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Who on here has a blackstone grill

Substantially more expensive, but the Evo is the cat's meow.

Flat top grilling is a must-have capability. Personally, I just put an aluminum plancha over top of live fire on my traditional charcoal grill. Lots of ways to do it. But you need the capability IMO.
 
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I don't understand the point of one. If I'm cooking outside it's on my Weber. I always thought firing up grill was the whole point of cooking outside.
I would be willing to bet you that I can cook a steak or hamburger on a blackstone that would be better than a grill. There is a reason high end steak restaurants use a flat top.
 
Do you get some smoke in the meat when you put the lid down, or does most of the grilled flavor come from putting some char on the meat with the flat top?
 
I would be willing to bet you that I can cook a steak or hamburger on a blackstone that would be better than a grill. There is a reason high end steak restaurants use a flat top.
Same reason a food truck uses one?
 
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I can see the need for one if camping or cooking for a group outside, but how would it be any better than cooking on your gas range with a cast iron skillet for day to day cooking? Granted I have a range vent that exhaust outside instead of recirculating, but is there something I’m missing? Other than grilling, my favorite way to cook a thick ribeye is to sear it in the cast iron skillet and then move it to the oven until it’s a perfect 130-135 degrees.
 
I love this thread. I'll share my methods from research and trial/error.

I use a PK 360 aluminum charcoal grill. It has a split grate to make fire management easy and it has 4 air flow vents for managing different convection dynamics.

I almost always do 2 zone cooking. On the right side I have my fire. In the middle I have a post oak log that gently smokes next to the fire and provides a heat barrier. On the left I have an empty bottom grate. For a "normal" cook, my indirect side usually reads about 275-300 degs and my fireside reads about 550-600 degs

For steaks, pork loin, chicken thighs, etc. I will cook on indirect then finish either directly over the fire or I'll put the the aluminum flat top plancha over the fire to get it roaring hot and sear to finish.

For burgers I exclusively cook on the flat top; usually smash burger style. I'll sear peppers, pickles, whatever on the flat top too.

I think my secret weapon so to speak is the post oak log heat zone barrier. It blocks some heat while also gently releasing smoke from being next to the fire. So everything I cook gets a gentle kiss from smoke but not overwhelmed.

Here's some pics illustrating my setup plus a vid of me moving octopus from indirect to flame just last night.

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I have it all. Big green egg large, 36” black stone, Rec Tec and a gas range in my house. While I agree you can do it on a gas range if cooking for one or two but it is hard to do hibatchi in your house in 1 pan. Breakfast on a blackstone is great to. I can cook it all at one time, bacon, sausage egg pancakes etc
 
Do you get some smoke in the meat when you put the lid down, or does most of the grilled flavor come from putting some char on the meat with the flat top?
Sounds like it would not smoke and/or grill like a Weber. Interesting question tho.
 
I would be willing to bet you that I can cook a steak or hamburger on a blackstone that would be better than a grill. There is a reason high end steak restaurants use a flat top.
Yeah.. but I can do that inside with a cast iron pan. And most high end and Low end restaurants use a a Flat top for speed, space, and two zone cooking. If I'm cooking outside I'm cooking with fire.
 
As good as a char broiled steak is, it's hard to argue with a pepper crusted butter coated flat iron seared steak. So much flavor.
 
As good as a char broiled steak is, it's hard to argue with a pepper crusted butter coated flat iron seared steak. So much flavor.
I make a peppercorn garlic butter to sear with. I reverse sear if I'm cooking inside or outside.
 
I have the 22” blackstone. Bought it for camping trips. However we use it on my new screened porch a lot.
I’ve done charcoal for years. Then gas grill Weber. Used it but never really enjoyed using it. Still sitting under my deck but unused.
I then got a chargrilled Akorn which is a poor mans Kamado Joe.
I like the egg style for smoking a butt However the start up time is slow. It grills nicely but still takes a while.
I have used this blackstone more in the last year than I used my gas grill and my Akorn the past 10 years combined.

I felt the same as some posters here before I got it. I said it’ll probably be like cooking on a griddle

It’s different! We do burgers, steaks, grilled marinated chicken, Parmesan pork chops, phillys, hibachi steak rice chicken and veggies, French toast bacon, eggs, pancakes. I can go on

There is something about heat and char and the way it cooks. My only issue is that it’s too small.

