Updated: July 2025

When choosing between the Camp Chef Explorer and Blackstone Tailgater, you’re comparing two griddles specifically engineered for outdoor adventures. With names like “Explorer” and “Tailgater,” these manufacturers clearly designed these units for people who refuse to compromise on great food, whether you’re tailgating at the stadium or cooking at a remote campsite.

Whether you’re planning to fire up breakfast at your next tailgate party or want to bring restaurant-quality cooking to your weekend camping adventure, both griddles promise to deliver. But which one actually performs better in real-world conditions?

I’ve spent extensive time testing both griddles in various outdoor scenarios – from crowded parking lots to remote mountain campsites. Rather than just listing specifications you can find anywhere, I’ll focus on practical usability – how these griddles actually perform when you need them most, including crucial factors like weight, heat distribution, and real-world portability.

Let’s dive into which griddle will serve you best based on your specific outdoor cooking needs!

Cooking Performance: Which Griddle Delivers Better Results?

When you’re cooking outdoors, consistent heat distribution and adequate cooking space can make or break your meal. After extensive testing in various conditions – from windy beach cooking to high-altitude camping – the Blackstone Tailgater takes the lead in overall cooking performance.

Cooking Surface Comparison

• Blackstone Tailgater: 477 square inches of cooking space
• Camp Chef Explorer: 448 square inches of cooking space

While the difference seems minimal on paper, that extra 29 square inches becomes crucial when you’re cooking for a group of 6+ people. You can fit approximately 28 strips of bacon on the Blackstone versus 24 on the Camp Chef – a meaningful difference during busy breakfast rushes. You can check out the complete specs at CampChef.com.

Heat Distribution: A Clear Winner

The Blackstone’s H-shaped burner system significantly outperforms the Camp Chef’s circular burners. Here’s why:

• Even heat coverage: The H-pattern ensures consistent temperatures across the entire cooking surface, with temperature variations of only 25°F across the griddle
• Better temperature control: You can create distinct heat zones more effectively – high heat for searing, medium for vegetables, low for keeping food warm
• Reduced cold spots: Unlike circular burners that can leave cooler areas at the edges, potentially 50-75°F cooler than the center
• Faster preheating: Reaches cooking temperature in 8-10 minutes versus 12-15 minutes for the Camp Chef

The Camp Chef’s circular burners are functional but tend to create temperature variations outside the burner’s direct range, effectively reducing your usable cooking area by approximately 15-20%.

Stability on Uneven Terrain

Both griddles feature adjustable legs, but the Blackstone’s leg system is superior for outdoor use:

• Independent leg adjustment: Each leg adjusts separately for precise leveling with a range of 2-3 inches per leg
• Sturdier construction: Better stability on uneven campground surfaces, with wider leg spacing for improved balance
• User-friendly design: Quicker and easier to level than the Camp Chef system – takes about 2 minutes versus 5 minutes
• Locking mechanism: Legs lock securely in place, preventing accidental adjustment during cooking

Whether you’re cooking on a sloped campsite or an uneven parking lot, the Blackstone’s superior leg system ensures your griddle stays level and stable, preventing oil pooling and uneven cooking.

CampChef.com frequently offers competitive pricing and free shipping deals worth checking out, especially during spring camping season.

Portability: The Make-or-Break Factor

For portable outdoor cooking, how easily you can transport and set up your griddle matters tremendously. This is where we see the most dramatic difference between these two units – and it’s a game-changer.

Assembly and Setup

Both griddles excel in setup simplicity:

• Quick assembly: Both units can be assembled in under 10 minutes with clear, illustrated instructions
• Tool-free setup: No additional tools required for basic assembly – everything clips or screws together by hand
• Intuitive design: Logical component arrangement that makes sense even without consulting the manual
• Propane connection: Both use standard 1-lb propane bottles with reliable, leak-free connections

Initially, I was concerned about the Camp Chef Explorer’s fully detachable legs creating assembly complications, but in practice, both griddles set up equally fast once you’ve done it a few times.

