Griddle Purchase

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djtech2k

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Mar 27, 2012
75
10
WV
I could not find a better forum to post this in so here I go.

I am considering buying a griddle and am looking for some experiences to help make up my mind. I am mainly considering the CampChef 600 4 burner and the Royal Gourmet 4 burner griddle. They both have things I like but they are both missing something.

I have cooked on Blackstones before and I like them but there are 2 things I don’t like about the black stone. The front grease catch and grease channel is very messy. I really dislike that. I also do not like that it is very wobbly and feels unstable. The stand is not good.

The thing I like about the camp chef is that it has grill grates and the griddle. I don’t know how much I will use the grates but it’s a nice feature. I don’t know how well it works but it does have the front grease catch so I’m not excited about that.

The Royal gourmet has what looks like a very nice stand and it looks like it has a grease catch that is not in the front edge. It looks like a small hole in the griddle that you can scrape grease into. It does not have the grill grates as an option and it does not have nearly as many reviews though.

Anyone have any experience with griddles that might have some info?
 
My Blackstone is very stable . The new black stones have a rear grease drain . I like the camp chef , but never used one .
 
I will second that my black stone is very stable and has a rear grease drain. I am guessing they have improved them since you cooked on one.
 
Check out the new Blackstone. Not sure if the extra cost or features are wanted or needed. They are spitting out new products left and right now.

Griddlemaster makes top for all types of units, including the members mark grill which makes for a large griddle setup.

I have seen the 2nd gen Blackstones with the rear trap but they do not have a surround table for them yet that I have seen. As far as the Camp chef coming with the grill grates yes it does, but IMHO I would never put grill grates on my griddle. Part of the beauty of these compared to gas grills is the components are going to last for a long time unlike gas grills by not having drippings.

My 1st gen blackstone is more than stable, however the grease drain leaves much to be desired, it is easily cured by using a paperclip or an $8 mod that is nothing more than some bent sheet metal to aid in the drip. The 1st gen also have the surround table available that has the built in wind block and provides some additional real estate if need be.

I love mine and people I know that have bought one love it as well. The sear on steak, smash burgers, veggies or anything I put in contact with it LOL!!! I don't think you will find one you won't like.
 
Yeh I see a lot more blackstones in my area. I have cooked on the front and the back grease drain. The back drain is definitely better but both of the ones I used felt unstable. It just seemed to be so thin and not much bracing.

I’d like to find some camp chef and royal gourmet users to see what they think.
 
What’s this? New Blackstone at Wally’s $327.
 

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What’s this? New Blackstone at Wally’s $327.

Actually Walmart has a few "new" versions of Blackstone's check it out on their site. That unit above looks pretty nice and the one with the double propane burners on it is cool too
 
I have the new version blackstone and love it. I even haul it around and use at different cook sites. Do not have a problem with stability and the rear grease trap is a non issue. Highly recommend. I got mine from Tractor Supply.
 
I think the camp chef has the cover that folds over now? love my blackstone but the cover would have pushed me to it as you need a dedicated cover for them
 
This one was interesting loose some griddle space but burners are nice and look at the lid
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blackstone-Range-Top-Combo-with-Free-Shipping/806171984
The Pro series is more money but has the hard cover included plus the nicer stand
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blackstone-36-Pro-Series-Griddle-with-Hard-Cover/385486122
They do have a regular stainless one that is less than that Pro model
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blackstone-36-Stainless-Steel-Griddle-Cooking-Station/39891206

I to got the regular 36" rear grease drain one from Tractor Supply got it on sale black Friday then added the hard cover from amazon
 
What is Wally’s? I looked at Walmart.com and that unit in your picture is a lot more than $327.
This griddle is at the North Port, Fl Walmart and is tagged with yelllow sticker price tag @ $327. They also have another one that is dented just above the knobs. Don’t know if it discounted any. Didn’t ask. It’s $496 plus shipping online. I usually jump on good deals and possible mis marked items but I have no need to fry 200 hamburgers any time soon.
 
This griddle is at the North Port, Fl Walmart and is tagged with yelllow sticker price tag @ $327. They also have another one that is dented just above the knobs. Don’t know if it discounted any. Didn’t ask. It’s $496 plus shipping online. I usually jump on good deals and possible mis marked items but I have no need to fry 200 hamburgers any time soon.

But think of the stir fry party you could have :emoji_sunglasses:
 
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This griddle is at the North Port, Fl Walmart and is tagged with yelllow sticker price tag @ $327. They also have another one that is dented just above the knobs. Don’t know if it discounted any. Didn’t ask. It’s $496 plus shipping online. I usually jump on good deals and possible mis marked items but I have no need to fry 200 hamburgers any time soon.
Wow, for $327 I'd jump on that thing, but not for $500. It seems there are a lot of the Blackstone's out there, but I really like the things I mentioned about the Royal Gourmet and the Camp Chef. I wish there were more users out there.

I contacted Blackstone about why there are new griddles on Walmart but not even mentioned on their website. They said its because its a Walmart exclusive and they wont be selling them. That seems stupid that you can't even get information about the product there, whether they sell it there or not.
 
I am also thinking of getting a griddle but not sure what to get or if I will like the way it cooks. Here in Oklahoma is Blackstone and i don't like to order on-line, i am one of those that need to touch,see and feel it to see if i like it or not. Plus with all the different features on different units i want to look at them.
Blackstone's 28" griddle seems to be winning for me, not sure if i would need a 36" size since it is just my wife and me and sometimes our son.
 
I have the older 28 . I got it for 99 bucks on clearance. I love it . Fun to cook on . They are closing out some new old stock around me so might be a good time to go look .
 
It's always worked good for me . I worked outside year round so don't pay much attention to Temps , but I use it in the winter and never noticed it wasn't staying hot .
 
Pulled the trigger and got the 36" Blackstone from Walmart for $246.00. Put it together in about 45min, took my time and made sure it was done right.

I cooked on my friends his has a front grease "channel" , did not like the front grease channel due to grease popping even if it was in the channel loved the way it cooked. We did pork chops, steaks, hashbrowns, Onions and mushrooms for the steaks.

Over all liked the way it cooked.

The one I got has the back grease catcher in the middle, Side tables and is very stable better then the one my buddy has but his is an older unit. Still have not seasoned the unit due to the wind here in Oklahoma. but will try this weekend!!
 
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