9 Reasons Grill Lovers Avoid Blackstone

Grilling is an activity that some people love so much that it's almost sacred to them. They'll experiment and make their own mixes of cherry, pecan, and hickory wood to create the best flavor, while perfecting their technique for the perfect grill marks. But not everyone enjoys the time and effort it takes to heat and maintain a traditional grill. Those people either use propane and gas units, or they opt for something else entirely, such as a smoker or griddle. In fact, griddles have become incredibly popular over the past few years, partly thanks to the virality that Blackstone griddles gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not everyone thinks the devices deserve the attention they've gotten.

That's not to say Blackstone griddles are a bad product; it's just not a grill. Outdoor cooking enthusiasts can use a griddle for high-volume meal prep and breakfast foods, but the cooker simply doesn't impart great smoke flavor or those famous grill marks that experts love. There are other common problems, as well, which make the devices less than ideal for some foods and for storing outside.

The following list looks at some of the reasons grilling enthusiasts avoid Blackstone griddles. So, if you've been curious about the products or already have one and wondered if you were alone in your frustrations, this list can point out the most common pitfalls of owning a Blackstone.

There are admittedly limits to what any outdoor cooker can do. Grills and smokers are great for cooking large pieces of meat like pork shoulders and hams, but griddles aren't as good at cooking thick pieces of food through in a timely manner (more on that in a moment). What griddles are great at, though, is preparing large amounts of food for a crowd, meal prepping, and/or making breakfast foods like bacon, eggs, French toast, pancakes, and more. Unfortunately, that isn't enough for most grill lovers.

The griddles' large, flat surface essentially acts as an oversized cast iron skillet, which lets food quickly sear and even be mixed together with minimal effort. The Blackstone also has different cooking zones, so you can cook meat on one side at higher heat than delicate eggs will need. But all you have to do is fry the eggs over lower heat in a different zone.

Smoke is arguably one of the most important aspects of grilling because the smell of smoldering charcoal or wood signals our brains that something delicious (and safe to eat) is nearby. But Blackstone griddles don't have a way to infuse a smoky flavor because the food cooks on a single, thin piece of metal with no grates. There are ways to instill a bit of smokiness on the griddle, such as using liquid smoke when seasoning or marinating the meats, but grill lovers often miss that natural smoky scent.

People do note that the griddles will smoke badly if the surface is heated too quickly or isn't seasoned with an oil that has a high smoke point, such as grapeseed. Using oils with a low smoke point can actually ruin your meal because the smoke isn't flavorful; it's caustic. Use these oils on your Blackstone, including canola, avocado, and grapeseed, because of their high smoke points. Avoid animal fats, like butter, and olive oil because they'll burn and impart a bitter flavor into the food. And after doing all the work of prepping the meal and starting up the griddle, no one wants to have to order an emergency pizza.

A great sear is every bit as important as smoky flavor for grilling enthusiasts, so the idea of cooking on a griddle can seem like a fool's errand for many home cooks. And while a Blackstone cant give you those famous grill marks, it can still give you a good sear. Some people will use the reverse sear method, where the meat is cooked at a lower temperature before being put over high heat to finish it off. Others will start with high heat to kick off the Maillard reaction, which gives the surface of meat a lovely dark color and lots of flavor.

To get the best sear on a Blackstone, griddle owners suggest making sure the steak's surface is as dry as possible to keep the meat from steaming. Others suggest buying an infrared thermometer so you can make sure the griddle's surface is hot enough to do the job. Another person advised to move the food from one spot to another when flipping, as the griddle will be hotter in a different area than where the food was just cooking.

Blackstone griddles are made from cold-rolled steel, so you'd expect them to be tough. And, really, you're half right. As one Reddit commenter explained, "The actual griddle can basically last forever, though it might need sanding every few years. The actual grill housing is what seems to have issues with rusting. You can get black spray paint at home Depot that is heat tolerant though, and just every few years repaint as needed."

One Facebook user, who was otherwise happy with the griddle, had some durability issues, as well. They said, "Listen, I love my Blackstones... but lately I'm not to happy with the quality of the manufacturing. The metal peels pretty quick, my first griddle top warped after two uses, the finish on the knobs is coming off and it's only two years old. Yes, it lives outside in the PA winters but it's covered and cleaned after each use. That's my only disappointment. Other than that it's a beast."

