Even before we bought our camper in April of 2019, we were hearing all about the Blackstone Griddle from the different RV forums we follow. The Blackstone Griddle, if you’re not familiar, is a gas grill with a heavy steel flat top cooking surface similar to what you would see at a fast food diner. The portable versions are said to be a great accessory for a RV.
We’ve talked to a lot of campers who cook on Blackstone Griddles. They all rave about how easy it is to cook the standard American breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. But that’s not all, we also were told that anything typically cooked over a grated open flame grill could be done on the griddle. Many people said they actually prefer grilling their steak on the flat top.
We carry our old Coleman camping stove for cooking outside. We bought it years ago when we use to tent camp with our children. It has cooked many delicious campground meals over the years. Because Grammi and I do not eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) anymore and rarely eat meat, eggs or dairy (Thanksgiving and Christmas being the exception). We didn’t think we needed a griddle.
That all changed when we saw a Black Friday deal at the Walmart in St. Augustine, Florida. It was actually a few days before Thanksgiving when we were shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner when we found a 22-inch Blackstone Griddle for under a hundred dollars. At that price I thought we would give it a try.
Once we were back at the campsite, I began unboxing all the parts. Now let it be known that when I was younger and smarter [wink], I didn’t need to read the directions. Now however, I must carefully follow all the assembly directions. It took about an hour to get it put together. Luckily, I didn’t have any extra parts left over.
Next I connected the propane gas and tested it out. It ignited on the first attempt. Again following the directions provided in the booklet, I seasoned the cooktop with canola oil. Just like seasoning a cast iron frying pan, thin coats of oil were applied then heated to burn it away. Three or more coats were recommended. It took me about an hour to apply five coats before I was satisfied with the results.
The first thing on the griddle was green peppers, onion and mushrooms. I love the aroma of that combination as it reminds me of my days at the state fair. I added a plant-based sausage and rolled it in a whole wheat tortilla. Yummy, not too bad. Over the next few days we cooked nearly all our meals on it. We especially loved the fried potatoes with just the right amount of brown crispiness. We even discovered it was perfect for reheating leftover pizza. We loved the crispy crust from the griddle.
Our son-in-law cooked a SAD breakfast Thanksgiving morning. I must say, the bacon looked and smelled wonderful. We made pancakes and they turned out a beautiful golden brown. There is no doubt the Blackstone Griddle is perfect for cooking breakfast.
Now that we’re home, I have the Blackstone on the back patio. It’s the perfect time of year to cook outside. I have enjoyed trying new recipes and techniques. Last night, I grilled some asparagus using steam in a basting cover. With enough practice I might be able to get a job at the Waffle House as a short order cook or maybe I can set my sights a little higher and become a teppanyaki chef.
We definitely like our Blackstone Griddle. It has not disappointed us one bit. We have learned, however, the 22 inch model we bought from Walmart is probably not the best option for the RV camper. The griddle top is bolted to the stand and not easily separated. The stand is not collapsible. It doesn’t come with the ability to connect to a one pound propane bottle and the hood is big and bulky. I thought about removing the hood, buying the one pound propane conversion kit, and permanently removing the stand. Instead I decided to just keep it on the patio and order another table top griddle for the camper.
There are two options for portable table top models, the 22-inch and the 17-inch. We stayed with the 22-inch model not only for the bigger cooking surface, but because it has a double burner compared to the single burner of the 17-inch. The advantage of having duel controlled temperature settings is you can have low heat on one side and a higher heat on the other.
Our new tabletop Blackstone Griddle arrived this morning. I haven’t unboxed it yet. Maybe I’ll wait for Christmas. Grammi said “Merry Christmas” to me when she saw the box at our front door. Nah…I think I’ll go open it now. I’ll be sure to report how I like this one in a few weeks. Oh yeah…just in case you were wondering. I have no affiliation with Blackstone and have not receive any compensation.
Until next time…happy days and safe travels.
The Adventures of Grammi and Grampa 
Thank you for this review. I have heard “Blackstone” so much since we bought our travel trailer. It seems to be a modern miracle. Our micro light came with an outdoor grill which we have yet to use though we’ve had our travel trailer for 2+ years. I want to try that outdoor grill before even considering a Blackstone, but I’ll be interested in your tabletop review. But man, those peppers, onions and mushrooms are right up my alley and look so delicious!
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