The Truth About The TikTok Famous Blackstone Griddle
Blackstone griddles: TikTok's probably told you that you can get one with an air fryer (via TikTok). If you've shamelessly partaken in TikTok's Blackstone griddle obsession as we have, you know that there's not much you can't do with it. Have a hankering for a breakfast scramble? Want some loaded sausages? Is it pizza night? A Blackstone griddle's got your back. Also we recently learned this: Blackstone griddles are great for making French toast coated in Fruity Pebbles cereal, preferably while Neil Diamond is serenading you to "Sweet Caroline" (via TikTok).
The hype is real. But is the product? Like CNET points out, owning a griddle opens up a world of possibilities usually only available to chefs in a commercial kitchen. Their wide, flat surfaces allow you to prepare multiple, different foods simultaneously. Or, if it floats your boat, lots of the same food. For example, the Blackstone 4 Burner 36-inch Gas Griddle can handle 72 hot dogs at once. For the record, according to Nathan's, the reigning champion of its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest has only ever succeeded in eating 73.
Blackstone griddle: are they really worth it?
Are Blackstone griddles really worth it? At Walmart, where most of TikTok seems to get theirs, you'll need to shell out between $89 to $570 dollars to put one in your backyard (via Walmart). It's not nothing to pay for a tool that you'll likely store away come fall and winter — unless, you know, you enjoy year-round warmth. In this case, by all means, move your entire kitchen outdoors, we're not jealous.
Despite its steep price, Delish's reviewer, Alexi Morillo, is all for it. Morillo is especially gung ho about the Blackstone griddle's independently controlled cooking zones, which allows you to adjust temperatures. Importantly, this means, per Morillo, that "food that is finished cooking can stay warm on one side of the griddle while other items finish up so your entire plate is always served hot." Morillo's sentiments are echoed by many Walmart reviewers. One of which swears that there's "not a thing to dislike" about the griddle. Tulsa World, meanwhile, raves about the griddle's built-in grease catcher which makes clean-up oh-so-much easier.
All of these are undoubtedly convincing arguments. The most persuasive, however, is this: when cooking outside, you generally avoid a sink full of messy dishes. Pop open the champagne.