As an ambassador for all things griddle (check out my TikTok and Instagram accounts), I get a lot of questions about griddling. One of my favorite things to do is “go live” and chat with my followers to see if I can help answer their questions, make suggestions, and hopefully help them make informed decisions about whether or not they want to join the Griddle Nation. Let’s go over my most frequently asked questions.
How much do they cost?
There’s a griddle for every budget. A quick way to assess which one would work for you is to decide where you want to cook. Are you looking to add a griddle to your outdoor kitchen, or do you need something portable for camping, or do you need a griddle that can be used indoors? Once you know where, you can narrow down your options.
Smaller, portable propane griddles start around $80, depending on the brand you choose to go with. Start your search with a camping griddle. These use a small, LP bottle that attaches to a tube next to the griddle. Some have an adapter hose you can purchase so that you can use a standard size, 20 lb. propane tank, like the portable Blackstone griddles.
These options are great for on-the-go cooking, or if you don’t have a lot of space to cook outdoors. Do you live in an apartment or dorm room? Electric griddles are an excellent option and start around $50 for a 22-inch size. If you’re looking for a higher quality, more versatile product, check out Blackstone’s 17″ electric griddle with hood.
If you’re ready to make a full-on backyard commitment, then let’s talk size. Consider how much food you’ll be making and how often. Cooking for just you and your partner? A 22-inch griddle like Blackstone’s, is the perfect size for 2 or less people. If you love hosting and cooking, or just have a larger household, consider a bigger size, like one with a 36-inch cooking surface. That’s like 28 hamburgers at once! Go big or go home, right?
What brand should I get?
There are a few major brands that offer outdoor griddle options – for this purpose, we’ll look at freestanding griddles. You’ve likely heard of major brands like Cuisinart, Blackstone, Camp Chef, Pit Boss, Member’s Mark, and Royal Gourmet – these brands all have different sizes and options, making them viable choices. It’s no secret that I chose to go with the Blackstone griddle not once, but multiple times. I own multiple propane versions, as well as the eSeries and the pizza oven. The new version of the 28-inch with air fryers combines the best of both worlds giving you one of the most frequently purchased kitchen accessories of, right under the griddle. Because of their solid construction, excellent heat output, ease of clean up, and accessory options, Blackstone is the brand I would recommend. It’s also better value than the leading competitors.
Don’t you have to buy a bunch of accessories?
Absolutely not. It’s definitely easy to go down a rabbit hole of fun tools that complement the griddle, but only a few are necessary to thoroughly enjoy cooking on one.
There is no item more important to griddling than the spatula. Whichever version of a spatula you choose is up to you, but I would suggest buying two. A lighter more flexible one, and a heavier one.
When you can’t flip it with a spatula, you gotta grab the tongs. I have been cooking outdoors for a long time, and the Blackstone Scraper Tonga are the best set of tongs I have ever used, especially for the griddle. They grip well, the scrape the griddle surface, and they have a serrated edge to cut open food.
Don’t forget the squeeze bottles. Yes, I said bottles. Get two. You’ll need one for oil and one for water. Oil is your lifeline on the griddle so make sure you’ve got a good quality bottle to store your oil in. You’ll be using a lot. A LOT. The other bottle is for water which is helpful with cleaning and steaming.
Optional: To ensure you’ve got everything at your fingertips while cooking, consider a prep cart.
Can you cook everything on it?
I’ve been hard-pressed to find foods you can’t cook on the griddle. When there’s a will, there’s a way. Think about what you cook now, on a grill, on a stove – why can’t you cook it on a griddle? Once you master cooking on a griddle, you’ll find new recipes all the time that you can cook outdoors, saving you from heating up the house with the stove, or using pots and pans that you have to clean up. Speaking of cleaning…
Is it hard to clean?
Nope. Once a griddle is seasoned, cleaning it is easy. Turn the griddle burners off after cooking and scrape the surface with a metal spatula or scraper. Wipe it down with a paper towel. Coat with a layer of oil in between uses like canola oil or the Blackstone Seasoning & Cast Iron Conditioner. For the outside of the griddle, use a degreaser like Dawn Powerwash spray or Blackstone Degreaser spray.
What questions do you have about griddling?
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