Another Blackstone vs Camp Chef Flat Top

[outie]

Sorry for bringing up this topic as the other threads are too old to reply to.

I watched the youtube video from someone owning and comparing both Blackstone and the Camp Chef. I think he's leaning toward the Camp Chef but I am not sure which one to go with still...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAoGUup8rXk"]Blackstone griddle vs camp chef flat top grill - YouTube[/ame]

This is the Camp Chef I am interested in:
Camp Chef Flat Top Grill (FTG600)
http://www.campchef.com/smokers-grills/propane/grills/flat-top-grill.html

And for the Blackstone I'd get the stainless steel version.

Besides the obvious difference in cooking area and/or price...

- Is there any advantage of the CC's griddle top? I think I read it's cast iron, can anyone confirm? I am not sure if there's any advantage for that as most commercial places use steel?

- I already have a gas grill so the CC's built in grill has no value to me.

- I like the built-in and battery-free igniter on each knob on the CC. Drain system is better on the CC. Also there seems to be a lot of members owning the Blackstone vs the CC.

- Last question... does the CC have burners that create more hot spots vs the BS's?

- I will mostly cook Asian food - fried rice, veggie, stir fry, etc. just like what they cook @ Bennihana / Teppanyaki.

Any comment is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mattmountz94]

They are both good. Comes down to which one you prefer.

 

[Decoy205]

I have the black stone 36. I get a lot of wind so if I had to do it again I'd go for the camp chef.

 

[barry w]

If you are cooking in a wind free area I would go with the blackstone. The drain works great for me on the blackstone, I just put a 4" 1/4 bolt through the drain hole and the grease runs right down into the trap.

 

[Doog]

As mentioned above they are both good! I have a Blackstone that I got on sale. And it puts out some good food.

 

[Frisbey]

Never used the Camp Chef,
But own a Blackstone 36 and love it!
I have a large family, so the extra cooking space comes in handy.
As with most grills, they seam to have their quirks, and so does the Blackstone.
But they are minor and it was a small learning curve, and no big deal once you figure them out.

I put small spacers under the wheels on the left side, so the cook top drains better, and assume that would be the same with any large flat top grill.

I put a small wedged piece of tin foil under the drip hole to help in directing the grease into the drip tray, works great.

If you don't want to light all 4 burners, it's really easy to light the ones you want with a BBQ lighter, since the bottom is open and easily within reach.

Bottom line,
Glad I bought the Blackstone and would buy one again.

 

[Bigr314]

I have a Blackstone 36. Love it. Glad I bought it. No issues at l with it.

 

[Demosthenes9]

WRT more members having BS's compared to CC's, I wouldn't read much into that. There were some really sweet deals that came up which made the BS impossible to resist for many of us. A 36 BS at $250ish vs a CC at $400ish kind of covers some of the drawbacks of the BS

 

[Adubree86]

Camp chef in my opinion is way better. I know the grill doesn't matter to you but it's a great feature and one that blackstone charges for. Way better ignition system. Way better drain. More shelves for storage. Adjustable leg bases for unlevel surfaces. Way better in the wind than the blackstone. Seams to get hotter than the blackstone I cooked on in the past. Still large enough to cook up god's plenty of grub. Check out outdoorcooking.com. That's where I bought mine on sale and seemed to be the cheapest place to find em. Right now they are selling for $299 there. Oh and their packaging for shipping is absolutely incredible. Comes in two separate boxes with a ton of cushioning.

 

[outie]

Thanks for the feedback.

Does the camp chef have cast iron griddle top? Also the legs don't fold like the blackstone. Not that I need to move it around much but that seems like a good way to store it or move to another place if needed.

Any idea about the burner layout? I think I read somewhere the camp chef has more hot spot. How do you find the temperature variation on the camp chef? Thanks.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

Matter of preference. I have a CC stove and griddle and want it for camping and verisitility but he BS is a great product also.
One is not better 6than the other - they are different animals with different niches.

With unlimited funds, I would have both


I would go for a Shirley/Shagstone as first choice :thumb:

 

[Adubree86]

My CC top is steel I'm pretty sure. It runs ever so slightly hotter at the top but nothing that effects cooking all that much. Next time I fire it up I'll take temps of my laser temp devise. Heat comes from 4 stainless burners.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

I do use the heat diffusers on my CC. It does help even out the heat but I am usually wanting a hot zone and cool zone when cooking a full meal

 

[lantern]

I own a blackstone and am CRAZY over it. I use it at least 5 times a week. However, I have looked over the CC and am almost certain that if they were similarly priced I'd have the CC hands down. They are not similarly priced so I bought several griddle accessories instead. As far as hot spots go I'd say the CC has the blackstone beat there just going by less real estate and the same amount of burners(although the BS has a few BTUs on the CC).

