Blackstone Iron Forged 36" Griddle with Hood vs Blackstone Culinary 36" Griddle with Hood
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Quick take: The Blackstone Iron Forged 36" Griddle with Hood costs $550 less.
| Spec | Blackstone Iron Forged 36" Griddle with Hood | Blackstone Culinary 36" Griddle with Hood |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$549 | ~$1,099 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Griddle | Griddle |
| Cooking Area | 768 sq in | 768 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Propane/Natural Gas |
| Build Material | Rolled Carbon Steel (Omnivore griddle plate) | Rolled Carbon Steel plate, stainless and painted steel cabinet |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | 4 | 4 |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 64.5 x 28 x 41 in | 65 x 29 x 41 in |
| Weight | 130.5 lbs | 151 lbs |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
Pros & cons
Blackstone Iron Forged 36" Griddle with Hood
- ✓Four independently controlled zones let one plate run a sear zone, a hold zone and a low zone at once
- ✓768 sq in is the size where griddle cooking stops being a constraint on guest count
- ✓Extendable side shelf nearly doubles landing space, which a 36-inch cook actually runs out of
- ✓$549 buys the current-generation plate; the Culinary version of the same plate is twice the price
- ✓Hood makes steaming, melting and holding possible on an otherwise open surface
- ✗64.5 inches wide assembled — measure the patio before ordering
- ✗One-year warranty only
- ✗Open cart base leaves the propane tank and any storage exposed to weather
Blackstone Culinary 36" Griddle with Hood
- ✓Enclosed cabinet hides the propane tank and gives dry storage, which no open-cart Blackstone offers
- ✓Heat-control baffle under the plate targets the edge-to-center temperature drop directly
- ✓Dual side shelves with magnetic tool retention make a 36-inch cook workable by one person
- ✓Cutting-board pass-through to a bag holder is a genuinely good scrap-handling idea, not styling
- ✓60,000 BTU is published, unlike most of the Iron Forged line, so it can actually be compared
- ✗Twice the price of the Iron Forged 36 for the same plate size and zone count
- ✗151 lbs and 65 inches wide — effectively a fixed installation
- ✗Still a one-year warranty at $1,099, where Weber's Slate 36 at similar money carries far longer coverage
- ✗Cabinet doors and the tank drawer are painted steel that will show rust at the edges in a wet climate
- ✗Blackstone's own store lists it backordered as of Sept 2026