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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


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Old 02-20-2013, 02:50 AM   #1
Kloogee
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Default Outdoor griddle

After seeing ssv3's griddle in the "show your BBQ area" thread...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...&postcount=518

... It really has me thinking about one. I've wanted a large griddle for a long time, but don't have room for one in my indoor kitchen. Before seeing ssv3's outdoor griddle, I never even thought of that as an option.

After researching the Blackstone model in ssv3's picture, it sounds like Blackstone recently ruined a great product by making a change from a cast iron burner to something else cheaper and now the griddle has bad problems with hot and cold spots.

Do any of you have an outdoor griddle? If so, what do you have and how do you like it?
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Old 02-20-2013, 08:46 AM   #2
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I was given a griddle, 2'x4' 3/4" thick top, from a friend because he needed to get rid of it. The griddle sat in my garage for a while because i really couldn't see myself using it more than maybe a couple times a year. I eventually gave it to the local fire department so they could use it for their pancake breakfasts they have. I think my buddy used it maybe twice and i never used it in about 4 years time so it's not a very practical thing to have taking up valuable real estate. Maybe if you hosted a lot of parties i could see getting one but for the typical party host, a grill is much more functional. I think Cabelas sells smaller griddles that might be more practical than one that's 2'x4'. Just my opinion on griddles.
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Old 02-20-2013, 09:07 PM   #3
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You might be right Zak, but for some reason I really want one. We cook lots of family breakfasts here and I can see doing even more on a nice griddle. Plus if I could perfect my Japanese hibachi chef routine, I'd probably save a fortune spent at the local joint my family loves going to here. Thanks for passing along your experience.

Anybody else have griddle experience?
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Old 02-20-2013, 09:54 PM   #4
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if'n i were you, i'd look at something that you could use on your current cooking equipment.... as in find a griddle that you can put on the grill... a nice chunk of 1/4" or 1/2" thick steel and work with that put some drip rails on it and have at it,

http://www.campchef.com/cookware/griddles.html has a buncha options
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Old 02-20-2013, 10:17 PM   #5
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Unfortunately my other cooking equipment really isn't up to par for griddling. I've got a UDS, a Weber kettle, and Weber's smallest 2-burner gasser. I do have a cast iron griddle I occasionally use on my gasser, but it just isn't big enough. I suppose I could upgrade my gasser and get a removable griddle (like one of the camp chef mentioned). But the irrational side of me just wants that big ol' dedicated griddle.

Anybody else with experience?
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Old 02-21-2013, 09:51 AM   #6
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Default Outdoor griddle

I disagree, a kettle could be
Perfect for a
24" or so griddle. Lay it right across the
Top with an even fire underneath. If thick enough the griddle will distribute the heat fine. As long as there is room
For the smoke to get out 24x20 or so would be bueno, unless its still just not enough real estate.


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Old 02-21-2013, 12:02 PM   #7
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GriddleZilla: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...t=griddlezilla

I already had the outdoor stove/burner set up. I just built the griddle to fit the specs of the outdoor stove. It could definitely be thicker steel, but it works fine as is.
Academy sells one too. The entire set up. Griddle and burners.
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Old 02-21-2013, 12:17 PM   #8
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As a part time job during his college years during the early 70's my step-brother worked as a teppan cook. He loved to entertain and since he still had that passion for teppan cooking he installed an enclosed, outdoor teppan counter and bar, about 12 feet in length a few years back out in his patio. He used to complain about the gas bill every time he lit up the entire length of the counter....LOL...
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Old 02-21-2013, 12:22 PM   #9
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mmmmeat, I never thought about going across the top of the kettle like that. Interesting idea I may have to look more into. I can see temp control being a bit of an issue, but probably with some practice, could eventually figure it out.

BobBrisket, I'm loving GriddleZilla! That puppy can handle a massive amount of food! I don't think I need that large, but I'm still loving it! Great fab work!
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Old 02-21-2013, 12:23 PM   #10
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Hey Kloogee,

I don't know if you saw my post to your questions on the "show your bbq area" but if you didn't here is what I put.

To be honest I use it quite a bit. I would say about once a week or so. I don't have the cast iron burners because they did away with those at the end of 2011 and I bought mine in September 2012. I have the stainless steel burners which are good and won't rust sitting outside. It cooks pretty evenly if you ask me and I'm very satisfied with the performance. The hotspots aren't that significant and you can easily control them by playing with the burner controls to get it to exactly how you want it across the griddle. I myself never mess with it and all my food I cooked on it comes out evenly. It burns very hot and I never had to go past medium heat setting. Overall its an excellent product for the money and dont let the burners be a deal breaker. There is an expert review on Lowe's site from a chef and just read that. There are also YouTube videos. Most people on those reviews have no clue about what their talking about. I highly recommend it and if you don't like it you can return it within 90 days.

Sorry guys dont mean to hijack a thread and just helping out a brethren
.

