The Pros And Cons Of The Blackstone Electric Griddle

There's something romantic — almost magical — about grilling. Being free from the kitchen with the aroma of sizzling meat, fish, or veggies drifting through the air has made outdoor cooking a popular tradition around the world. We've come a long way from open-pit cooking to beyond charcoal and propane grilling, and sometimes the best tool is an electric griddle. These flat-top units are easier to fire up than charcoal or gas cookers, simple to clean, and safe to use indoors. The flat surface is also suitable for everything from a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon for to pretty much anything you'd want for dinner.

Blackstone is well-known for making versatile and reliable cooking products like the 1971 17-inch electric griddle with optional cover. While Blackstone electric griddles offer some enticing perks, they're far from perfect. Read on to explore the pros and cons of this family of products to determine if one is the right fit for your home.

An electric griddle is among the best electric kitchen gadgets you can buy to increase your cooking powers, and a Blackstone E-series griddle is a welcome addition to any busy household. These grills allow for precise temperature control, something that's tricky with a propane grill and almost impossible to achieve with a charcoal one. The 22-inch Blackstone E-series griddle above actually has two separate heating zones on its 213 square inch ceramic surface, making it perfect for preparing different foods at once. You can also set it to spread heat evenly across the entire cooking surface to prepare large portions. Unlike most grills, a Blackstone electric griddle doesn't require fussing with charcoal briquettes, starting fluid, or propane refills. 

Plug it in, set the temperature you want, and you're ready to cook burgers or fajitas in minutes. And since there's no flame or gas to create hazardous conditions, Blackstone electric griddles are safe for use indoors or on an enclosed porch or balcony. Cleaning a Blackstone Electric Griddle is easy, too. The non-stick cooking surface wipes up quickly yet can still handle the high heat necessary for searing proteins. These griddles also have a runoff management system that collects grease and food residue during cooking, keeping your meals healthy and making cleanup easier.

The Blackstone Electric Griddle is versatile and convenient, but its compact design does come with a few trade-offs. While the 267 square inch cooking surface on the Blackstone 2224 electric griddle is sufficient for most meals, the brand's Omnivore 36-inch propane griddle provides almost three times the space at 768 square inches. And although it will cook your food safely and efficiently, a Blackstone electric griddle doesn't impart the smoky flavor most of us associate with grilling. For that you'll need to throw some wood smoker chunks on your charcoal or propane flames. You'll get a good sear with a Blackstone electric griddle, but your food won't have that old-fashioned outdoorsy flavor. 

Blackstone's electric griddles might qualify in terms of price for our list of the best camping grills under $200, but the need for shore power makes them ill-suited for camping, beach, or off-grid homestead use. These electric griddles also have advanced features like ceramic-titanium coatings, dual-zone heating, and digital controls which add to their cost. For example, the 17-inch E-series griddle shown above sells on Blackstone's website for $199, exactly $50 more than the same-sized propane version with a hinged hood. You can't use metal utensils with Blackstone E-series griddles either; doing so will damage the non-stick surface. Blackstone's 22-inch electric griddle also draws up to 24,000 watts, which can trip circuit breakers and puts it among the things you should never plug into a power strip.