Blackstone Grill: Read This BEFORE Buying a Blackstone Griddle

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Updated: 07/2023

Griddles are everywhere! We all keep hearing about the Blackstone Griddle craze and all the praise from users that comes with it.

I am no different, I have several, I cook on them all the time, and frankly, they are great!

But, before you rush out to buy one, you should probably have an honest review that covers all the reasons you might want to reconsider.

So, buckle up, let the haters gather, and let’s discuss 9 reasons you do NOT want to buy a Blackstone.

Don’t have time? Heres the fast facts:

The Griddle Learning Curve Is Real: Everything on a griddle grill requires a bit more work from the user. You will spend hours learning to season it correctly and then weeks to months perfecting the flat top grill cooking experience.
Seasoning A Griddle: Not only does your Blackstone need an initial seasoning before you ever use it, you will also need to season it after EACH meal.
Rust on a Blackstone Griddle: Griddles rust EASILY and if you live in a humid climate, you will battle rust a LOT.
Grease Gets Everywhere: There is no getting around it, if you cook on a Blackstone Flat Top Grill, you are gonna get grease everywhere, it’s just the nature of griddle cooking.
Warping With Griddles: This one is a big one, and that’s the fact that your beloved Blackstone Griddle can warp. Warping on griddles occurs when there has been a sharp increase (or decrease) in temperature on the cold-rolled steel griddle cooking surface.
Blackstone Griddle will get STICKY: Griddles get sticky for two main reasons. The first reason is primarily due to too much excess cooking oil on the griddle surface.
The Blackstone Griddle Flake and Peel Problems: Flaking on a griddle occurs when too much water is used during the cleaning process, or, when the existing seasoning starts to dry up and will eventually peel and flake off.
Your Blackstone Will Need A Hood: Your Blackstone likely didn’t come with a hood. I still don’t understand why they do that, but, the Blackstone Griddle lineup is very hit or miss with which models come with a hood (or sometimes called a lid).
Blackstone Griddle Cleaning: Cooking on these can be very MESSY, there is no avoiding it. Between the food cooking, the cooking oils, and the mess associated with cleanup and seasoning, a Blackstone just plain messy.

My History With a Blackstone Griddle

A few years back, the wife and I were looking for an economical, yet, practical grill to take on our camping adventures instead of lugging out BBQ smoker.

We randomly found a Blackstone Griddle (the Adventure 17-inch with the griddle carry bag) and bought it because it looked unique and fit the bill regarding budget, size, and cooking surface real-estate.

After taking home the Blackstone Griddle and giving it its first seasoning, we wasted no time in cooking up all sorts of awesome meals.

It’s safe to say, I found more reasons to love my Blackstone Grill than I have found to hate it.

10 Things To Know Before Buying Your Next Grill

From the versatility of food options to the size and cooking area to cooking multiple things at once, I just became a Blackstone Griddle fan pretty quickly with a smash burger in hand.

BUT, there were some issues that I just didn’t like then, and I still don’t like now about my Blackstone Griddle.

So, enough with the love affair, and on to the bad stuff and let’s finally see if the Blackstone Griddle is worth it, and talk about those flat top griddle pros and cons of the wildly popular, Blackstone Griddle when outdoor cooking.

The Griddle Learning Curve Is Real

Ok, I should kick off this entire article with the elephant in the room, the Blackstone Griddle learning curve, and it’s a real thing y’all.

If you are considering a Blackstone Griddle, you are probably not new to backyard cooking and outdoor grills.

We have all had gas grills and we generally know what to expect with a new grill. Well, that changes with a Blackstone Griddle.

Everything on a griddle grill requires a bit more work from the user.

One of the best examples that comes to mind is learning about cooking oils and their smoke point (for seasoning your griddle, more on that below) to the seasoning process, how to cook multiple foods on a shared surface, etc, the list goes on.

If you think you are just going to grab a one, take it home and start cooking, you are wrong.

You will spend hours learning to season it correctly and then weeks to months perfecting the flat top grill cooking experience.

