RVers rave about Blackstone griddles, but you may wonder, “are they really worth it?” If you talk to most RVers, you’ll get a resounding, YES! However, not everyone is sold on the idea.
Joel and I just won a 17-inch Blackstone griddle in a Facebook giveaway (I’m pretty much the queen of winning things online.) All we had to do was pick it up and say “no thank you” to what is essentially an RV timeshare. Now we have ourselves the cool new gadget. So is the Blackstone griddle an RV purchase you’ll regret or a game changer. Keep reading to find out what I’ve learned.
There is a Blackstone Griddle Learning Curve
After our first attempt at cooking with the Blackstone griddle, my first thought was, “why the heck do people like these?” As it turns out, we had missed several important steps to prepare the griddle. Thinking it was non-stick we just tossed on some bacon and pancakes and quickly ended up with an enormous mess (and nearly destroyed bacon– the horror).
So if you make the same mistake as we did and forget to season your Blackstone griddle, you’ll probably hate it. Luckily, the internet had plenty to teach us and we quickly improved our cooking technique.
At first, I was worried we had totally ruined our griddle. Thankfully, that was not the case, and we have used it successfully to make many delicious meals.
It Works Amazingly and is Simple to Clean
Now that we know how to cook on a cast iron griddle, the Blackstone has been super slick. Compared to our old grill it cooks just as well but is way easier to clean up. I know we can’t be the only ones who dreaded cleaning off our grill.
Scrubbing and scraping always seemed to just make more of a mess as charcoal covered everything. With the Blackstone griddle, all we have to do is scrape it off, rub some oil on, and wipe up the excess. Boom, done. (Make sure you don’t use soap to clean your griddle as this is another no-no that we were thankfully aware of).
Another perk of the griddle is that it seems to cook much more quickly and evenly. Not accidentally scorching your food when grease makes the fire flare is especially convenient. To get that same seared taste you can heat your Blackstone up extra hot at the end while skipping the risk of starting your delicious meal on fire.
The Blackstone Griddle is HEAVY
I think this is a very important consideration for RVers. After all, saving weight should be on everyone’s mind when you’re driving a house down the road. Compared to our similarly sized grill, the Blackstone griddle is much heavier.
We have the 17-inch griddle, so it isn’t too big of a deal. However, some of the larger griddles could add serious weight to your RV. If you plan accordingly, it may not be a problem. However, if the weight catches you unaware, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Some RVers have also said they regret purchasing the larger Blackstone griddles simply because they are so large. If you regularly cook for a large group of family and friends, they could make sense. For smaller groups, I would recommend a 17 or 22-inch tabletop griddle. It will get the job done without taking up a ton of space and adding unnecessary weight.
So is the Blackstone Griddle Worth It?
Joel says he probably wouldn’t have purchased the Blackstone because, while obnoxious to clean, our grill did still work. We are savers though and rarely upgrade our things unless we really need to. (Safety equipment excluded. I will buy all the safety equipment!)
Knowing what I know now, if we hadn’t won a Blackstone, I would have totally spent the money to purchase the 17-inch griddle. It really has been fantastic. The food is delicious; the cleanup is quick; and cooking is fast, which means we have more time for fun adventures!
Click to shop all Blackstone griddles if you want to get in on the hype.