Weight: The Game Changer

Here’s where the Camp Chef Explorer absolutely dominates:

• Camp Chef Explorer: 30.5 lbs (easily carried by one person, even for extended distances)
• Blackstone Tailgater: 75 lbs (requires two people for comfortable transport, awkward for one person)

This 44.5-pound difference is massive when you’re carrying your griddle to remote locations. To put this in perspective, the Tailgater weighs more than most large coolers when fully loaded. This weight severely limits its true portability, especially for:

• Camping trips where you need to carry gear from your vehicle to the campsite
• Beach cooking where you’re walking across sand or navigating stairs
• Hiking to remote cooking spots or scenic overlooks
• RV storage where every pound matters for weight distribution
• Apartment living where you need to carry the griddle up stairs

Storage and Transport

The Camp Chef Explorer offers superior portability features:

• Optional carry bag: Makes transport and storage much easier, with padded handles and shoulder straps
• Compact breakdown: Legs detach completely for minimal storage space – fits in most car trunks
• Manageable weight: One person can easily handle transport, setup, and breakdown
• Stackable design: Components nest together efficiently for space-saving storage

The Blackstone Tailgater, while well-built, essentially requires vehicle-adjacent use due to its weight. Moving it more than 50 feet becomes a significant undertaking.

The Explorer’s versatility makes it perfect for any outdoor cooking scenario, from tailgating to backcountry camping. Check current pricing and 2025 model updates at CampChef.com

Fuel Efficiency and Wind Resistance

Propane Consumption

Both griddles use standard 1-lb propane bottles, but their efficiency differs:

• Blackstone Tailgater: Uses approximately 1 bottle per 1.5-2 hours of cooking
• Camp Chef Explorer: Uses approximately 1 bottle per 2-2.5 hours of cooking

The Camp Chef’s more efficient burner design means lower operating costs over time.

Wind Performance

Wind resistance is crucial for outdoor cooking:

• Blackstone Tailgater: Larger cooking surface catches more wind, but heavier weight provides stability
• Camp Chef Explorer: Better wind shields and more compact design, though lighter weight can be affected by strong gusts

In windy conditions above 15 mph, both griddles benefit from positioning behind a windbreak.

Which Griddle Should You Choose?

Your choice should depend entirely on your primary use case and transport requirements.

Choose the Blackstone Tailgater If:

• Primary use is tailgating where you park close to your cooking area (within 25 feet)
• You have help carrying or don’t mind the 75-pound weight
• Maximum cooking performance is your top priority over portability
• You rarely need to carry the griddle more than a few feet from your vehicle
• You cook for large groups (8+ people) regularly and need every inch of cooking space
• You have a truck or large SUV for easy transport

The Blackstone Tailgater excels in pure cooking performance and is perfect for parking lot cooking scenarios where transport distance isn’t a factor.

Choose the Camp Chef Explorer If:

• Versatility is important – you want one griddle for multiple activities
• You’ll be carrying the griddle any significant distance (more than 50 feet)
• Solo transport is necessary or preferred
• Storage space is limited in your vehicle, RV, or home
• You want true portability for camping, beach trips, or remote cooking
• Fuel efficiency matters for extended outdoor trips
• You’re cooking for smaller groups (2-6 people) most of the time

The Bottom Line

While the Blackstone Tailgater wins on pure cooking performance with better heat distribution and more cooking space, the Camp Chef Explorer’s superior portability makes it the more versatile choice for most outdoor enthusiasts. The 44.5-pound weight difference fundamentally changes how and where you can use these griddles.

If Blackstone created a lighter version of the Tailgater with the same cooking capabilities, it would be the clear winner. As it stands, the weight limitation makes it practical only for vehicle-adjacent cooking scenarios.

My recommendation: Choose the Camp Chef Explorer for maximum versatility and true portability, or the Blackstone Tailgater if you primarily cook within a few feet of your vehicle and want the best cooking performance. Consider your most common use case – if you’re unsure, the Explorer’s versatility makes it the safer choice for most outdoor cooking enthusiasts.