I want a 36” for my porch with a full hood. There a model out there and I’m on a wait list but apparently they have stopped manuf due to covid so there has been no inventory coming in.

After each use I hit it with water and scraper to clean up then I redcoat it in oil so rust won’t form on any raw cooking surface.

I’ve done hash browns and made regular and sweet potato fries on it too
We did bacon at the beach and the pack was one of those that kind of wasn’t a good cut. You know how som3times cooked bacon from a less ideal pack will start to burn while parts of the strip are still spongy? Me and my wife agreed The Blackstone saved it and crisped it all up nice.

Now I’m not currently interested in the air fryers blackstone has on their nicer grade models. So if those are amazing please convince me now!

The one with airfryers and hood is $600. The one I want is same but no fryers and will be $300. Thoughts?
 
I see people make the argument about time and eggs style grills all the time. I have a propane grill and a large egg. I am only about 2-3 minutes behind the gas if they were lit at the same time. The key is a mapp gas torch to lite the charcoal.
 
I have a 17 inch that i use for tailgating....and supplemental cooks at home. I love mine, but for tailgating i would have preferred the 22 inch, which was not available at the time i purchased. I don't have a large one as my BGE;s tend to take up my cooking real estate on the patio. Purchase for your use case is my ultimate point.
 
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I have yet to find any steak, burger or butt from any restaurant that tastes as good as what my grill produces. Period. They're just not out there. The obvious difference is the seasoning of the grill. You got to be able to cook multiple foods to get that flavor imo. For me, the magic starts with a Weber kettle style charcoal grill (with electronic start). Mine has it's own table, charcoal baskets, hinged grate, upper and lower vents. Simple setup. Holds it temp well and will produce a 3/4 inch smoke ring on a 8 lb. butt in a day of smoking or charbroil a steak in no time flat. For a butt, I'll light 5 pieces of charcoal over the propane starter for 5 minutes and once lit, move them to a basket of unlit coals and beer soaked hickory chunks. In just a few minutes, I'm at 225 and ready to go. I mention the butt because it does more to season a grill than anything else. Next, close that lid on a burgers a minute or two for a nice smoky flavor on them. Finally steaks... no lid, just the flavor from the grate. I would argue you cant get that anywhere else but that's probably just me.
 
I have the portable with stand for tailgating and camping. I have the 28 for home. In addition to what else has been said about how awesome it is, I sous vide a lot. My home Blackstone hits around 600-700 depending on the day. After sous vide cooking, you finish with high heat for the crust. While my 6 burner Weber Summit tops out the thermometer, the best crust is with the Blackstone. I've even cooked scratch pizza on it using a cheap giant wok lid off Amazon. The Blackstones are game changers. And don't get me started on chopped cheese sandwiches.
 
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I have it all. Big green egg large, 36” black stone, Rec Tec and a gas range in my house. While I agree you can do it on a gas range if cooking for one or two but it is hard to do hibatchi in your house in 1 pan. Breakfast on a blackstone is great to. I can cook it all at one time, bacon, sausage egg pancakes etc
that is correct, i like that about it
 
All this outdoor cooking talk was making me hungry. Hamburger steak with Charleston Cheesehouse brie and grilled onions on the Blackstone.
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All this outdoor cooking talk was making me hungry. Hamburger steak with Charleston Cheesehouse brie and grilled onions on the Blackstone.
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All these comments I don’t know what to do .? I’m just finding out that my Weber spirit has a small griddle that can be put where the grate goes and can reach temperature of 600fh to 700
 
Consider checking grillception.com for more information about grills. I got my first one after reading some reviews there. If you're patient and enjoy unique flavor, you might want to try a charcoal grill. If you have a higher budget, go with a gas barbecue. Gas grills run on liquid propane or natural gas and allow you more temperature control. And If you reside in an apartment building, go for an electric grill. For individuals who don't want to deal with the hassles of traditional grilling, electric barbecues are ideal. Hopefully I could help !
 
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All these comments I don’t know what to do .? I’m just finding out that my Weber spirit has a small griddle that can be put where the grate goes and can reach temperature of 600fh to 700

With that said think about everything a ceramic grill can do.
 
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