keeperofsecrets
Full Fledged Farker
I obtained one of these over the xmas holidays from wally world, and I thought some of you who are on the fence about getting one might be interested in my non-hydroxychloroquine-fuddled rantings.
As you may notice from the name, the griddle is 28", ample space for lots of pancakes, bacon, sausage, smashburgers, or anything smaller than a newborn calf.
To the right of the griddle surface are two gas burners with cast iron grates. The burners are functional as far as they go. My only complaint is that you can't fry anything over a decent flame at the same time that you are using the entire surface of the griddle. Pick one over the other. Caveat: I have used only one of the two available burners.
The chassis of the combo has a useful space under the griddle section for storing stuff along with a compartment for an LP tank. There is a place for a trash bag and a bar that will hold a roll of paper towels as well.
Overall, I like the combo. It is a good division between burners and a griddle, although there is limited space for a pan on the burner side - so no cowboy wok or large comal will fit.
Here is the section where I make some gripes, so if you are affiliated with Blackstone, either pay attention or skip this section.
The combo comes out of the box with a 6" deep half-size hotel pan/steam table pan to use as a fryer. I found it impossible to remove the sticker from the side of the pan, resulting in a very unattractive mess.
You also get the cheapest deep fry thermometer ever made. Further, the contraption used to secure the thermometer to the pan suffers from all sorts of engineering difficulties, making it almost impossible to secure the thermometer or use the griddle at all without the thermometer clattering to the ground.
There is also an unacceptably large amount of heat that escapes in the gap between the griddle and the fryer, which is compounded when operating both at once.
Ultimately, I ditched the hotel pan, the thermometer, and the pan rack that was designed to give you false comfort that the pan would stay in place over the burner. Instead, I fry on the side burner using my 12" Lodge Dutch Oven. It's legs fit nicely with the grate and its weight provides assurance that the pan won't tip over.
I can't use the provided fry basket, but my nickel-plated skimmer works nicely.
As you may notice from the name, the griddle is 28", ample space for lots of pancakes, bacon, sausage, smashburgers, or anything smaller than a newborn calf.
To the right of the griddle surface are two gas burners with cast iron grates. The burners are functional as far as they go. My only complaint is that you can't fry anything over a decent flame at the same time that you are using the entire surface of the griddle. Pick one over the other. Caveat: I have used only one of the two available burners.
The chassis of the combo has a useful space under the griddle section for storing stuff along with a compartment for an LP tank. There is a place for a trash bag and a bar that will hold a roll of paper towels as well.
Overall, I like the combo. It is a good division between burners and a griddle, although there is limited space for a pan on the burner side - so no cowboy wok or large comal will fit.
Here is the section where I make some gripes, so if you are affiliated with Blackstone, either pay attention or skip this section.
The combo comes out of the box with a 6" deep half-size hotel pan/steam table pan to use as a fryer. I found it impossible to remove the sticker from the side of the pan, resulting in a very unattractive mess.
You also get the cheapest deep fry thermometer ever made. Further, the contraption used to secure the thermometer to the pan suffers from all sorts of engineering difficulties, making it almost impossible to secure the thermometer or use the griddle at all without the thermometer clattering to the ground.
There is also an unacceptably large amount of heat that escapes in the gap between the griddle and the fryer, which is compounded when operating both at once.
Ultimately, I ditched the hotel pan, the thermometer, and the pan rack that was designed to give you false comfort that the pan would stay in place over the burner. Instead, I fry on the side burner using my 12" Lodge Dutch Oven. It's legs fit nicely with the grate and its weight provides assurance that the pan won't tip over.
I can't use the provided fry basket, but my nickel-plated skimmer works nicely.
