BLACKSTONE Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle 2 Burner Propane Fuelled Rear Grease Management System, 1517, Outdoor Griddle Station for Camping, 28 inch

Saturday morning on a flat-top is hard to beat. The first time I fired up the Blackstone 28-inch griddle, I did what most people do: bacon, eggs, and pancakes, all at once. It’s the sort of cook that exposes strengths and weaknesses quickly—surface area, heat control, cleanup. After several weeks of breakfasts, smash burgers, stir-fries, and the occasional steak night, I’ve got a clear sense of where this two-burner, 28-inch griddle excels and where it asks a bit more of the cook.

Setup, Assembly, and Seasoning

Assembly was straightforward and friendly to one person with basic tools. The frame goes together cleanly, and the griddle top drops into place with positive alignment. Lifting the top is the one time a second set of hands helps, but it’s doable solo if you’re careful.

Before your first cook, budget time to season the cooking surface. This is cold-rolled steel, so it behaves like cast iron in the best ways (and can rust like it if neglected). I cleaned the surface, then ran three light seasoning cycles using a high smoke point oil (canola and avocado oil both work well). Two tips saved me time:

• Preheat a little longer than you think before each seasoning pass to get an even polymerized layer.
• Give extra attention to corners and the front lip; it’s easy to under-oil those spots. A folded paper towel on tongs is your friend.

Finally, level the unit where it lives. The rear grease channel depends on a slight tilt to drain correctly; even a wobbly patio can cause grease to pool where you don’t want it. A small bubble level and a few shims under a wheel make a big difference.

Design and Build

The layout is practical. You get a 470-square-inch flat top, two independently controlled burners, a rear grease management system, and useful storage: a bottom shelf for tanks and bins, plus side shelves for trays, seasonings, and tools. The battery-powered push-button ignition has been reliable; keep a spare AA on hand and you’re set.

Fit and finish are solid for the price class. The frame is sturdy enough that the griddle doesn’t flex when rolling it around, and the wheels make it easy to move from a garage to a patio. The top lifts off for transport, and the legs fold, so you can take it on a camping trip or tailgate if you’ve got the vehicle space. It’s road-trip portable, not trunk portable.

If you’re tall, note the working height trends a touch low. It’s not a dealbreaker, but I noticed it on longer cooks. A grill mat or low platform fixes it for me.

Cooking Performance

The Blackstone 28 heats quickly and evenly enough for the kinds of food most people buy a flat-top to cook: breakfast spreads, fried rice, fajitas, cheesesteaks, smash burgers, and stir-fry. With the two burners lit, the center two-thirds of the plate is the primary work zone, with the outer edges running slightly cooler—great for staging.

Capacity-wise, it’s roomy. I can do a full pound of bacon, eight pancakes, and scrambled eggs with space to spare. For dinner, a dozen smash burgers plus onions toast up without crowding, and tacos for a family of five are a breeze.

Heat control is where technique matters. Preheat for 10–15 minutes if you’re planning a hard sear, and pay attention to wind; flat-tops lose heat faster than lidded grills when a breeze cuts across the surface. For steaks, I’ve had good results by:

• Running one burner slightly higher and searing nearer the center.
• Patting steaks dry and using a thin film of high smoke point oil right before they hit the steel.
• Searing under a small basting dome to retain heat and encourage Maillard without overcooking the interior.
• Avoiding overcrowding—give the steel some breathing room to recover between items.

Can it sear like a ripping-hot restaurant plancha? Not quite, especially in cold or windy weather, but it can produce a satisfying crust on smash burgers, chicken thighs, and thinner steaks with the right preheat. If your cooking routine is heavy on thick steaks and you want jet-engine heat, you may want a higher-BTU or four-burner model. For mixed, family-style meals, the two-burner layout is genuinely versatile.

Grease Management and Cleanup

The rear grease channel is one of the unsung heroes here. With the griddle leveled properly, grease flows into the back trough and into a removable cup. It keeps the cook surface uncluttered and, unlike front-cup designs, doesn’t run into your tools.

My cleaning routine is simple:

1. After cooking, turn the burners off and let residual heat do the work.
2. Splash a little water to deglaze and loosen fond, then scrape toward the rear channel.
3. Wipe with paper towels until clean.
4. While the plate is still warm, wipe on a whisper-thin coat of oil. The goal is sheen, not a slick.

If you put the griddle away clean, dry, and lightly oiled, rust is a non-issue. Leave it wet, and it will remind you why seasoning exists. I recommend a fitted cover if the unit lives outdoors.

Portability and Storage

Moving it around the yard is easy, and the removable top plus folding legs make it surprisingly manageable to transport. Just know that “portable” here means “SUV or truck bed” rather than “small car.” The shelves fold and the frame is compact enough to store against a wall without hogging the whole garage.

The bottom shelf holds a propane tank snugly and still leaves room for drip cup liners, paper towels, and a bottle of oil. The side shelves are sturdy enough for sheet pans and a cutting board. I keep a water bottle, scraper, infrared thermometer, and gloves stashed onboard so everything I need lives with the griddle.

Maintenance and Reliability

Over multiple cooks, the ignition has lit first press, and the burners run consistently. As with any steel-top griddle, the long-term game is maintenance: re-season lightly after acidic cooks, clean promptly, and don’t store it wet. If you notice a patchy seasoning layer early on, don’t sweat it; normal cooking fills the finish in after a handful of sessions.

Because the cook surface is exposed, wind and ambient temperature affect performance more than on a lidded grill. A simple wind screen or orienting the rear toward the breeze helps a lot.

One small quirk: When seasoning and during the first few cooks, the corners and front edge lag behind the center in building a deep, black patina. They catch up with time; help them along by rotating where you cook and giving those areas a little extra oil during cool-down.

Who This Griddle Suits

• Families and entertainers who want to cook lots of different items at once.
• Breakfast enthusiasts and smash-burger fans.
• Campers and tailgaters with room to transport a mid-size griddle.
• Cooks who value easy cleanup and hate flare-ups.

Consider a different setup if:

• Your priority is high-heat searing on very thick steaks, especially in colder climates or windy patios.
• You have extremely limited outdoor space or need a truly compact tabletop unit.
• You want a set-and-forget grill with minimal maintenance—steel tops reward care.

Practical Tips

• Preheat longer than you think for searing; shorter for eggs and pancakes.
• Keep it level to make the rear grease system shine.
• Use a high smoke point oil for seasoning and a light hand—thin layers build better seasoning.
• Don’t overcrowd; let the steel recover between batches.
• Store clean, dry, and oiled, ideally under a fitted cover.

Recommendation

I recommend the Blackstone 28-inch griddle for anyone looking to expand their outdoor cooking beyond traditional grates. It offers a generous cooking surface, intuitive two-zone control, reliable ignition, and a rear grease system that truly simplifies cleanup. It’s easy to assemble, easy to move, and versatile enough to handle breakfast spreads, weeknight dinners, and weekend gatherings with equal confidence.

If your entire outdoor cooking identity is thick steak searing at maximum heat, you might want more burner headroom. But for most home cooks—especially families—the balance of size, performance, and practicality makes this griddle a smart, satisfying choice.