Blackstone Original 17″ Tabletop Griddle with Hood Review

Bottom Line

The Blackstone Original is a fun contender on our list of the best camp stoves that inspires homestyle meals in a camp setting.

Though this grill can be cumbersome and requires more care than the average camp stove, it offers features that inspire great camp meals. With a built-in hood around a cast-iron griddle top, this stove cooks evenly and well.

We loved that we could saute peppers, fry eggs, and cook bacon at the same time on the 17” griddle, allowing for a hot breakfast that all came out at the same time.  We did not find, however, that it was able to efficiently boil a liter of water. 

This grill has more considerations than others in our favorites, such as ease of care, weight, and portability. This stove is by far the heaviest and most cumbersome of the bunch. Oddly enought, despite its heavy-duty weight, it feels delicate when packing.

Like all cast iron, it requires maintenance. Blacktop suggests seasoning after each use to prevent damage. For grilling, this stove is amazing. However, we would recommend adding a single burner stove for boiling and simmering for a dialed camp kitchen. 

For those who love setting up a raging tailgate or enjoy lounging around camp, this stove is a great option. It can easily cook for large crowds, keep a consistent temperature in the wind, and can truly make a stunning plate of food.

How We Tested

We put this stove through four tests: boil test, fuel weight test, pancake cook test, and rice cook test. In a controlled environment held constant with other camp stoves in our annual round-up, we timed how long exactly one liter of water took to boil while on medium heat. Before and after the boil test, we weighed the propane canister. To test how evenly the griddle-top cooks, we placed five pancakes throughout the stove, one in each corner and one in the middle. 

Power

The Blackstone’s griddle top inspires grilling, roasting, and sauteing to make great meals – don’t expect it to boil water quickly. 

Since this is not a standard open flame stove (where you’d place a pot directly over the fire), the cast iron griddle does take some more time to heat up than a more traditional option. It’s as if the griddle is already having to heat a pan, so throwing an additional vessel on top adds to the heating time. We were skeptical of this stove’s ability to boil water in a pot, but according to the customer support at Blackstone, this griddle top “should be able to” host pots and pans on top of it without scratching or damaging the griddle. 

When we tested this, we placed a liter of water in a standard metal pot directly on the griddle top as soon as we turned the stove on. 

We waited…then waited some more. After 8 minutes with no signs of bubbles, we were nervous, especially since the griddle top started to smoke from the seasoning heating up. At ten minutes, our gear analyst stuck her finger into the water. It was hot, hotter water than you’d use for a shower or bath, but still no bubbles. 

Finally, after 15 and a half minutes with no signs of bubbles, we turned the stove off. At our elevation water should boil in about 14 minutes. We found that other camp stoves boiled anywhere from 7-11 minutes. We determined that this long of a wait time to boil is certainly not worth the effort and fuel.

Efficiency

With great power comes great fuel use. We found that the Blackstone ranked second to last in our list of favorite camp stoves in terms of fuel use.

When we tested this stove’s boiling rate, we measured the propane before and after the water boiled. We found that it took 2.2 oz of propane to power the stove for the 15 minutes and 30 seconds that we ran the boil test. 

This number is higher than other stoves, but it should be noted that this stove is the size of a two-burner stove and can’t run only one burner at a time. To maximize the fuel used, we recommend utilizing as much of the griddle space as possible.

Cooking Ability

The stove can cook a mean meal, so long as you are using it as a flat-top grill. If you try to use it to simmer a pot of rice, however, you’ll find that this stove is lacking. 

The Blackstone has some great features to enhance its cooking ability. It has an H-style burner that heats more evenly than a central burner would. It has a temperature control with a scale to indicate the intensity of the flame. We found this to be helpful when cooking. Finally, the hood helps trap heat, making it ideal for cooking in colder temperatures. We believe the hood helps this stove cook faster and more evenly as well (this is great if you are worried about its fuel efficiency). 

When testing, we threw pancakes on the griddle top –– one at each corner and one in the center. We felt like we turned our backs for one second before they were ready to flip. It was a great surprise and benefit after using stoves with less power. The pancakes didn’t stick, thanks to a layer of oil on the cast iron. Each cake was perfectly golden brown. Those in the corners were slightly less cooked than the middle, but not enough that we would have to set separate timers for them. 

We did not test this stove on its ability to simmer a pot of rice. After it failed the boiling test, we found it useless to try. This is not the stove we would recommend for simmering.

