It is surprising how many options you have these days when shopping for an outdoor griddle. Even if you have decided that the brand you want is Blackstone you still have a LOT of sizes and features to choose from.
Let’s take a look at the current lineup of Blackstone griddles, see what kind of reviews they have been getting, and see which one is right for you.
What All Blackstone Griddles Have in Common
All Blackstone griddles feature a flat top cooking surface made of cold rolled steel. The griddles come with a thin layer of soy oil on the surface to protect them during shipping but will need to be further seasoned once assembled.
Seasoning the grill is simple.
- Coat the surface of the griddle with olive or vegetable oil and spread it around with a paper towel making sure that you get the oil into the corners.
- Turn the griddle to High and wait for the oil to get hot, start to smoke and then stop.
- After the smoke has stopped let the griddle cool and repeat the process until the cooking surface has a nice black coating.
All models come with a 90 day warranty and a 30 day money back guarantee. Blackstone products are outdoor propane griddles and should NOT be used indoors. There is not a natural gas conversion kit available for these griddles.
36 Inch Griddle Options
If you want the full size, 36-inch, griddle then you have multiple options to choose from:
- Original 36 Inch Griddle
- Pro Series 36 Inch Griddle Cooking Station
- 36 Inch Air Fryer Griddle Combo
These griddles are made from 7 gauge steel and are thicker than the 28, 22 and 17 inch griddles for better heat retention.
The full size 36 inch griddle offers 756 square inches of grilling space which is enough room to easily feed 20 people. Blackstone says this is enough space for 28 burgers or 72 hot dogs!
The griddle is fired by four independent 15,000 BTU/hr burners which gives you flexibility in establishing different temperatures zones if desired. Â The burners are stainless steel and usually last a long time.
Original 36 inch Griddle Specifications
Blackstone is constantly tweaking the functionality of the side tables, cosmetic appearance of the knobs, etc. so there are a lot of different variations on this flat top.
Some models come with a hard top cover, others come with side tables that have a built in removable cutting board, some have paper towel holders and clips for hanging trash bags.
- Assembled Dimensions: 50″ L x 36″ H x 22″ W
- Weight: 120 pounds
- Walmart Price: $297 with hard top lid.
Original 36 inch Griddle Reviews
I compiled all of the reviews for the standard 36 inch griddle that I could find at Wal-Mart, Amazon and Blackstone. I ended up with 1,776 real life user reviews (current as of June 14, 2020) and this is what the data looked like:
Combining the 5 and 4 Star reviews shows us that 89% of purchasers really like their griddle while 11% were not so impressed.
| Original 36 Inch Blackstone Griddle Reviews | Percent | Number of Reviews |
| 5 Star | 81.82% | 1453 |
| 4 Star | 7.65% | 136 |
| 3 Star | 3.18% | 57 |
| 2 Star | 1.05% | 19 |
| 1 Star | 5.73% | 102 |
The biggest complaints found in the 1 and 2 Star reviews were as follows:
- Damaged/dented/scratched on delivery.
- Flat top rusting
- Regulator failure
Overall, the original 36 inch flat top grill is an awesome workhorse.
Pro Series 36 Inch Griddle Cooking Station Specifications
The Pro Series 36 has the same functionality as the Original 36 inch but comes with stainless steel cabinetry, storage drawers, extra tool hooks, hard top cover, etc. I must admit that the first time I saw this griddle I was struck by how pretty an imposing it looked!
This griddle is exclusively available at Walmart although sometimes the will pop up on Amazon.
- Assembled Dimensions: 62.5″ L x 41.5″ H x 28.5″ W
- Weight: 149 pounds
- Walmart Price: $497
Pro Series 36 Inch Griddle Reviews
I compiled all of the reviews for the Pro Series 36 inch griddle that I could find at Wal-Mart, Amazon and Blackstone. I ended up with 51 real life user reviews (current as of June 14, 2020) and this is what the data looked like:
Even though the total number of reviews for this griddle in significantly lower than for the Original the data appears to be consistent. Combining the 5 and 4 Star reviews shows us that 90% of purchasers really like their griddle while 10% were unhappy.
| Pro Series 36 Inch Griddle Reviews | Percent | Number of Reviews |
| 5 Star | 80.39% | 41 |
| 4 Star | 9.80% | 5 |
| 3 Star | 1.96% | 1 |
| 2 Star | 0.00% | 0 |
| 1 Star | 7.84% | 4 |
The biggest complaints in the 1 and 2 Star reviews concerned the griddle being damaged in shipment and difficulty of assembly.
36 Inch Air Fryer Griddle Combo Specifications
The griddle on the Air Fryer Griddle combo has the exact functionality as the Original 36. The major difference with this griddle is hat there are three functional baskets under the griddle. Two of the baskets are air fryers and the third is a warming basket.
