Blackstone Griddle Vs. Weber Grill: Which One Is Better?

Dennis Howard
by Dennis Howard

Outdoor cooking is a favorite pastime for many of us. This is especially true if you like to spend outdoor time with your RV or tent. There are many options for outdoor cooking. Two of the most popular are Weber grills and Blackstone griddles. How do these two stack up against each other?

Choosing between a Blackstone griddle and a Weber grill can be difficult. A griddle can perform cooking jobs that aren’t possible on a grill. On the other hand, many people prefer a grill for some cooking chores. Griddles and grills aren’t easily compared. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Before deciding which option is the best, you should understand the difference between a griddle and a grill. The cooking techniques are different, as are the foods normally cooked on each. The deciding factors may rest with your food preferences, cooking style, and expectations. Your cooking gear should match your needs.

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Why Are Blackstone Griddles So Popular?

Blackstone griddles have become immensely popular with outdoor cooks over the past few years. There are many reasons for this popularity which extends beyond home patio chefs to include RV owners and tent campers. Looking at some of the reasons people find Blackstone griddles popular may help your decision.

Griddles May Offer More Flexibility

The smooth flat top of a Blackstone griddle makes it a perfect cook surface for many foods and recipes. A griddle is perfect for cooking breakfast items such as hotcakes, eggs, and bacon. The versatility extends to lunch and dinner. You can cook a sandwich, sear a steak, or re-heat a pan of chili on a Blackstone griddle.

The nature of a grill makes it difficult to cook many foods. It is impossible to cook pancakes or bacon on a grill without adding a separate accessory surface to your grill. The design of most grills also makes it hard to control temperatures to a very exact degree.

You Can Get Smoky Flavor on a Griddle

Many griddle cooks manage to infuse the smoky flavors normally associated with grilling. A technique called the “smoke hack” makes this possible. Using a small amount of your favorite wood chips on the griddle, a metal cover, and you can have that smoky flavor you enjoy.

Prepare an Entire Meal with Ease

The large flat cooking surface of a griddle allows you to perform multiple cooking functions. You can sear a steak while heating up a pan of beans or roasting ears of corn. You aren’t limited to simply grilling when you use a griddle.

What About a Weber Propane Grill?

Don’t be misled. Weber propane grills remain as popular as ever. Many outdoor cooks swear by their Weber propane grills and won’t have anything else. There are several reasons Weber propane grills remain so popular with outdoor cooking aficionados.

Open Flame Cooking is the Attraction

Many outdoor cooks want the taste and look of food cooked over an open flame on a grill rack. It is hard to accomplish the look of a steak cooked on a grill with a griddle. For the true grilling master, anything other than an open flame isn’t to be considered.

Many Grill Masters Consider a Weber Grill an Investment

The propane grill market is vast. However, many people who grill regularly consider a Weber grill an investment. The quality of construction of Weber grills is renowned. We admit that a Weber grill is a premium. You can purchase much less expensive grills. However, you should expect to replace these budget options regularly. Your Weber grill will continue you serve you for years to come.

Getting That Smoky Flavor

It is hard to match the flavors imparted to your food from a Weber grill. There are ways to add smoky flavor using a griddle, but nothing matches the depth and complexity of the flavors of an open-flame grill.

Many cooks also claim that an open-flame grill gives meats and other food a different texture and feel after cooking. We must admit that a juicy rack of ribs that fall off the bone when smoked over open-flame I hard to reproduce on a griddle.

The Downsides of Grills and Griddles

Both Blackstone griddles and Weber grills have their downsides. Some of these may not affect you depending on your cooking style and your foods. However, you should be aware of the cons and pros of both Blackstone griddles and Weber grills.

Health Concerns with Open-Flame Grilling

There are some indications in research that open-flame grilling produces products that can affect your health. In some cases, researchers have found that grilled foods can contain carcinogenic material produced by the open flame as the food cooks. If you want more information about these concerns, visit the American Institute for Cancer Research at this link.

On the other hand, Griddles pose few risks from contamination with health-damaging particulates. The food cooked on a Blackstone griddle is never exposed to open flames or the products produced by the open-flame process.

Portability and Weight

If you are an avid camper or RV’er, weight and portability are always a concern. Unfortunately, both the Weber Grill and Blackstone griddle can pose problems for those of us who want to take our outdoor kitchen along.

Griddles, by nature, are heavy. The secret to a good griddle like a Blackstone is the large metal cooking surface. To be effective at giving even cooking across the surface, the griddle must be thick enough to evenly transfer the heat. The weight of a griddle is usually more than a comparable grill due to this need for a thick metal surface.

On the other hand, a Weber grill can be heavy, especially if you consider the accessories you may need, such as a cast-iron griddle or other heavy accessories. Weber grills often don’t pack as well as Blackstone griddles, making them cumbersome while taking up more storage space.

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So Which Is the Better Choice?

The answer to this question is, it depends. Your personal cooking style is the big factor in deciding which is a better fit. If you like to cook a wide array of different recipes, a Blackstone griddle is probably a better choice. However, if you relish the smoky flavors and textures of flame-grilled recipes, a Weber grill is the obvious choice.

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Dennis Howard
Dennis Howard

Dennis is a retired firefighter with an extensive background in construction, home improvement, and remodeling. He worked in the trades part-time while serving as an active firefighter. On his retirement, he started a remodeling and home repair business, which he ran for several years.

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