Portability

We did not rate the Blackstone as highly portable. It weighs a lot, takes up a lot of room, and is quite demanding of users. It’s best for a camp setup where you’ll be parked for a few days or weeks.

The stove weighs 35.2 pounds. It is the second-heaviest stove on our list of favorite camp stoves of the year. All that weight makes this stove clunky – from the large shipping box that it arrived in, to the size of the stove itself. Its dimensions are 18.75”L x 22.25”W x 12.25”H.

The stove’s saving grace is that the griddle and hood detach from the base, so that the 12.25” height can be broken up when carrying into camp or packing into the car. Also, Blackstone sells a carrying case for this stove. It’s a way to protect the griddle top from rust and damage. Also, user reviewers love how the case improves the stove’s portability and storage. 

Blackstone recommends the following practices when traveling with this stove: 

• Don’t stack anything on top of the unit to prevent denting
• Tying down load if transporting in a truck bed or trailer
• Remove grease cup 
• Place a towel or tarp under the stove

Ease of Use

This stove has some great features that make it easy to use, including its intuitive design, easy fuel connection, self-ignition, and grease trap for cleaning. However, this stove does require extra care –– like seasoning the griddle top –– that might turn some folks off to it. 

Straight from the box, this stove does require light assembly. We didn’t realize this when we took it out to test. When we got to camp, we were happy that we had a Phillips head screwdriver to attach the handle on the hood. We also set the stove down on the camp table before realizing that it has four rubber legs that screw into the base. We did without and found the stove to still be stable enough. We also realized when bringing it out to the camp table that the griddle and hood can separate from the base. Fitting it back together took a few tries to get everything lined up –– an issue we faced again when the stove was lit. 

The stove comes with its own propane attachment. We loved this shorter attachment that takes up less space than a normal one, especially since this stove is quite large. We were a bit frantic when setting up the stove and trying to get breakfast ready for our hungry group and we loved that the stove has an ignition built into the temperature knob. Easy –– just turn and go! 

We tested this stove by cooking pancakes on it. To start, we poured some bacon grease across the griddle. Blackstone recommends spreading either plant-based cooking oil or rendered animal fat with no additives across the griddle before use.  We were slightly worried about cleaning up this grease before packing up. However, there is a small slot at the back of the griddle that drains scraps and excess oil into a removable oil pan. 

Blackstone recommends using a spatula or metal scraper to get all food and grease off the griddle, then wipe with a towel, add some water and scrape again, wipe again, then cover with a thin coat of seasoning. This is more involved than a normal stove, and in our haste to pack, we only got through the first two steps. 

Without proper seasoning, however, the company warns the griddle top can be exposed to oxidation and subsequent rusting. Those using this stove for week-long camping trips should also bring seasoning with them. Shorter trips may wait until at home –– but be honest with yourself about this commitment to maintenance.

Should You Buy the Blackstone Original 17″ Tabletop Griddle Camp Stove?

Despite its weight and involved cleaning process, we believe this camp stove has great value for those who cook for large crowds, make complex meals with multiple surfaces/pans going at once, or want high-quality cooking abilities out of their camp stoves. This stove’s features, such as the hood, 17” griddle top, consistent cooking, and easy temperature control allow for these types of camp chefs to make their dream camp meals.

However, if you often camp solo or in small groups, or consider Top Ramen an ideal camp meal (no shade!) – this stove is overkill. You’ll likely become frustrated with the weight, seasoning rituals, and poor packability.

What Other Camp Stoves Should You Consider?

Eight other camp stoves made the list of our favorites for the year. Browse the three below that we think you may like, then visit our full camping stoves gear guide to see side-by-side comparisons. 

Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 Camp Stove Review: This one also has the ability for a flat top griddle, but also gives you a slatted grill and a burner, making this a more versatile stove for those wanting to pull out all the camp cooking stops.  

Snow Peak Home & Camp Review: From one extreme to the other, the Snow Peak is the lightest and most packable stove that we’ve reviewed. It is a single burner and perfect for those who prioritize adventure over perfect meals. 

Camp Chef EX60LW Explorer 2 Burner Review: The Camp Chef is also recommended for someone who often cooks for large groups. The stand-alone design allows you to keep your picnic or camp table dedicated to prep work. This stove is compatible with other Camp Chef accessories, as well, including a flat-top grill.