Every cooking appliance is going to require care and maintenance to keep it in working condition. Some just take more than others. Cleaning a Blackstone isn't the worst thing in the world, but you will have to do it after every cooking session, as well as seasonal and specialty tasks. Luckily, it doesn't generally take any unusual equipment to keep the griddle pristine. You can scrub the cooking surface with hot water after you're done and then apply a thin layer of oil to keep the steel well-seasoned.

If it does begin to rust, you can use a grill stone, sometimes called a grill brick, which lightly scrubs the rust away without damaging the metal. After carefully removing the rust, you'll need to re-season the griddle again. To do that, heat the griddle for around 15 minutes until it's nice and hot and then use a high smoke point oil, like avocado, to cover the entire cooking surface. You'll have to do this several times to make it non-stick, but after you've built up a good layer of seasoning, you can go back into maintenance mode.

Is it possible to cook a thick ribeye or T-bone steak on a Blackstone? Sure. But it's going to take a bit of practice, patience, and know-how. Griddles are designed to cook without a lid, although the Blackstone does have a lid attached to it. But you can only lower the lid for five to 10 minutes because it doesn't have any vents. That makes the lid incredibly hot and prevents you from keeping an eye on the food.

To cook a thick stead or pork chop on a Blackstone, it's best to keep the temperature lower than you might expect. This is going to allow you to cook the meat before you crank up the burners to achieve a sear and finish the protein off. Still, people have reported taking up to an hour to properly cook very thick steaks, and one person had to cut several pieces of meat up to finally cook them through.

This is a big difference for people who are used to marinating or seasoning food before putting it on a grill. With a griddle, you have to add oil before cooking, not only to protect the griddle's surface, but to keep the foods from sticking. Depending on the meal you're making, you might need more or less oil, but you're going to need some regardless. However, health conscious people can put their oil of choice into a spray bottle to help them use less than usual.

With all the oil used and considering the run-off from fatty foods like burgers and bacon, the grease trap is an essential part of the griddle. But customers have had considerable problems with the traps, saying they don't sit flush and allow grease to drip over the device. People suggest using a liner for the trap and making sure the griddle itself is level to make the trap sit correctly. But if you're not a fan of grease in general, much less having to clean puddles of it up, the Blackstone might be headache inducing for you.

People have several issues with different Blackstone griddle components breaking soon after use. Some people even have broken parts right out of the box. The most common problems have to do with the propane regulators, the ignition button, warped or cracked griddle surfaces, and poorly made, cumbersome cabinets.

The ignition button is so often broken or misaligned that many people simply use a long lighter to start the burners. Warping griddle surfaces are also something Blackstone owners run into quite often. The problem may or may not work itself out after the griddle is heated, but while the surface is uneven, cooks will have an issue with the grease running off at odd angles, potentially making a large mess or making it easier to burn their hands. While typical grills may also struggle with some of these issues, combined with the rest of the Blackstone cons, these difficult components only compound many grill lovers' frustrations.

Just like any other hobby, you can go overboard with accessories and gadgets. That's no doubt easy to do with a Blackstone griddle because Blackstone sells nearly 30 accessory kits for everything from hibachi to smash burgers to tacos. While you don't need that many, you will need a few to make the griddle experience easier in general and for special uses.

For instance, if you want to melt cheese or cook a thick burger, you'll need a dome or large metal bowl to cover the items. That allows steam to build up without creating a dangerous situation by lowering the griddle lid. A silicone cover is also important to help keep the griddle surface from rusting.

As for the essentials, a commenter in the Reddit Blackstone griddle forum suggested, "[Two] griddle spatulas, Griddle scraper, Paper towels/shop towels, [two] squirt bottles (water and oil), High smoke point oil (avocado is a favorite, otherwise any other neutral oil will do), Cover for your model." Another commenter pointed out that an apron is useful, as well.

Blackstone griddles are an immensely popular item for outdoor cooking. While many customers adore their griddles, others are disappointed by the poor builds and how much work goes into maintaining them.

To find the most common reasons grill lovers avoid the Blackstone griddles, we had to look at the most often made complaints by those who've used and owned a Blackstone. After doing a general search and finding several repeating issues, we then scoured social media, user review sites, professional reviews, and message boards to find specific reasons the Blackstone was disliked. The problems that repeated the most across all of those platforms were chosen for this list.