with nothing fancy or complicated, and there is nothing terrible about that.
The flat-top griddle comes with two side shelves that are great for keeping your cooking tools close at hand, as well as a big shelf underneath the main grilling area where you can keep ingredients or other items that you might need during your BBQ.
So, you won’t need to keep running back and forth to get what you need when preparing food.
Sturdy Build
The Blackstone Griddle is a well-designed and constructed product. The grill frame is made from powder-coated steel that offers plenty of strength, durability, and rigidity.
Effortless assembling
Assembling this grill is relatively straightforward, and the manufacturer offers clear installation instructions.
Simply fold the legs and attach them to the grill using the thumbscrews. After that, attach the side shelves to the body of the grill.
Finally, place the flat-top griddle on top of the grill, and you are ready for the seasoning process.
Ease of Use
The first things that come to mind when we speak about effortless use are the electric start ignition and the individually controlled burners. All you need to do is push the battery-powered ignition button, and in a matter of minutes, you will have a large grilling surface heated to cooking temperatures.
With four burners and individual knobs, you can adjust the heat for each burner separately, which is very helpful if you want to cook using different temperatures simultaneously.
This grill gives you the versatility to cook almost every food you like. From the usual foods, you’ll put on a regular grill, to thick French toast, pancakes, grilled vegetables, seafood, and even eggs. In fact, you can cook anything on a griddle that you can on a barbeque grill.
However, this grill needs to be seasoned before its first use, and the manufacturer recommends repeating the process five times. Remember that this is an essential step for this kind of cookware.
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Performance
Blackstone griddle performs really well, from the unboxing to the actual cooking. The griddle is very versatile; with it, you can cook almost anything, so there are no limitations whatsoever regarding food options.
After the unboxing and the straightforward assembly, the cooking surface needs to be seasoned before you start grilling. The seasoning process takes up some time, but it’s worth doing it since it gives you a nonstick surface that will also protect your grill from rust.
To reduce the final cost of this product, Blackstone uses stainless steel for the heat plates instead of cast iron. However, the plate has a pretty good thickness, and combined with the heat of 60,000 BTU per hour; it performs like a high-end grill with cast iron grates.
Finally, the effortless start and the precise temperature controls make this gadget a piece of cake to use.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The griddle surface needs to be seasoned before using it for the first time, and after that, you need to clean and reseason your grill every use.
When it comes to cleaning, this is a piece of cake: simply heat the grill and scrub the food remaining and the grease with a spatula. After that, remove excess food residues using paper towels or some other absorbent material.
When the grilling surface is clean, heat it and cover it with a thin coat of vegetable oil.
Here’s a short video showing you the main steps of the process:
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Blackstone griddles used to have a front grease management system. It hasn’t been perfect and often leaves grease spillage and creates a mess.
Now Blackstone has upgraded this ta improved rear grease management system. This helps reduce the mess and makes it easier for users to clean the grill surface.
Related: How to Clean a Blackstone Griddle
Construction Quality and Design
When you look at this grill for the first time, it doesn’t impress you with the way it’s built. It seems simple, and it doesn’t look like a high-end product.
However, once you start using it, you will discover that the griddle has the excellent build quality and design. It is a rigid grill that will serve you for years. The paint finishing is perfect, and the simple style is also very appealing.
If maintained properly, the grill will serve you for many years.
Value for Money and Guarantee
Compared to other products in this category, the Blackstone griddle is one of the cheapest options available. It is big and powerful enough to take on any grilling task, and it is also one of the best value-for-money products.
Blackstone offers a 1-year warranty with this grill, covering all defects not caused by your handling. In addition, a 30-day money-back guarantee is in place, and if you’re not satisfied with the griddle, you can always ask for a refund.
If you seek additional information, you can check Blackstone’s official website, and go through their FAQ list, see all the accessories available, or simply recheck the instruction manuals.
Blackstone Griddle Pros and Cons
Even though the grill’s first impression isn’t very positive, once you start using it, you will realize that the pros greatly outweigh the cons.
Pros:
- High heating power.
- Big cooking space, so you can cook for the whole family in one batch.
- Heavy-duty Stainless steel plate
- Excellent build quality and design.
- Easy to clean and maintain, which is a must if you want a good-looking grill that will serve you for years to come.
- Easy to use Excellent value for money
- Upgraded rear grease management system
Cons:
- The design is very basic
- For better protection from the elements, you must add a lid
Do We Recommend It?
We recommend the Blackstone griddle because it is an excellent grill that combines functionality with durability.
At this price point, you won’t find a better option than the Blackstone. It has good heating power and a big cooking area, making it perfect for a family or party-sized meals. These are some of the biggest reasons why many consumers are choosing this grill, and it’s also one of the reasons we recommend it.
Conclusion
Barbecuing has become a favorite pastime for many people. Along with that has also come the desire to find an effective and efficient grill.
If you love to grill, and if you want a good cooking surface that will allow you to do it right, then the Blackstone griddle is one of your best options when it comes to outdoor cookers.
This flat-top griddle has a heavy-duty, stainless steel cooking surface that has been upgraded with the rear grease management system.
It heats up quickly and cooks evenly so you can enjoy the best BBQ chicken or juicy burgers anytime! With the excellent build quality and simple design, this grill will serve you for years to come if maintained properly.
The price point is also good considering its size and power – it’s perfect for family meals because of how much space there is on the grilling surface.
So what are you waiting for? Get your own Blackstone Grill today!
Read further: How to Clean a Flat Top Grill – Best Practices & Tips