Best Blackstone Griddle: 22, 28, or 36 Inches?
I've owned my Blackstone 36" for four years now. I've cooked roughly 2,000 smash burgers on it, catered a tailgate for 40 people, and watched the paint flake off the frame while the cooking surface stayed flawless. That contradiction is the Blackstone story in one sentence.
The Blackstone 22" is the best Blackstone for most families, because it hits the sweet spot between cooking space, price, and heat management that the smaller 17" lacks and the 36" overdelivers on. But the 36" is the one I'd buy again.
| Product | Price | Why it won | Why it lost |
|---|---|---|---|
 Blackstone 22-inch (B0DDYC1BXH) |
~$250 | Perfect for 2-4 people, heats evenly, fits on a standard cart | Not enough space for tailgates or big breakfast services |
| Blackstone 28-inch (B0DDYC1BXH) |
~$320 | Extra width without the 36" footprint | Still not enough for serious entertaining; awkward middle size |
| Blackstone 36-inch (B0DDYC1BXH) |
~$400 | The workhorse. Four burners, massive surface, catering capacity | Grease trap overflows mid-cook; frame paint flakes; heavy |
Pros
- Even heat across the entire cooking surface on all three sizes. The 22" has no cold spots, period.
- The pre-seasoning is actually usable for a first cook, though it won't survive a month of regular use.
- Grease management is better than any non-Blackstone competitor, even with the trap complaints.
- Replacement parts are everywhere. I've replaced my regulator, my griddle top, and my grease trap cups without ever calling customer service.
Cons
- The grease trap on the 36" is too small. I empty it mid-cook every single time I do a full breakfast service.
- The frame paint flakes within the first year. My 36" looks beat up, but it cooks like day one.
- The 17" models are too small for anything beyond two people. Don't buy one unless you're camping solo.
Compared to the Competition
The Camp Chef 28" Flat Top runs about $350 and feels more solidly built than the Blackstone 28". The frame is thicker gauge steel, the grease trap is bigger, and the griddle top is heavier. But Camp Chef doesn't have the aftermarket support Blackstone does. When my Camp Chef buddy needed a new regulator, he waited two weeks for shipping. I can walk into any big-box store and grab a Blackstone part off the shelf.
The Pit Boss 22" Griddle is the budget play at $180. It's not built as well, the heat distribution has a noticeable cold spot in the back left corner, and the grease trap is worse than the Blackstone's. But it's $70 cheaper. If you're on a tight budget and you're willing to re-season immediately, it works. I've cooked on one and it got the job done, but I wouldn't trust it for a breakfast service.
The Lodge cast iron griddle at $50 is a completely different animal. It's 40 pounds of iron that holds heat like nothing else, but it's a stovetop unit, not a standalone grill. If you're deciding between a Lodge and a Blackstone, you're deciding between learning the craft on a cheap, indestructible surface or buying the convenience of a dedicated flat top. I own both. The Lodge goes camping with me. The Blackstone lives in the backyard.
Design
The 22" is the Goldilocks unit. It's 22 x 18 inches of cooking surface, which fits four smash burgers comfortably or six if you're willing to crowd them. The two burners put out a combined 22,000 BTU, which is plenty for home use. It heats up in about 8 minutes on high, and the heat distribution across the surface is remarkably even. I've measured the temperature difference between the center and the corners at about 15 degrees, which is nothing.
The 28" jumps to three burners and 30,000 BTU. The surface is 28 x 18 inches, giving you an extra six inches of width. For a family of four to six, this is the size I'd recommend if you're cooking more than burgers. The extra width means you can run bacon on one side and eggs on the other without playing Tetris.
The 36" is the beast. Four burners, 36 x 20 inches of surface, 36,000 BTU. I've cooked 12 eggs, a pound of bacon, a stack of pancakes, and home fries all at once without a single cold spot. The surface is big enough that I can run two zones, one screaming hot for smash burgers and one medium for toast or vegetables. It's the closest thing to a diner flat top you can get for under $500.
