Char-Griller or Blackstone?

[Matt F 1]

The burning question at this house. I'm planning on getting one soon, but Menards has the 2 burner for $249 after the rebate. Or the 2 burner Blackstone at Lowes for $299 on sale. I will be turning either from propane to Nat gas, and it seems to me that Blackstone has an upgrade kit and Char-Griller doesn't.
And let's just stay with the 2 burner opinions guys, I don't need (Want) "you know who" in my ear about the extra $$$ for a 4 burner.

Thoughts?

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[Leebo]

I enjoy grilled food more than the griddle BUT the griddle really seems to be more versatile for me. I’d hate to say it, but if I could only pick one it would be a Blackstone. That also said, have you seen the 4 burner at Walmart? On sale for $242??

 

[jark87]

@Brentr is the resident griddle expert in the Grilling/Smoking thread. I don’t know what brand griddle he has, but he uses it at least weekly, if not more often.

 

[Brentr]

To the OP let me first say that the addition of a griddle to your outdoor kitchen is a must considering that 90% of all food prepared is cooked on a griddle (I just recall hearing this ) I did a lot of research on griddles and it all depends on how you are going to use it and where are you going to put it. The griddle that I ended up purchasing was a Camp Chef FG 600. There are basically no hot spots on this griddle and that is very important as you want your food to cook evenly. I wanted the grease trap to be in front of the grill so I can easily see it and very easy to empty especially when cleaning the grill. I never wanted a large 4 burner griddle but believe me you will probably wish you got a larger one. Blackstone is a very popular griddle and they have all kinds of attachments like side burner and deep fryer etc. All nice but how often will you use them. Here are some pics of my grill. Hope this helps

 

[Mdragger88]

I am just following along to see if I am missing out …
I have never cooked anything on a griddle in my life. I considered them a passing fad or kind of a niche thing for those who have a need to make alot of pancakes outdoors.
I’m also curious as to how you got grill marks on those sandwiches @Brentr .
I already have a camp chef 2 burner stove & could add a griddle plate if I wanted, i just have always used a cast iron skillet .

 

[Matt F 1]

I already have a small griddle that I use on my Weber gas grill. I also have a SnS Grill that I made Ribeye's on last night. So, this would be an add to the collection. I know that a four burner would be preferred but one only has so much room and doe.

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[PoolStored]

Don't have a dog in this hunt, grill and griddle happily co-exist in my outdoor kitchen.

My daughter loves her Blackstone. Had some part of it "chip off." She called the company and they sent her a new one. +1 for their customer service.

 

[damdan]

I will be turning either from propane to Nat gas, and it seems to me that Blackstone has an upgrade kit and Char-Griller doesn't.

Seems pretty simple. If you want natural gas, a two burner, and one of the two grills you mentioned, Blackstone is the only option. There are other grills out there with a natural gas option, and adding a griddle is pretty standard for any of them.

 

[phonedave]

I am just following along to see if I am missing out …
I have never cooked anything on a griddle in my life. I considered them a passing fad or kind of a niche thing for those who have a need to make alot of pancakes outdoors.
I’m also curious as to how you got grill marks on those sandwiches @Brentr .
I already have a camp chef 2 burner stove & could add a griddle plate if I wanted, i just have always used a cast iron skillet .

I use mine for a variety of things - searing meats, fried rice, hibachi, etc. But mine is a plate that sits on top of my gas grill. I already have the gas grill and a smoker on the small "cooking" deck, I have to set up the Ooni pizza oven on a separate table when I use it - it is getting crowded down there, no room for a dedicated griddle.