Ever since we moved, I've been keenly searching for my next grill. I have been using a STOK gas grill for the past few years. It's biggest plus is its portability. We brought that thing camping and it was really nice to be able to have a big grill so maneuverable. But in winter of last year, an ice dam on my house fell off and hit it, ruining one of the wheels and denting the top. It still worked as a grill, but the hot spot was more accentuated and the burners didn't seem to be keeping up with any specific temp I would request. The control knob basically was useless. So my search was on...
I was initially looking at traditional gas grills, stainless steel, 2-4 burners, maybe a side hot plate, if I could find one at a decent price. But that was the main problem, I couldn't. I didn't want to spend more than $500 on a grill, and all I could find in my price range was a basic 2 burner from Charbroil. Probably a decent grill, but for the size and basic-ness of it, and the price, it seemed to me like not the greatest value.
I have often said that I am a value driven consumer. Everyone values things differently, there is no doubt about that, but when my GM started telling me about this grill that he had, I was intrigued and started to see the value build in my mind...
Introducing, the Blackstone 36" flat top grill.
4 independent burners, 60,000 BTU's (which was way more than even some of the more expensive stainless steel ones in the $500 range), 2 foldable side shelves, a tank holder, magnet strip for your tools, a paper towel holder, and a nice cover, all for $299.
It took me a little over an hour to assemble it, which wasn't too bad. I am a visual learner, I learn by seeing people do it once and then I can repeat it no problem. But looking at instruction guides is not my forte. If you are good with reading instruction books, you could probably assemble this in 30 minutes or so. I had to go back a few times on certain parts and flip them around or what have you.
But lets get to the meat of the post. Can it cook and does it impart good flavor?
Simple answer: yes and yes.
Like a cast iron pan, you'll want, need to season it first. Lots of oils work just fine. Don't get too cute, just do it right and proper. I did just two layers of oil after heating it off, and then I went into my first meal. After a few more times using it I'll do a hard clean, and then season it again.
These next pics are from my second meal, a hibachi style chicken fried rice. As you'll see, my utensils are silicon, the ones I use indoors on my regular pots and pans. I would not recommend these utensils for this grill. The only reason I am using them is because my metal spatulas are on back order and won't be here until early July. The silicon ones will work, but they don't scrape nearly as well as the metal ones.
Before I threw the chicken on, I made my eggs, and then set them off to the right side of the grill. A nice thing about a flat top with independent burners is that you can have certain sections of the grill at completely different temperatures, or simply off. You'll see I stack all my food that is done cooking off to the right, where I have the burner off.
Then it was time for the chicken.
The time difference was pretty minimal in between laying them on the grill, and you can clearly see the top one has more color than the bottom one and the middle one is, I guess you could say, in the middle. I'm wondering if this is a slight hot spot? Maybe because the grill is at a very slight angle? Or maybe something else, idk. More time cooking on it and I'm sure I"ll figure it out.
Throw on what frozen veggies we had, this time it was edamame with a diced onion.
I used the left side as the hottest burner, the two middles ones as more of a hot plate, and the far right side was off but still got some residual heat as to not cook the food more, but keep it warm.
That hole you see in the middle back of the grill is one of the more ingenious ideas of this grill. There is a metal bowl back there with a removable tinfoil liner which catches all of the excess grease. Very convenient and one of my favorite features of this grill because it makes clean-up so very easy.
My chicken was done. I just had to cut it up, and my edamame and onions were done too so I pushed them off to the side.
Now it was time to fry up the rice. I cooked this rice in my rice cooker and then just threw it on the Blackstone with a little oil and some seasonings.
So much workspace!
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Lastly, the most fun part, feeling like a hibachi ninja mixing everything up. It just wasn't the same without the metal utensils though. The sound they make when they hit the flattop, it's like an ancient cooking cacophony of chefs from the past ringing in your ear. I'm excited to get my metal utensils if you couldn't already tell.
So while that was fun to mix, it was even more fun to eat!
I made enough for a few days of leftovers and it just kept getting better and better over time. Hibachi style will be a staple on this grill for years to come and I hope and plan on sharing more meals with you in the near future.
What is your grill of choice? Let's get a nice little debate here going on the old charcoal vs gas, grill vs. flattop, oven roasted vs pan fried. Bring it!
Thanks for reading and Hive on.
I just got one of those this year and I love it. I find it to be far more useful than a regular grill with grates.
Nice dude! And so true!, while I was using it the other day doing brunch, I was doing pancakes, eggs, sausage patty's, onions and potatoes, etc...the versatility over a grated grill is ridiculous. This thing ain't just for cooking burgers!
I have been considering a similar grill. Back in college, I worked the grill for a snack bar. We made burgers, hot dogs, grilled bagels, grilled cheese sandwiches, and all kinds of good stuff. It was so quick and easy to cook with a spatula and scraper. I could make different orders at the same time.
Cleanup wasn't all that bad. We would line the wall with plastic wrap. At night, when we were done, we would clean the grill and peel the greasy plastic wrap off the walls. We would also mop the floor around the grill to remove grease. It's a much faster cleanup than doing the dishes.
I can't help thinking that the grill would be great for breakfast. Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelets, pancakes, bacon, sausage, or whatever. It might make sense to move the kitchen outside.
Excellent comment, @shainemata! I love the college back story. I currently manage a restaurant and I witness my guys cleaning the flat tops at night. I would much prefer that job to dish duty as well.
It is a phenomenal grill for breakfast! We did a brunch with some friends and I managed to cook the whole entire brunch on the Blackstone. Try doing that with a grated grill!
Thanks for engaging!
My brother in law just got one of these a month or so ago. His utensils are on back order as well. We went over the other night and he did steak, shrimp, and chicken hibachi style. I think pretty much everyone in his neighborhood has one of these. I do pretty much everything with Charcoal, so I can't justify the extra expense. I do think they are kind of cool and for the price point you really can't go wrong.
I do like charcoal for it's flavor. But with kids, it simply takes too much time, especially when gas is the push of a button. I'm also running into people who have one, didn't know they were so popular.
I use a chimney starter, so it doesn't usually take too long for the charcoal to get going. I understand though!