Blackstone 1825 36″ Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station Review
You may have noticed that a hamburger or a cheesesteak sandwich from a restaurant with a well-established griddle has superior flavor. There is just something to the taste that’s hard to put your finger on. Some people would even argue that meat and vegetables grilled on a griddle tastes better than those prepared over an open fire grill.
There is actually some special cooking science at work with this phenomenon that’s worth a closer look. You see every grilling surface has microscopic textures to it. When a hydrocarbon, like fat, is cooked on it, the hydrocarbon chains adhere and fill in the microscopic surface to create a natural non-stick surface.
This layer, which is known as seasoning, imparts a special flavor to meat that you simply can’t get from any other cooking surface. In the case of juicy meats, the surface also works to refract fat and other flavors back into the meat, while also providing a superior sear or outer crust. Blackstone understands this special cooking process and offers their innovative 36-inch, Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station with 4 independently controlled propane burners to answer the demand. Its 720-inch cold rolled steel griddle provides you with a professional restaurant quality griddle surface at a very friendly price point.
The Blackstone 1825 36-inch griddle has four propane burners, with independent controls. This also you to set temperatures for different cooking zones. For example, you might want to set the far-right size burner to low for maintaining the warmth of bacon or sautéed vegetables, while you fry eggs on medium heat in the middle or fry a thin sliced rib eye on high heat on the far left.
The push button electric igniter makes it easy to light the propane burners without having to mess around with matches or stick lighters.Blackstone also designed the griddle to be easily moveable and portable. The two strong side tables fold up and the wheels allow you to roll it with ease. The legs also fold up, which allows you to transport the griddle to special events like family camping trips and cooking competitions.
It’s also worth noting that one of the side tables converts to a workstation that holds a garbage can and paper towel rack under a restaurant quality cutting board.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The Blackstone 1825 36-inch griddle was designed to be durable and long-lasting. With consistent seasoning, the cold rolled steel griddle surface should last for many long years to come. It is supported by a very strong steel frame that is protected by a durable powder coat of paint. The unit is easy to assemble and requires only a minor amount of mechanical skill and some basic hand tools. Total assembly can take as little half an hour.
Grilling Performance
It’s four independently controlled burners allow you to manage four different heat zones. This allows you to do something like sweat vegetables on one part of the grill, and sear on another. With a smooth bottom pot you could also multitask the griddle to simmer or boil water for a side dish like cobs of corn.
Excess grease can sometimes be an issue with a grill this size. At the same time, Blackstone has done little in the way of providing you with an effective grease management system. This can be compensated for by keeping a tin foil lined bucket near at hand for collecting excess grease that threatens to run off during a cooking session. This can be especially handy if you’re doing something like frying up a large amount of bacon and eggs.
Grilling Areas
The Blackstone 1825 36-inch griddle offers 720-square inches of cooking space on the griddle top. This is more than enough to prepare restaurant quality meals for large numbers of people. If you need to cook for a small number of people you can simply turn on one or two of the propane elements to heat a small area of the griddle top.
Ease to Clean
With this type of griddle developing and preserving the seasoning, layer is the most important aspect of maintaining the surface. When you first get it, you should gently wash the cold rolled griddle surface with warm soapy water and a non abrasive sponge. You should never use steel wool, pointed tools or anything more abrasive, as they could scratch the metal and cause complications with the seasoning layer.
To season the Blackstone’s griddle surface, you need to apply a layer of oil. Blackstone recommends using cold pressed, unrefined, refrigerated flaxseed oil. If you can’t find any, cold vegetable shortening will do in a pinch. You then apply a thin layer to every square inch of the griddle surface and remove any excess. Then fire up the four propane burners to medium heat and allow them to run for half an hour. At that point, you should allow the griddle surface to completely cool. Blackstone recommends applying four to five such layers when you first get the griddle.
From that point on the seasoned grill surface is typically pretty easy to clean. They often require little more than a gentle wipe down. If something does manage to stick to the seasoned surface you can scrape it away with a flat spatula or board scraper. If you notice an area where the seasoning layer has been affected by something like say spilled water or particularly wet vegetables, you should address it after the grilling session. Most of the time, you need to simply apply some more flax seed oil or shortening to the area and run the burner on medium heat for half an hour.
Warranty
Like all of Blackstone’s products, it comes with a one-year warranty on all large items as well as a 90-day warranty on accessories. It effectively covers all parts, workmanship, and manufacturer-applied finishes.
Conclusion
The Blackstone 1825 36-inch griddle offers restaurant quality griddle cooking for the home chef. It also comes at a very friendly price point. As time goes on a well-maintained seasoning on the cooking surface will only continue to improve the superior flavor it imparts to the meat and other foods being cooked.