So, you hear me, you don’t care, fair enough, let’s move on.

Seasoning A Griddle

As mentioned above, you need to learn how to season a Blackstone Griddle.

A Blackstone Griddle Grill does not come seasoned from the factory, so you must season your griddle top before ever cooking on it.

Not only does your Blackstone need an initial seasoning before you ever use it, you will also need to season it after the EACH meal.

Sure, it gets easier over time and is an essential part of the cleaning process, but, it’s also just a headache sometimes.

If you don’t know where to start with seasoning, you can check out our guide to seasoning a Blackstone here.

Rust on a Blackstone Griddle

Moisture and a Blackstone Griddle do NOT mix. But, here is the problem, you have to use your Blackstone outside and most sane people store their Blackstone Grills outside.

Do you know what else is outside waiting for your pretty new Griddle?

Rain, yard sprinklers, humidity and they all get together and make an ugly baby named rust, and that baby is crawling all over your pretty Blackstone.

Sure, you can take steps to avoid rust and prevent it (most of the time), but if you season your griddle, leave it out and go back two weeks later to cook again? You are very likely to find rust, and a lot of it.

Now, don’t panic, your Blackstone Griddle isn’t ruined and it’s rather simple to fix, but it adds another layer of annoyance when you just want to walk outside and fire up the grill.

For a guide to removing rust from your Blackstone Grill Griddle, check out our article here.

Grease Gets Everywhere

There is no getting around it, if you cook on a Blackstone Flat Top Grill, you are gonna get grease everywhere, it’s just the nature of griddle cooking.

At first glance that’s no big deal right? Not really, but if you are trying to cook clean and healthy, you are going to be frustrated when everything you cook is dripping in cooking oil and butter and fat.

Sure, you can just scrape the excess grease into the (front or rear) grease trap on Blackstone’s, BUT, it’s a constant struggle to cook up a nice meal without it all dripping in grease.

While you may not care, your cardiologist will.

Warping With Griddles

This one is a big one, and that’s the fact that your beloved Blackstone Griddle can warp, and I don’t mean a little bend here or there, I mean a whopping 20-30 degree warp that will RUIN your Blackstone Griddle.

Warping on griddles occurs when there has been a sharp increase (or decrease) in temperature on the cold-rolled steel griddle cooking surface.

If it’s a freezing day and you crank up the heat to 11, you can quickly ruin your Blackstone Grill.

There isn’t anything much more annoying than dropping $500 on a new backyard cooking beast for it to warp and be ruined a short time later.

Again, a Blackstone Griddle is a learning process. Read up here on taking the steps to try and fix a warped griddle.

Blackstone Griddle will get STICKY

This is a very common frustration for most and a quick Google search will yield you results from lots of folks trying to figure out why their Blackstone Griddle is sticky.

Griddles get sticky for two main reasons. The first reason is primarily due to the user leaving too much excess cooking oil on the griddle surface when they are done cooking (or after seasoning).

When you leave too much oil on your griddle top that doesn’t become a part of the seasoning, you are left with a tacky, sticky mess to cook on.

Having a sticky grill will make all your food stick, it will lead to excessive smoking and overall ruin your cooking experience.

The best way to avoid a sticky griddle (and how to fix it) can be found here.

The Blackstone Griddle Flake and Peel Problems

Another reason to NOT buy a Blackstone Griddle is the dreaded Blackstone flaking.

Flaking on a griddle occurs when too much water is used during the cleaning process, or, when the existing seasoning starts to dry up and will eventually peel and flake off.

Now, with all the frustrating issues with a Blackstone Griddle, flaking is another problem that can be fixed.

But again, you just stepped outside with some seasoned steaks, and you are greeted with a flaking, rusty mess because it’s been a few weeks since you last cooked on it.

So, rather than cooking, you are now met with spending the next hour scraping off the flakes, and re-seasoning your griddle.

Learn more about fixing a flaking/peeling Blackstone here.

