Blackstone Griddle Essentials: The Complete Buying Guide

If you just bought a Blackstone griddle — or you're about to — the accessories aisle can feel overwhelming. This guide cuts through the noise. After cooking on a 36-inch Blackstone for three years, I've tested a lot of gear. Here's what earns permanent real estate on my cart and what belongs back on the shelf.

Step One: Season It Properly

Before you cook a single egg, you need to season the flat-top surface. Blackstone griddles ship with a factory coating to prevent rust in transit — it needs to come off, and a proper seasoning layer needs to go on in its place.

The Blackstone Griddle Seasoning & Cast Iron Conditioner is the right call here. It's formulated specifically for rolled steel griddle tops. Apply a thin layer, heat the surface to smoking, wipe it down, and repeat four or five times. Each layer bakes in, and after the fifth pass you'll have a deep, almost black, non-stick surface that gets better with every cook.

Avoid vegetable shortening or Crisco for initial seasoning — they work, but they go rancid faster and leave a stickier residue in cold weather.

The Tools That Actually Matter

Spatulas and a scraper. This is non-negotiable. A griddle spatula is longer, thinner, and more rigid than a normal kitchen spatula. You need to get under a smash burger without it folding. The Blackstone Professional 3-Piece Toolkit ships with two spatulas (one standard, one flexible) and a chopper-scraper that you'll use constantly to clean the surface between cooks. The long handles matter — 36 inches of hot steel radiates a lot of heat toward your hands.

Squeeze bottles. Set up a line of squeeze bottles along the back of your griddle like a short-order cook: one for your high-smoke-point oil (avocado or canola), one for butter, one for water (for steaming veggies), and one or two for sauces. The 6-Pack Squeeze Bottle Set runs about $12 and changes how fast and confidently you cook.

A burger press. If you're making smash burgers — and you absolutely should be — you need a heavy cast iron press. The Cuisinart Smash Burger Press weighs enough to crush a 3-oz ball of 80/20 beef into a paper-thin patty that makes full contact with the hot steel. That contact is what creates the Maillard crust that no grill grate can replicate.

Which Blackstone Should You Buy?

The 36-inch is the best value for most backyard cooks. Four independent burners give you temperature zones — high heat on the left for searing, medium in the middle for eggs and pancakes, low on the right to hold finished food. The surface fits 8 smash burgers simultaneously, which is the real benchmark.

The 28-inch is the right call if your patio is tight, you're cooking for 2–4 people regularly, or you want something easier to move and store. The two-burner layout still handles temperature zoning — just less of it.

Skip the 17-inch tabletop unless you're camping. It's too small to develop efficient zones and the thin legs aren't stable on uneven ground.

What to Skip

Griddle dome covers and basting covers are niche tools you'll reach for twice a year. The branded Blackstone carry bag is overpriced for what it is. And the "griddle press" accessories with plastic handles warp under sustained heat — buy cast iron or skip it.

Start with the essentials above, cook on it for a month, and then you'll know exactly which gaps in your setup are worth filling.