Blackstone 36″ griddle: tested and reviewed

Rating: Five stars

Best for: Families who like to entertain outdoors

The Blackstone 36” Griddle (with hard cover) is available from BBQ World and Stoves Are Us (£739 RRP).

What’s good about it?

If you’ve ever struggled to feed everyone promptly at an outdoor party or found yourself turning on the oven in the kitchen to do a few extra sausages, then you could probably do with a griddle. As the name suggests the Blackstone 36” is nearly a metre wide and offers an impressive-sounding 769 square inches of cooking space (about 0.5 square metres).

Cooking on this huge flat-top is both easy and sociable – which are the reasons it was created. The manufacturers realised that people were often unable to complete all their cooking on a barbecue outside and wanted to create something more versatile. The cooking surface of this griddle is a large sheet of steel with burners underneath that are controlled by dials at the front. When you first get your griddle, you need to season it like a cast iron pan and this will ensure the surface remains non-stick.

Being gas-powered, cooking is a lot more predictable than on a charcoal barbecue – you can start grilling almost instantly and it’s a very hands-on experience moving food in and out of the different heat zones. If you’re wondering what you can cook on the Blackstone, you’ll be pleased to know it’s supported by excellent social media content from the brand – and we have plenty of inspiration, from barbecue favourites to adventurous creations such as grilled fruit salad.

Cleaning the cooking surface is easy: you use a metal scraper, water and kitchen paper.

What’s not so good about it?

In the US the popularity of Blackstone products (they have 80 per cent of the market share) is at least in part due to their affordability, however the costs of importing them to Britain mean they are a lot less affordable here and you can expect to pay nearly double this side of the Atlantic. Price may not be a big deterrent for everyone though. It’s taken 16 years for Blackstones to reach these shores and due to the brand’s viral TikTok videos, it’s built up quite a fan base already.

If you’re really into cooking with fire and smoke the Blackstone won’t be for you; not only is it powered by gas but you can’t even see the flame, as it’s hidden beneath the flat-top. This may not be a cooking experience for barbecue purists!

Our favourite feature

There’s lots of nice design touches on this model, but we love the magnetic tool strip on the left-hand shelf and the beer bottle opener on the front means the chef will never be short of company.

Overall verdict

The Blackstone 36” is brilliant for parties and large family gatherings and is incredibly easy to use. Griddles are really big in the US at the moment and we think they’re likely to follow suit here. You may choose to stick with your barbecue because of the price tag, but don’t blame us when all your friends get one and you’re left behind…

Want to learn how to get the most out of your Blackstone?

There are 12 Blackstone cooking schools across the UK that provide a hands-on opportunity to discover the versatility of cooking on a Blackstone griddle. Blackstone’s tutors draw on their own experience of transitioning from traditional outdoor barbecues to using a Blackstone and demonstrate everything from flipping pancakes to searing steaks – showing participants how master the art of the griddle and use its accessories effectively. Rodeos in Milton Keynes is one of the locations.

Buy now on BBQ World

Buy now on Stovesareus.co.uk

Time to grill? Browse our favourite out-of-the-ordinary barbecue recipes, including reuben steak skewers…