When you’ve got three hungry kids asking for smashburgers every other day, and a Kamado Joe half-moon griddle that’s bursting at the seams, it’s time to make some moves.
After a bit of a back-and-forth with Paul over at BBQs2u (who I’ve known a few years now), and a good ol’ bit of indecision about going Blackstone or Masterbuilt, I finally pulled the trigger: the Blackstone 36” Griddle with Air Fryer Combo.
And yes — bought and paid full price. No freebies, no influencer discounts. This is the real deal.
Here’s the full, honest breakdown after several cooks, a few minor learning curves, and about a million kid meals.
Assembly – As Easy As Lego (Just Heavier)
Building the Blackstone was probably one of the most straightforward BBQ builds I’ve ever done. 1.5 hours tops, and that’s me doing it solo. The instructions? Genuinely up there with Lego — clear, well-labelled, idiot-proof (thankfully).
The hardest part? Lifting the actual griddle plate onto the frame by myself. With arms like mine, it was a full gym session. But once it was on, it felt SOLID — really heavy-duty stuff. You get the feeling it’s built to last the second you unbox it.
Damage? Only to the box — from me trying to drag it across the lawn like a caveman.
First Impressions – Big, Bold and Built for Chaos
The thing is a beast. It’s big. It’s heavy. It’s not something you’re dragging round the garden every five minutes. But that’s the trade-off for the cooking space and the sturdiness.
Specs? You’re looking at:
- 4 independent gas burners (60,000 BTU total)
- 768 square inches of cooking surface
- Two 4-quart air fryer baskets
- One warming drawer
- Rear grease management system
- Hinged lid to cover the griddle
- Solid caster wheels for moving (with a fight)
All wrapped up in a black powder-coated, serious-looking bit of kit.
Cooking Experience – Fast, Fun, and Kid-Approved
First Cook – Full English Breakfast
Straight in with sausages, bacon, hash browns, beans, fried bread, fried eggs, griddled tomatoes, and yes — potato waffles (because kids).
Zone management? Sausages and waffles in the hotter middle, eggs and bread towards the edges. Hash browns in the air fryer basket. Warm drawer was working overtime holding bacon and fried bread.
Cooking on the Blackstone is FAST. You’ve got to juggle a bit, but once you find your rhythm it’s so satisfying. The kids gave it “10 million out of 10” — either I’m a breakfast god or they need a better maths teacher.
Smashburgers Cook
When the kids shout “SMAAASHBURGERS!” — you deliver. No greenery, obviously.
Just:
- Toasted brioche buns
- Comeback Sauce
- Double smash patties with properly melted cheese
- Home-made bacon jam
- Crispy onions for that final crunch
Cooked everything on the griddle, air-fried the chips at the same time — no messing about.
Heat-Up, Zones, and How It Handles
- Heat-up time: Around 10-15 minutes. Faster if you close the lid during preheat (cheeky tip there).
- How I use the burners: Start all 4 burners on low to avoid warping, then crank zones up/down depending on the cook.
- Heat distribution: Middle is definitely hottest, edges a bit cooler — but you use that to your advantage. Smash burgers centre, buns and eggs around the edges.
Biggest cook so far? Feeding four hungry bellies at home.
Planning a school BBQ event for about 50 people though, and the Blackstone’s 100% coming with me — as long as I find someone to help lift it.
Air Fryer Drawers – Good, But Not Ninja Level
- Usage: Pretty much every cook. Kids want chips, waffles, chicken — sometimes all at once — so at least one basket is going.
- Performance: Compared to Ninja? If Ninja is 10/10, Blackstone’s air fryers are a 6/10. They’re more like strong convection ovens.
- Biggest success: Cooked a 1.7kg chicken in one basket. Took a bit of squeezing, but came out juicy with crisp skin. Boom.
- Warming drawer: Absolute game-changer for English breakfasts and multi-item cooks. Chuck your bacon and sausages in there while you finish the eggs and beans.
If I could upgrade anything, it’d be the air fryer motor — beef it up and get it closer to that Ninja crisp magic.
Practical Bits
- Cleaning: Easy enough. Scrape the griddle, water squirt, scrape again, quick clean before dinner. Full clean and re-oil after eating. Air fryer bits are hand washed (no dishwasher here).
- Grease management: Foil trays — bin ’em when full. Job done.
- Storage: Lives in my BBQ shack. Lid down, gas disconnected. Nice and dry unless we get sideways rain.
- Propane usage: No idea how fast I’m chewing through gas yet — there’s no built-in gas gauge (a pain, genuinely). Need to look into that before I run dry mid-burger.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Massive cooking area
- True multi-zone control
- Integrated air fryer and warming drawer
- Rock-solid build
- Great for feeding the masses (or just picky kids)
Cons
- No easy way to check gas levels
- Air fryers could be a bit punchier
- It’s BIG and HEAVY — not portable unless you’re part forklift
Blackstone vs FlexFlame? The Big Question
With the Ninja FlexFlame coming to the UK in 2026, a few people have asked me which I’d pick.
Honestly? It’s a tough call.
- The Blackstone is a griddle king with built-in air fryer baskets and a huge surface area. Brilliant for breakfasts, smashburgers, and big volume cooks.
- The FlexFlame is a modular outdoor kitchen system, with a griddle plate available, serious smoking abilities, and better air-frying tech.
They’re different beasts. If the FlexFlame with a full griddle kit lands in the UK at a similar price to the Blackstone, choosing between them won’t be easy. It might come down to what type of cooking you do most — pure griddle vs. modular versatility.
For now? I’m loving the Blackstone. But I’d lie if I said I wasn’t seriously excited to get my hands on a FlexFlame too.
Final Thoughts
Solid. Versatile. Big.
The Blackstone 36” Griddle with Air Fryer isn’t cheap — but it’s built like a tank, cooks like a dream, and it’s completely changed how I do outdoor meals with the kids.
Breakfasts? Smashburgers? Full teppanyaki tasting menus? (Coming soon.)
The only real learning curve is heat management and air fryer timing — once you’ve got that dialled, it’s plain sailing.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just make sure you’ve got somewhere solid to park it, a spare gas bottle ready, and arms slightly stronger than mine.
10/10 would buy again — and already planning bigger and better cooks.
