Blackstone
Blackstone 28-Inch Griddle
The Blackstone 28-inch is the compact 2-burner version of America's favorite outdoor griddle, offering the same flat-top cooking in a smaller footprint suited to smaller patios and families. It's a top-selling entry griddle.
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Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓It delivers the full Blackstone flat-top experience - smash burgers, breakfast, hibachi - in a more patio-friendly 28-inch size
- ✓Two independently controlled burners still give you a hot zone and a warm zone for flexible cooking
- ✓470 sq in is plenty for a family of four to six, and smash burgers come out with that signature crispy crust
- ✓At under $300 it's an affordable, hugely popular entry into griddle cooking
- ✓The rear grease management makes cleanup quick, and a seasoned top becomes naturally non-stick
- ✓It's lighter (~75 lbs) and more portable than the 36-inch, and some models have folding legs for transport
- ✓It heats edge-to-edge fast and is great for weeknight dinners where the big griddle would be overkill
- ✓The same enormous owner community and accessory ecosystem support it
Cons
- ✗Like all Blackstones the bare steel top needs seasoning and diligent rust prevention or it will corrode
- ✗470 sq in fills up fast when cooking for a bigger group, so heavy entertainers may wish they'd gone 36-inch
- ✗It's only a griddle - no grilling with grate marks and no smoking capability
- ✗Maintaining seasoning means oiling after every cook and re-seasoning periodically
- ✗The base model lacks a hood, so wind affects heat and melting/steaming needs a basting dome
- ✗Build is value-grade with a short 1-year warranty, and burners or igniters can fail over time
- ✗The push-button igniter is a frequent weak point that owners end up bypassing with a lighter
- ✗Without a cover it can rust from rain or even humidity between cooks
Owner Insightssummarized from owner discussions
The 28 is the griddle people buy when the 36 looks like too much patio, and almost every conversation about it is the same conversation: did I buy too small. The honest answer from owners is that it depends entirely on whether you host. For two to four people cooking on a weeknight it is the right size and gets used more often than a bigger one would, and owners are blunt that a griddle you cook on twice a week beats a griddle you season, oil and store for occasional parties. For anyone regularly feeding six or more, the extra pair of burners on the 36 is what people actually miss, more than the extra square inches, because it is what lets you hold one batch while the next cooks.
The first thing to sort out before buying is which 28 you are looking at. The plain version is two burners, the XL is three and a wider top, and the Pro comes both ways, so identically-sized listings at $284 and $349 can be different griddles. Once it is home, the fault that keeps surfacing is side-to-side heat: one new owner measured at least 100 degrees of difference between ends and could not fix it with tank swaps or the reset procedure, and another found a single heat reflector fitted with that side running hotter. Assembly defects show up more than they should, including a griddle delivered without the screw holding its legs and shelf together and knobs that worked backwards. The smaller gripes are the ones you live with: one side shelf that barely holds a spatula, and a top that needs levelling before eggs will stay put.
Buy the 28 if it is usually two to four of you, the space is genuinely limited, or the price is what makes the decision, and buy it on a sale because the discounts on this size are steep and frequent. Step up to the 36 if you entertain, since that is where the regret reports come from. The alternative worth a look at the same money is Weber's three-burner griddle, which owners cross-shop directly against a 28 at around $280 and which trades cooking area for a cooktop that asks less maintenance.
What owners like
- +It is the cheapest way into a real flat top, and the prices owners report are startling: $147 at Walmart with a hard cover, $149.99 on a Woot run, $200 with a hard cover and side shelf, and a $537 XL combo found on a clearance endcap for $252. People who stumble on one of these buy it on the spot and do not regret the money.
- +For a household of four it is not the compromise the size threads make it sound. Owners cooking for two to four describe it as the griddle that actually gets used on weeknights, and the family-of-six question gets answered with batch timing rather than a flat no.
- +Two zones is enough for the cooking most people bought a griddle to do. Pancakes and eggs on the cooler end while smash burgers or bacon run hard on the other is the normal setup, and it is the same crispy-edged burger the 36 produces.
- +It is the size that suits a constrained space, which comes up constantly: small rentals, tight patios, balconies with clearance rules, and one owner working within an association rule that allows only 1 lb cylinders.
- +The food output lands well above the price. First-cook posts run to birria tacos, Korean barbecue for a birthday, hibachi and full breakfasts, and the tone from new owners is that they underpaid rather than that they settled.
Common complaints
- −Uneven heat left to right is the recurring fault on this size. One owner with a new 28 found the end nearest the propane tank at least 100 degrees cooler and got nowhere with the reset procedure, a half-turn on the tank valve, or swapping tanks. Another found only one heat reflector fitted, with that side running consistently hotter, and could not confirm from the manual whether a second was missing.
- −What counts as a 28 is not one griddle. The plain 28 is two burners, the 28 XL is three and wider, and the Pro is sold in both, so shoppers compare a $349 listing against a $284 one without realising the burner count differs. Ask for the burner count and the cooktop type rather than the inch measurement.
- −Out-of-box quality control is hit and miss and the misses are bad. One owner's griddle arrived without the large screw that holds the shelf and right legs up, leaving it unusable and tipping for ten days until the part came, and then the knobs only operated when turned the wrong way and needed another part on top.
- −The cooktop can arrive rough enough to be a problem rather than a texture. One owner who seasoned carefully reported a surface so coarse it shredded the rags used to oil and clean it, with food still sticking after several cooks.
- −There is one small side shelf and it is not enough. Owners describe a shelf that barely holds a spatula while they juggle oil bottles, ingredients and tools, and the usual answer is buying a separate table or cart, which eats back some of the space saving that sold them the 28.
- −It is easy to end up with no hood, and not every model can take one later. Several versions ship without one, retail listings rarely make it obvious, and at least one owner with an older model could not establish whether a hood was available for it at all.
- −Levelling matters more than buyers expect. Eggs sliding into a corner is a standard first-cook complaint, and since the legs are not adjustable on all versions the fixes people land on are shims or moving the griddle to flatter ground.
Common Questions
Is the 28 big enough for a family of six?
What is the difference between the 28 and the 28 XL?
Why is one side of my griddle so much hotter?
It says pre-seasoned. Do I still need to season it?
Can I add a hood later?
How does it compare to the Weber three-burner griddle at the same price?
Compare the Blackstone 28-Inch Griddle
The Blackstone 28-Inch Griddle is one of 4 sizes in this line.
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