- Assembled Dimensions:68″ L x 27″ W x 43″ H
- Weight: 134 pounds
- Walmart Price: $592
I love the idea of combining an air fryer with a griddle. You can cook hamburgers and hotdogs on the flat top while your French fries are getting crispy and golden in the air fryer!
This griddle is another WalMart exclusive product.
Air Fryer 36 Inch Griddle Combo Reviews
I compiled all the reviews for the Fryer/Griddle Combo that I could find at WalMart and Blackstone. I ended up with 56 real life user reviews (current as of June 14, 2020) and this is what the data looked like:
Review for the Air Fryer Griddle combo were extremely similar to the reviews for the Original and Pro Series.
| Air Fryer/Griddle Combo Reviews | Percent | Number of Reviews |
| 5 Star | 78.57% | 44 |
| 4 Star | 5.36% | 3 |
| 3 Star | 0.00% | 0 |
| 2 Star | 7.14% | 4 |
| 1 Star | 8.93% | 5 |
The biggest complaints in the 1 and 2 Star reviews were difficulty in operation of the air fryer and issues with the regulator.
28 Inch Griddle Options
If you want the mid-sized, 28-inch, griddle then you have multiple options to choose from:
- Original 28 Inch Griddle
- Pro Series 28 Inch Griddle Cooking Station
- 28 Inch Griddle With Bonus Deep Fryer
These griddles feature 448 square inches of grilling space which is enough room for 18 burgers or 44 hot dogs. You get multi-burner controls with these griddles which allow you to have dual temperature zones.
This is the griddle that is the right size for most families.
The performance of the 28 inch griddle should be slightly better than the 36 inch version. The cooking surface is the same high quality thick steel and the two burners have the same 15,000 btu/hr rating as the burners on the larger griddle. What is different about the burners is the configuration.
The 36 inch griddle has four linear burners while the 28 has two burners that split into an H shaped configuration. This means the 36 has has four burners to heat 720 square inches while the 28 has four burners to heat 470 square inches. Having the same number of burners over a smaller are ought to result in a more evenly heated cooking surface on the 28 inch model.
Original 28 inch Griddle Specifications
- Cooking Area: 470 square inches (28.5 x 16.5 inches)
- Burners: Two 15,000 BTU/hr burners = 30,000 BTU/hr
- Weight: 75 pounds
- Dimensions: 44.5 x 19.5 x 33.5 inches
There are a couple different versions of the base model. One is the standard issue black griddle, another has some stainless steel framing and the one pictured below is the “Adventure Ready” model. The differences between the griddles are all cosmetic.
Original 28 Inch Griddle Reviews
I compiled all of the user reviews for this griddle from Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon and Blackstone and ended up with a data set of 3,484 reviews. Here is what the data looked like:
Combining the 5 and 4 Star reviews shows that 89% of users really like the 28 inch griddle.
| 28 Inch Original Griddle Reviews | Percent |
Number Of Reviews
|
| 5 Star | 78.29% | 2728 |
| 4 Star | 11.08% | 386 |
| 3 Star | 3.94% | 137 |
| 2 Star | 1.84% | 64 |
| 1 Star | 4.85% | 169 |
The majority of complaints in the 1 and 2 Star reviews concerned rusting of the flat top, damage upon delivery and poor customer service at Home Depot.
Pro Series 28 Inch Griddle Specifications
The Pro Series 28 has the exact same flat top functionality as the Original 28 but comes with enclosed stainless steel cabinetry as well as a stainless steel lid. You also get some tool hooks, paper towel holder and a trash bag holder.
The Pro Series grills look nice and are a Walmart exclusive.
- Assembled Dimensions: 59″ x 40 3/4″ x 25″
- Weight: 120 pounds
Pro Series 28 Inch Reviews
The only reviews for this griddle are on the Walmart website. Here is a summary of the 51 reviews as of June 14, 2020.
The overall satisfaction rating (5+4 Star Reviews) is currently at 84%.
Rangetop Combo With Deep Fryer Specifications
The Rangetop Combo is pure evil genius. I want this griddle so bad that I can’t stand it but I know that it is the absolute last thing my arteries need.
- Assembled Dimensions: 68.25 in. L x 27.5 in. W x 41.25 in. H
- Weight: 190 pounds
- WalMart Price: $447
The Rangetop Combo comes with three burners for the flat top which will give you more precise control for setting up different temperature zones than you will get on the two burner 28 inch Pro Series.
I think this griddle looks stunning and love the idea of a built in outdoor deep fryer for things like chicken wings. The deep fryer is well designed and the griddle has many extra little touches (paper towel holder, cutting board, trash bag holder, etc)
The Combo is a Walmart exclusive product.