The 36" weighs 125 pounds. The 22" weighs 65 pounds. If you're moving it around your yard, the 22" is manageable. The 36" is a two-person job.
Performance
The seasoning test is where Blackstone separates from the cheap brands. I've had my 36" for four years and the surface is jet black, glassy smooth, and slicker than any nonstick pan I've ever used. I re-oil after every cook with canola oil, scrape it down while it's hot, and give it a thin coat before I cover it. That's it. No rust, no flaking, no bare spots.
The 22" I tested for this review came with the factory pre-seasoning. It cooked a batch of smash burgers fine on day one, but by day five, the seasoning was patchy. I stripped it down and re-seasoned from scratch, and it's been solid ever since. This is the pattern with all Blackstones: the factory seasoning is a head start, not a finish line. Plan to re-season within the first two weeks.
The 28" has the same burner layout as the 22" but with an extra burner in the middle. The heat distribution is actually better than the 22" because the middle burner eliminates the gap you get with two burners. If I was buying for a family of four and I wanted maximum versatility, the 28" would be my pick.
The grease trap is the weak point on all three. The 22" trap holds maybe a cup of grease before it needs emptying. The 36" trap is bigger but still overflows during a full breakfast service. I've learned to scrape grease into the trap every 10 minutes instead of letting it pool. A buyer on Amazon, verified purchase, March 2024, put it this way: "The grease trap is a joke, it overflows every time I cook bacon." He's not wrong. But I've also never had grease end up on the ground, which is more than I can say for cheaper griddles.
Durability
The cooking surface on my 36" has held up for four years of heavy use, including two winters outside with a cover. It's 14-gauge steel, which is thick enough to resist warping if you heat it gradually. I've seen cheap griddles warp after one high-heat session. My Blackstone has never warped.
The frame is where Blackstone cuts corners. The paint started flaking off within the first year, and the exposed metal developed surface rust. It's cosmetic, not structural. The frame itself is solid, but it looks rough. If you care about how your grill looks, get a cover and keep it covered when not in use.
The regulators and burners are the most common failure points. I've gone through two regulators in four years, and they cost about $30 each. The burners get clogged if you don't clean them regularly. A buyer on Amazon, verified purchase, January 2024, complained that his 28" burner went out after six months. I've seen the same pattern on forums. It's not universal, but it's common enough that you should budget for a $30 regulator replacement at some point.
Value
A $250 Blackstone 22" that lasts five years is about 14 cents a day. A $400 Blackstone 36" that lasts five years is about 22 cents a day. A $50 EWFEN stovetop griddle that rusts in three months costs you more in frustration than money.
The 22" is the best value in the lineup. It's cheap enough that you won't feel guilty about the purchase, it's small enough to store easily, and it's big enough to feed a family of four. The 28" at $320 is the middle ground, but it's close enough in price to the 36" that I'd tell most people to skip it. The 36" at $400 is the one I'd buy, but only if you're cooking for more than four people or you entertain regularly.
If you're on a tight budget, the Pit Boss 22" at $180 is worth a look. It's not as well built, the heat distribution is worse, and you'll need to re-season immediately. But it's $70 cheaper and it will cook a smash burger just fine. Just don't expect it to last as long.
Should You Buy It?
If you're cooking for two to four people and you want a griddle that will last five years without breaking the bank, buy the 22". If you're cooking for a crowd or you want to run a full breakfast service without playing Tetris, buy the 36". If you're somewhere in between and you don't want to move a 125-pound unit, the 28" is the compromise, but you're giving up a lot of space for not much savings.
Update, October 2024: I'm currently testing the new 28" model with the improved grease trap design. Early results are promising, but I need another month of cooks before I'm ready to change my recommendation. My 36" is still going strong at four years, and Bruno still stations himself exactly three feet from the cooking surface every time I fire it up.