Your Blackstone Will Need A Hood

Your Blackstone likely didn’t come with a hood. I still don’t understand why they do that, but, the Blackstone Griddle lineup is very hit or miss with which models come with a hood (or sometimes called a lid).

Here’s the deal, you are definitely going to need a hood for your Griddle. Remember when I was whining about moisture and rusting earlier?

Yeah, a hood will drastically reduce the frequency of these issues (but won’t prevent it altogether). Dont get me wrong, they are built well, but weather and materials make a rust baby every time.

Also, a hood when cooking outdoors is almost a must anyways. From rain, bugs, wind and retaining heat, a hood on a Blackstone is just one of those things you will need.

But, you just spent $400 on a new Blackstone 36, and NOW you need to go out and buy a hood for it for another $100. What’s up with that?

Not sure if you need a Blackstone Griddle hood (or lid)? Read up here on if Your Griddle Needs a Hood.

Blackstone Griddle Cleaning

So, up until now, most of my complaints have come down to the Blackstone learning curve, and the daily maintenance of owning a flat top gril.

Cooking on these can be very MESSY, there is no avoiding it.

Think of it this way. When you cook on a stovetop and cook food in oil, there is going to be some splatter, some grease popping, and just a little mess here and there.

Now, when you cook on a Blackstone, you can multiply that mess by about a factor of 5.

You just have more cooking area, fresh cooking oil getting hot, fat and butter everywhere and before you know it, your t-shirt needs to be changed due to the grease splatter everywhere.

Not only that, but each time you cook, you need to reseason.

Seasoning requires either a big wad of paper towels or a couple of kitchen rags to the season that is now just going to be dripping in your cleanup and seasoning gunk.

Between the food cooking, the cooking oils, and the mess associated with cleanup and seasoning, a Blackstone just plain messy.

Blackstone Griddle Competitors

Now look, we all know Blackstone has been the go-to name in the griddle game for some time now.

But, what has changed? All the new kids on the block offering their own Blackstone Griddle Competitor.

Weber really smacked down a solid entry into this new outdoor cooking segment with the much needed feature.

Weber engineered a high capacity grease management system. Not to mention, a scorching 4-burner gas tube that produces 60,000 BTU rating.

Not to be outdone, also in 2023, Traeger released the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill Griddle.

While it may turn heads with the hefty price tag ($899 as of 07/2023), its also quite the looker with a solid platform.

The Trager Flatrock sports sexy black curves, and thoughtful little things like beefy shelving and a digital propane gauge.

Traeger did a bang-up job on the griddle and I personally am saving my pennies to grab one (hint, hint).

Embracing the Blackstone Love Affair: My Personal Experience

Despite the challenges I’ve mentioned, I have an undeniable love for my Blackstone Griddle. It’s more than just a cooking appliance; it’s a culinary playground that has transformed my outdoor cooking experiences.

One of the features I absolutely adore is the integrated air fryer. This isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a game-changer.

The ability to grill steaks on the flat top while simultaneously air frying crispy fries or golden-brown onion rings is amazing. It’s like having an outdoor kitchen in one compact, robust unit.

The air fryer allows me to add a whole new dimension to my meals, creating dishes that are not only delicious but also healthier with less oil.

It’s this versatility and innovation that makes me reach for my Blackstone Griddle every time I step into my backyard.

So, yes, there might be a few bumps along the way, but for me, the joy of cooking on my Blackstone, air fryer and all, far outweighs any minor inconveniences

Final Word of Advice

There you have it! My 10 tips to know before buying and my pros and cons to Blackstone Griddle. Are you convinced yet? No?

And I get it, you are ready to go out and join the Tik Tok crew of Blackstone Griddle bosses.

If you keep these issues in mind, don’t mind the small learning curve and little mess here and there, you will absolutely LOVE outdoor cooking!

What did you think I was gonna say? I love mine too!

But, don’t say you were never warned….Anyways, I’ll be cooking and looking forward to the release of Blackstone Model 2024!

If you have already and bought one, take these 5 Steps BEFORE You Cook on a new Blackstone Griddle.