(4.6 / 5)If you are looking for a conveniently priced unique grilling experience, then Blackstone has a propane grill that might interest you.
The flat top design brings you a departure from traditional grilling style for a restaurant style cook from the far east.
This grill features two stainless steel burners that each pack considerable power under the cold rolled black steel flat top. This type of grills allows you to cook Hibachi or Teppanyaki style for unique, delicious meals. With a strong powder coated steel base and decent mobility, you can set up this grill where ever you want to show off.
No lid required here as the griddle top gives you a wide open space to move around your meal in a clutter free environment. With a price around $155, you don’t have to over spend to grill like they do in the restaurants. A simple, straightforward griddle style grill that sure finds a perfect spot in the home of a frugal grill master.
Main Characteristics
If you have ever visited a Japanese restaurant where they cooked the meal on a griddle right in front of you and dreamed of doing something similar, then this grill might make your dreams come true.
This flat top uses two stainless steel burners on propane gas to pump out a total of 30,000 BTU’s of cooking power. With 15,000 per burner that is pretty impressive considering many three or four burner grills don’t bring nearly as much power per burner.
These burners use an H style design to keep the heat evenly distributed.
The primary cooking surface is a total of 470 square inches for a pretty decent amount of room that probably maxes out at making a meal for around six people.
Over the top of the burner is the cold rolled steel flat top which is nice and easy to clean in comparison to digging between individual grill grates.
A single side shelf gives you some extra space to work with. The surface of the grill is the main selling point here along with the two powerful burners that you can control independently. Restaurant style cooking gives the cook a lot of extra room to work with as well as an easier surface to work with than traditional grill grates.
Pro’s
- Excellent surface area allows you to cook large meals for the entire family
- Griddle style design brings a different flavor to your cooking along with opening up the user to creative cooking
- Low price means you don’t have to splurge to find a nice griddle style grill
Con’s
- No lid minimizes what you can do as far as smoking and slow cooking since you don’t have anything keeping the aroma inside
- The whole grill is a griddle so say goodbye to your classic grill sear marks
- Utility is lacking here so you better really enjoy cooking on a restaurant style grill because that is all there is
Design
Since this grill is aiming for the budget customer design was not very high on the priority list. I guess they feel bringing you a low priced unique grilling experience is the only real priority here.
That being said we have a design with a lot of open space which is ok with the extra underneath shelving area but doesn’t bring you much more than that. These all “Black” grills have lack of additional support. They look flimsy, though the powder coated steel is still pretty durable despite the look. Blackstone 28 only weighs 80 pounds putting it on the lower end, so Blackstone felt comfortable giving it only two heavy duty caster wheels while the other sides base consists of flattened of support struts. That being said with the relatively light weight this grill is still pretty mobile.
This grill may be a scarecrow in the grill market because of its spindly features however the quality materials still make it worth the look if Hibachi style grilling peaks your interest.
Special Features
The main unique feature in this grill is, of course, the flat top design. With an emphasis on creating something special at a low price point, Blackstone did not go too heavy on adding extra features and jacking up the price tag.
The first one that should be mentioned is the built in grease trap that is necessary for a grill in this design. With a flat top, all of the grease stays right on the surface unless you have a convenient way to clean it away.
This style of the grill would not work well with coals thanks to their inconsistent heat distribution so we have propane here on an electronic ignition system so you can quickly bring those powerful burners up to cooking temperature. Last but not least what is the point of having a flat top grill if it is not the flattest grill around? With this in mind, Blackstone made the legs easily foldable which are great for storage and makes this grill an interesting choice for the frequent traveler.
Warranty
The worst part about purchasing a lower end grill other that the lack of features is how the companies will often skimp on the warranty. This grill makes the perfect example with very sparse coverage. The manufacturer gives you coverage for any defects of workmanship issues only for ninety days after purchase, so you get what you pay for literally here.
Image Credit: Amazon.com
Blackstone 28 inch Outdoor
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Summary
The difference between a flat top and an average grill grate surface cannot be overstated as this grill is truly unique especially at such a low price.
The individual burners give pretty good heat coverage and a powerful punch. If you are on a budget looking for a family, sized grill the expansive 470 square inches should suit you quite well. That is not the grill to buy for someone who is about style unless they just want to cook with it, showing off their skills with cutlery on a wide open range. A good quality bargain product for the chef minded cook. For comparison, also look at these babies - Char-Griller 3001 and Smoke Hollow.