Rangetop Combo Reviews
As of June 16, 2020 there were 118 reviews for the Rangetop Combo on the Walmart and Blackstone websites. Here is what the combined data looks like.
Combing the 5 star reviews (75%) with the 4 star reviews (10%) shows that 85% of reviewers really like the Combo. Conversely combing the 1 Star reviews (7%) with the 2 Star reviews (4%) shows that 11% of reviewers do not like their purchase. Most of the negative comments focussed on the griddle being damaged upon delivery and excessive rust on the flat top.
 22 Inch Griddle Options
Blackstone offers a 22 inch, two burner, tabletop griddle that is the perfect size for 1-2 people. The griddle can be bought as a tabletop model or mounted on a cart. Other design options include either a stainless steel front black or the black and orange “Adventure Ready” design that is available at Walmart.
The griddle is designed to be fueled by a 1 pound disposable propane bottle but an adapter is available to let you run the griddle from a full sized propane tank. A one pound bottle of propane will typically provide two hours of cook time.
22 Inch Tabletop Griddle Reviews
I combined the reviews from Walmart, Amazon and Blackstone and came up with 2,921 user inputs. The Amazon reviews are a skewed data set as they cover both the 22 inch griddle and the 17 inch portable griddle.
Combing the 5 Star reviews (82%) with the 4 Star reviews (9%) shows that 91% of reviewers are delighted with this tabletop griddle. The number of 1 Star reviews (3%) and 2 Star reviews (2%) were quite low.
The majority of complaints about this griddle concerned products that were scratched/dented out of the box and flaws with the optional regulator and adapter hose for using full sized tanks of propane.
17 Inch Single Burner Griddle
Blackstone offers a single burner 17 inch griddle that is designed to be a portable cooker to take to the beach, camping, tailgating, etc.
17 inch Griddle SpecificationsÂ
- Cooking Area: 260 square inches (15.25 x 17 inches)
- Burners: One H Shaped 12,000 BTU/hr burner
- Weight: 25 pounds
- MSRP: $99
- Dimensions: 17.5 x 18 x 8.5 inches
The 17 inch tabletop griddle is a little powerhouse that is great for folks who are short on space or just want something small to stick in the RV. This griddle is designed to run off of the small, one pound, propane bottles. Blackstone does make an adapter hose (sold separately) that lets you run this griddle from a standard 20 pound propane tank.
This griddle is powered by a single burner that is split into an H shaped configuration.
There are two versions of this griddle, one with a stainless steel front and a black and orange “Adventure Ready” edition. The primary difference between the products, other than looks, is that the stainless steel version has the grease collection system in the front while the Adventure Ready griddle has a rear mounted grease drain.
17 Inch Portable Griddle Reviews
I combined the reviews from Walmart, Home Depot and Blackstone and ended up with 747 data points. I did not include any Amazon reviews for this griddle as they are commingled with reviews from the 22 inch griddle and were used for that review data set.
Combining the 5 Star reviews (81%) with the 4 Star Reviews (14%) gives this griddle a 95% approval rating which is the highest satisfaction rating of all of the Blackstone griddles.
I have the 28 inch griddle. I love the way it performs. The only flaw is the cover that comes with it. I live in N. E. Ohio and we have some hard winters here. The other day it was 25 degrees and the wind was blowing with gust up to 20 mph. The cheep thin material did not hold up very well as it ripped to pieces. So if you get one of these griddles, plan on buying a new cover for it cuz the one that comes with it is worthless.
Thanks for the heads up on the cover, Perry! Stay warm up there!!
Hi Folks:
This might be a silly question, but here goes. I am assuming that there are no cool spots on the 28 ” to let food cook slower while you use high temps. for the main cooking. On the 36 ” model you can turn down or off one of 4 Burners. But on the 28 ” model if you turn down or off one burner you have lost 1/2 of the output. Is this satisfactory or is it a small problem.
Michael, that is not a silly question at all. The answer is “that depends”. It depends on how much food you are trying to cook at once and how much flexibility you need. I have a good friend who cooks on that has never been an issue for him. Your concern is well taken though. As an alternative you ought to look at the Blackstone Range Top Combo that is available at WalMart. That has a 28 inch griddle with three burners and comes with a ton of other upgrades.
I have purchased a 22″ Blackstone from walmart – it was dented! returned and bought a second griddle. That one was also dented! Funny neither boxes were damaged, but the griddle itself was dented! Called Blackstone this time instead of returning – they shipped out a new base (expecting me to disassemble the one i have and reassemble all the burners) Guess what… the one they shipped directly to me was also dented. Box was fine. I called blackstone again and they continue to blame walmart. Not sure how it is walmart that is damaging these??