In the end, the food will not be better on one over the other. Go with the one that suits you. I'd say you're thinking CC, but wanted to know why so many had the BS over it. The answer is simply price for most of us. A lot of us have so many toys that if we can save a few bucks and still have the same food and experience we'll go that way every time over slightly better quality and options.

 

[Adubree86]

I look at it this way. It's like the difference between cooking on the weber original versus the master touch or performer. They both cook great food but one just has more features. I would however tell people not to dismiss the camp chef because it can be had for $299.

 

[outie]

Thanks again for all the comments. Really helpful. Now the camp chef is out of stock at outdoorcooking and won't come back until the 29th or so, and possibly back to 350 by then. I guess I will have to wait a while.

 

[Cwazzywabbit]

Hi all, im new to the forum, and am upon a purchase of either the Blackstone or the Campchef flat grill. I have looked hard for a few days and am looking to purchase one of these two grills to take with me in the RV for camping. I did cook in a full order restaurant long time ago for a couple years and love a flat grill. Now I know the Blackstone will detach the legs or possibly fold them up but it's unclear to me if the Campchef will basically do the same thing. Now from what I can see I believe I'm gearing towards the camp chef but I don't know if breaking it down and putting it up would be feasible. I did go to Lowe's today and measured from the top of the stove minus the griddle to the bottom of the leg and it was 9 1/2 inches I was wondering if anybody can give me info on breakdown of the Campchef and measurements of the same. I need the minimum thickness measurement of that stove so I can tell if it will fit in the basement of the RV .
Let me know what you guys think. I think the Campchef has a better looking build to it and has the heat dissipation plate separate igniters a better grease trap,also is a grill!, and lack of the possibility of wind blowing the flame, but wonder if it's worth it I would have to order the Campchef the Blackstone is right down the street and for less money. Does anybody also take their flat grill in their RV with them? Thanks guys I appreciate it in advance.

 

[lantern]

Also, if you're up for saving a few bucks the bed bath and beyond coupon is still going for 20% off online with free shipping. That makes the blackstone 239.99 before tax.

 

[Demosthenes9]

Hi all, im new to the forum, and am upon a purchase of either the Blackstone or the Campchef flat grill. I have looked hard for a few days and am looking to purchase one of these two grills to take with me in the RV for camping. I did cook in a full order restaurant long time ago for a couple years and love a flat grill. Now I know the Blackstone will detach the legs or possibly fold them up but it's unclear to me if the Campchef will basically do the same thing. Now from what I can see I believe I'm gearing towards the camp chef but I don't know if breaking it down and putting it up would be feasible. I did go to Lowe's today and measured from the top of the stove minus the griddle to the bottom of the leg and it was 9 1/2 inches I was wondering if anybody can give me info on breakdown of the Campchef and measurements of the same. I need the minimum thickness measurement of that stove so I can tell if it will fit in the basement of the RV .
Let me know what you guys think. I think the Campchef has a better looking build to it and has the heat dissipation plate separate igniters a better grease trap,also is a grill!, and lack of the possibility of wind blowing the flame, but wonder if it's worth it I would have to order the Campchef the Blackstone is right down the street and for less money. Does anybody also take their flat grill in their RV with them? Thanks guys I appreciate it in advance.

Cwazzywabbit,

For your intended use, you might look at another option. Camp chef has a number of 2 and 3 burner camp stove models that are much more portable. They also sell various sized griddles for some flat top action.

I have a 36in Blackstone on my deck, but I took my 3 burner camp chef stove and 36inch griddle with me on my camping trip this past weekend. This setup travels easier and is more versatile.

 

[Smokeat]

Cwazzywabbit,

For your intended use, you might look at another option. Camp chef has a number of 2 and 3 burner camp stove models that are much more portable. They also sell various sized griddles for some flat top action.

I have a 36in Blackstone on my deck, but I took my 3 burner camp chef stove and 36inch griddle with me on my camping trip this past weekend. This setup travels easier and is more versatile.

This. Demosthenes9 for the win(for the RV).