I picked up the Blackstone 28 Griddle on the $99.00 Walmart deal last Monday. Been sick and just got around to putting it together today. Yeah, I know it's 5 days later - but I was REALLY sick (and still am, but needed to get out a little). Figured I would season it with flaxseed oil like cast iron. Started by taking the steel top outside and sitting it on the tailgate of the truck to give a good scrubbing with Dawn to cut the shipping oil off. After drying, I oiled both the back, sides and top with Flaxseed oil to start the seasoning process. Started with the burners on low to give the pores of the metal time to open and let some oil in, then cranked it up to medium. Once the smoke totally stopped, I shut the burners off and let it cool. Did this 3 times and was getting a pretty decent looking black coating al-la cast iron style. This is what I used.
This is after 3 coats of flaxseed oil before cooking anything.
Figured it was time to cook some bacon since the top was already hot.
After cleanup, this is what my griddle top now looks like. Shiny, black and hard non-stick surface!
I did experience the grease on the leg that others had described. I guess I need to cut some channel or tubing and get my neighbor to weld it on to direct the grease into the drip pan because that little weld Blackstone puts on at the factory is not going to do the job at all. But for $98 I was actually impressed with the quality of the build. I took the IR thermometer to the griddle top on full heat and only found a 20* variation across the entire top when given proper time to heat up and equalize. H-burners seem to be doing the job as designed.
I had read the Blackstone covers were not exactly watertight and would let moisture in and onto the griddle top. Mine is being stored under a covered porch with 13' ceilings, but I still wanted a cover as rain can sometimes blow in with the wind during a storm. I found a "Only Fire" brand cover made to fit the Blackstone 28 at Amazon and it was actually about $5 less than the Blackstone cover. Photos showed the back of the cover was coated and sealed and the reviews seemed pretty decent so I bought it. Yes, it fits the Blackstone 28 griddle perfectly and appears to be made to keep all moisture out. So if you are looking for a cover, you might want to get this one. The logo is actually embroidered and not printed. Made from heavy material and seems well crafted.
This is after 3 coats of flaxseed oil before cooking anything.
Figured it was time to cook some bacon since the top was already hot.
After cleanup, this is what my griddle top now looks like. Shiny, black and hard non-stick surface!
I did experience the grease on the leg that others had described. I guess I need to cut some channel or tubing and get my neighbor to weld it on to direct the grease into the drip pan because that little weld Blackstone puts on at the factory is not going to do the job at all. But for $98 I was actually impressed with the quality of the build. I took the IR thermometer to the griddle top on full heat and only found a 20* variation across the entire top when given proper time to heat up and equalize. H-burners seem to be doing the job as designed.
I had read the Blackstone covers were not exactly watertight and would let moisture in and onto the griddle top. Mine is being stored under a covered porch with 13' ceilings, but I still wanted a cover as rain can sometimes blow in with the wind during a storm. I found a "Only Fire" brand cover made to fit the Blackstone 28 at Amazon and it was actually about $5 less than the Blackstone cover. Photos showed the back of the cover was coated and sealed and the reviews seemed pretty decent so I bought it. Yes, it fits the Blackstone 28 griddle perfectly and appears to be made to keep all moisture out. So if you are looking for a cover, you might want to get this one. The logo is actually embroidered and not printed. Made from heavy material and seems well crafted.
