Gas grills create a smoky, charred flavor that cannot be replicated on a griddle. This is because a gas grill uses direct heat from the flame to cook the food. On the other hand, a Blackstone griddle offers juicier, fattier meat, resulting in a different flavor. The excess fats and oils do not drip from the meat as they would on a grill, resulting in a slightly richer taste.
With a griddle, it is possible to cook foods such as pancakes, rice, eggs, and stir-fry dishes that wouldn’t be possible on a standard gas grill. Mexican dishes, fajitas, and a traditional breakfast with bacon, blackstone flat top grill eggs, ham, and potatoes can also be easily prepared on a Blackstone griddle. However, gas grills are still popular for allowing grease and water to escape, preventing them from pooling up on the cooking surface.
It’s a 36” griddle that’s equipped with two side shelves for extra storage and is created using the same quality materials that you’ll come to see in all of Blackstone’s grills. The 4 burners each have their own individual controls, so you can adjust the temperature depending on what you’re looking at the time. The stainless steel burners go hand-in-hand with the thick rolled steel surface to provide a longer life and a more even heat distribution.
All of the griddles we selected have burners capable of providing the output needed to reach high cooking temperatures and evenly heat the cooking surface. A compact version of the original grill blackstone flat top grill station, it provides 448 square inches of cooking space over two independent, stainless steel burners. Designed for 20-pound propane tanks, the total heat output is a surprising 34,000 BTUs.
Once you get past the housing, the outdoor griddles are pretty similar. They start with a thick carbon steel slab that is heated by burners connected to the familiar backyard propane tank. The Traeger comes with a gas gauge with an almost-empty alarm and flame sensors to let you know when the burners are actually lit. Weber uses end-to-end burner tubes, which light with a whoosh of flame and an audible click. Stand-up outdoor griddles, which eliminate the unpredictable heat control and flare-ups of live-fire cooking, are designed to take their place next to — or even replace — the barbecue grill.