I was bummed just like you when I found out they did away with the CI burners and went with stainless steel but I still had to have it and I love it. I feel like I made a good choice buying it and again I use it a lot. It's easily collapsible if you want to store it and space is an issue.

Here's a good review that I was talking about and pretty much was a deciding factor for me to buy this product. Even this guy has the stainless steel burners but likes it. He's detailed with the PROS and CONS. Hope it helps and good luck!

Throw away your grill...
Overall Rating:

5 / 5





PSUBren9 (read all my reviews)

Location:West Chester, PA
Gender:Male
Age:25-34
Time of Purchase:1-3 months ago
Place of Purchase:online
Level of Expertise:Expert

Date:July 3, 2012

Features:

4 / 5


Value:

4 / 5


Design:

5 / 5


Quality:

5 / 5


Ease of use:

5 / 5





After a decade plus in the restaurant industry, I've often wondered why nobody has produced a consumer flat top griddle. As soon as I saw this, I knew I had to have it! I haven't even lit my CharBroil Infrared grill (which was twice as expensive) since I got this.
Pros:
The food simply does not dry out. I'm a chef, I know how to work a grill, but when you're grilling at high temps, you can easily over cook a piece of meat, especially when you're chatting up the company or running around getting rolls, toppings, plates, etc. With an open grill, when that happens, the juices go through to the flame and then up in smoke... with this, they stay on the griddle around the meat. Even overcooked, it doesn't dry out.
I get more flexibility. I like cheeseburgers, but I like them thin. I'd much rather have two thin, juicy patties with cheese than one thick, juicy patty with cheese. A thin patty will fall apart on grill grates. We take 3 oz balls of meat, drop them on the hot griddle, sear each side, then smash them to 1/4" thick. The kids get one patty each, the wife and I get two. We can also cook things on this griddle that we could NEVER cook on an open grill. Bacon, marinated cod for fish tacos, toast the rolls in that delicious burger grease, fried onions, cheese steaks, quesadillas, home fries, eggs, pancakes, french toast, garlic bread, sliced meat, onions and peppers, for fajitas, etc, etc, etc...
Construction. This thing is WELL BUILT! The top is very heavy. It's got a great set of casters (two locking) and a handle to move it around. This is not the cheapo flimsy construction you'd get from CharBroil / Brinkman / Old Forge, etc. Think more like Weber. The shelves remove with thumbscrews, which is super easy. I take them off and store them underneath so I can cover it easier. It's also fairly easy to store. Remove the bottom shelf (thumb screws again) and the legs fold into the underside. It can be stored on a shelf for the winter or you can take it with you camping, tailgating, etc. (Although I wouldn't have designs on hiking with it... that top would seriously slow your pace!)
Cleaning. the surface is easy to clean... just squirt some water on it while it's still hot and scrape off the gunk. I use an 8" putty knife since it's flat and sharp. Add a fresh coating of oil to keep it seasoned and protected and you're done. Easily removable grease cup is a cinch to empty.
Cons:
The igniter could be a little more butch. It took a solid 10 seconds to light the first time I tried it. After that, I just reach underneath with a stick lighter and ignite it myself. I took the battery out and used it in a toy. I won't be replacing it... it's just to easy to reach under and light. (the burners are exposed from underneath, so they're easy to see and light) The 2nd-4th burners ignite easily off the first.
The grease pit could also be a bit deeper or wider. I work fast and already twice, I've flung some grease / gunk straight past the trap and onto the deck. Also, the drain hole is a bit small for crusted cheese to pass through, it clogs a little too easy. I'm going to widen mine one of these days. I'd also put a drip lip on it. Sometimes the grease runs back on the underside of the pit about an inch and misses the trap. I've taken to soaking some paper towels and laying them into the grease pit. They absorb most of the wet stuff and keep the crusty stuff from getting to and clogging up the hole. They also make cleaning easier... just lift 'em into the trash and wipe the ditch out. I also keep them wet with a squirt bottle so they don't burn.

All in all... a GREAT product. I've had temps as high as the low 600s for filet mignon and as low as 250 for eggs. I don't know if would go lower, I've never had a reason to try. If you're serious about food, you really need to get one of these. I don't know why they're not on the floor at every Lowe's in the country... they'd literally sell out faster then they can be restocked!


Pros High quality, Durable, functional, easey to clean




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Old 02-21-2013, 12:27 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbon View Post
As a part time job during his college years during the early 70's my step-brother worked as a teppan cook. He loved to entertain and since he still had that passion for teppan cooking he installed an enclosed, outdoor teppan counter and bar, about 12 feet in length a few years back out in his patio. He used to complain about the gas bill every time he lit up the entire length of the counter....LOL...
Yowsa! I'd love to see a pic of that setup! I don't think I could afford that kind of set up, let alone the gas bill. But would be awesome to see it in action!
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Old 02-21-2013, 12:31 PM   #12
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Thanks ssv3! I really appreciate the detailed response! I was just checking out this thread before heading over to check out the other! I'll try not to respond in the other thread since I already hijacked it!
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