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Blackstone 28 vs Blackstone 36
When you are looking to purchase an outdoor griddle, you need to evaluate how much food you need to cook on it. Blackstone sells griddles in a variety of sizes, but the 28-inch and the 36-inch griddles are popular options.
You might wonder if the 28-inch model is big enough for your needs and how many burgers fit on the cooking surface. When you look online, you see that there are multiple 36-inch griddles. Are they all the same? Is the 28-inch griddle a good deal?
Is the 28-inch Blackstone big enough?
If you are looking to feed yourself and a small family with some occasional friends and family visiting, consider the 28-inch Blackstone. It has space enough for Taco Tuesdays for the family while also being able to handle the summer cookouts when your backyard gets a little more crowded than normal.
If you routinely host bigger groups, the 36-inch model can fit enough food to feed 20 or so people at a time.
How many burgers can fit on a 28-inch griddle?
The 28-inch griddle can hold 18 burgers at a time. If you are throwing a Fourth of July party, the 28-inch griddle can accommodate enough food for up to 10 people at a time. Trying to do a backyard eating contest? You can throw 44 hot dogs on the griddle at a time.
If your parties are the talk of the neighborhood, the 36-inch griddle can handle 28 burgers at a time. That eating contest drawing more entrants than expected? This griddle can handle 72 hot dogs in one go.
What are the dimensions of a 28-inch Blackstone griddle?
The 28-inch Blackstone griddle has 470 square inches of cooking space, compared to the 36-inch’s 720 square inches. The 28-inch has two burners while the 36-inch has four. If you are cooking an entire meal on your Blackstone and need to cook ingredients at more than two temperatures, the 36-inch griddle has the versatility to create four different cooking zones, while most versions of the 28-inch can create two.
How much does a 28-inch Blackstone griddle cost?
Blackstone has multiple 28-inch griddles that have different additions. On walmart.com in December 2021, there are five different models based around the 28-inch griddle. The base model cooking station at the time of writing is $197.00.
If you are looking for a portable option that you can take on the go and set up while camping, there is a model with folding legs for $372.98. The Pro-Series cooking station that comes with a lid, more storage space, a magnetic toolbar, and a paper towel holder is $274.00.
If you are looking to increase the versatility, Blackstone added two models that can fry food as well as cook on the flat top. The Range Top Combo adds a third burner to the griddle while also adding two open burners and comes with a frying station that can sit over the open burners to deep fry ingredients. This combo is $447.00 at the time of writing. Blackstone also has a model with an electric air fryer that is $440.00.
Are all 36-inch Blackstone griddles the same?
Just as Blackstone has a wide variety of griddles under the 28-inch line, they have several 36-inch offerings as well. The basic four-burner cooking station with an included hard cover is $297.00, while the Pro Series station that has the bonus features like its 28-inch cousin is $497.00. There is also a model with an air fryer that runs for $592.00.
Final thoughts
The designers over at Blackstone have created multiple griddles of each size, each with their distinguishing features to give you as many options for what you want to do. If you typically cook for a smaller group of people, whether yourself and your family or a few friends, the 28-inch range of models is a good place to start. If you cook for a lot of people with any sort of consistency, the 36-inch range is where you want to look.
If you plan on storing your griddle outside, you may want to consider the models that come with lids or covers to help you protect your investment. If you like to fry food, Blackstone has not forgotten about you with options in both ranges as well.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.