Can You Use a Blackstone Griddle in the Garage? – All You Need to Know

You’ve been using your Blackstone griddle in the backyard all summer, but with the weather getting colder, you’re thinking about using it in the garage.

You know that it gets really hot, so you’re worried about using it in an enclosed space. But is the heat the only problem that you need to be aware of?

The truth is using a gas griddle in an enclosed space poses several dangers and therefore using your Blackstone griddle in the garage is not recommended. The most significant danger is the production of carbon monoxide. Some people still do use their griddles in the garage and if you decide to do so, keep the garage door open to ensure maximum ventilation.

So that was the quick answer. Now if you are interested in learning more about the subject, please, keep on reading.

Table of Contents

• What Are the Dangers of Using a Gas Griddle in an Enclosed Space?
• Where to place the griddle when you are planning to use it in the garage?
• Are You Concerned About the Safety of Using a Gas Griddle in The Garage?
• Final Thoughts
• FAQ

What Are the Dangers of Using a Gas Griddle in an Enclosed Space?

Several dangers are associated with using a gas griddle, or any other type of gas appliance, in an enclosed space. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each one.

Fire hazard

The first potential danger of any gas appliances is fire. Having your house catch on fire is something that you want to avoid at all costs. Unless you are a pyromaniac. Still, a pyromaniac would rather see the neighbor’s house on fire instead of his own.

Ok, jokes aside now.

Gas appliances pose a serious fire hazard and that’s a fact. Therefore if you do decide to use your Blackstone griddle in the garage, be sure to take extra precautions. One way to do this is to keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

You must also keep the griddle away from anything flammable. Apart from concrete and metal, most stuff in the garage can catch on fire and will readily do so.

A garage is also a place where we often store flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, and synthetic paints. As you might have guessed, these are even more dangerous than regular flammable materials that you could find indoors in your kitchen.

Carbon monoxide

If things catching on fire is bad, carbon monoxide poisoning is another level bad.

This is because it’s hard to detect and by the time you realize there’s a problem, it might be too late.

Carbon monoxide or CO is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is produced when something is burning with incomplete combustion. What that means is that instead of carbon dioxide, you get carbon monoxide.

Propane used to power gas griddles is a prime example of a carbon monoxide-producing fuel.

So what should you do? Well, don’t use your griddle indoors. OK, that’s not what you wanted to hear, but I can’t stress enough how dangerous could it be.

Anyway, if you are set on using your griddle in the garage, at least make sure that there is proper ventilation. The garage door should be open at all times while the griddle is in use. If your garage has a side door, open that one too. Yeah, I know, it’s gonna be cold inside, but at least you are not risking your life. Opening both doors at once should provide pretty good airflow that will take care of the carbon monoxide problem.

To make things even safer you could also get a carbon monoxide detector that would alert you if the level of CO in the air gets too high.

I am not a doctor so if you want to read more on carbon monoxide poisoning, check the article at Mayoclinic.

Griddling is a messy business

Griddles, no matter whether gas or electric, in general, are messy. They tend to splatter a lot, especially when you are cooking fatty foods.

Now, I am not saying that you should avoid using a griddle in the garage because it’s gonna be messy. Chances are if your garage is like mine, it’s already pretty messy to begin with.

However, you should be aware that the mess might be much harder to clean when the griddle is used in the garage. Most of us don’t have wall tiles or vinyl flooring in our garages that we could easily wipe the grease off.

Another thing to consider is that garages are not designed to be used as kitchens. They often lack proper ventilation and therefore the grease and smoke will linger in the air for a longer time. Grease-laden vapors are a fire hazard as well. But if the griddling session is a one-off thing, then it should not be that big of a deal.

Where to place the griddle when you are planning to use it in the garage?

As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, it is vitally important to keep the griddle away from anything flammable when in use. It is also not recommended to place gas griddles or grills close to walls. Especially if they are made of wood or covered in some sort of flammable material such as vinyl siding.

I believe the best place to set up the griddle for griddling in the garage would be right behind the garage door. The opened garage door.

Setting it like that would minimize the chances of anything catching on fire and would also provide good ventilation that would take care of the carbon monoxide problem.

Are You Concerned About the Safety of Using a Gas Griddle in The Garage?

Well, that’s perfectly understandable given the risks at hand. Although if you google around, you will find a lot of people who do it regularly without any problems.

My advice though is to play it safe and use your griddle outdoors. If you love griddling and the weather’s regularly not playing nice, then you could consider getting an electric griddle that can be used indoors.

They might not be as powerful as their gas counterparts but they will still get the job done and you won’t have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.

Blackstone sells the 22″ electric tabletop griddle. It has two cooking zones and is good for cooking up to 9 steaks or 12 burgers at once, which I believe is plenty as you are likely not going to fit so many people in your garage anyway.

Final Thoughts

So today we went through some of the reasons I believe it is not safe to use a gas griddle in the garage. We also looked at some of the safety concerns when using a gas griddle in the garage and how to minimize the risks.

In short, it is not advisable to use a gas griddle in the garage due to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you absolutely must use one, then be sure to keep the griddle away from anything flammable and provide good ventilation by opening the door.

Consider using an electric griddle instead as they can be used indoors just fine.

I hope you found this article helpful. And as always, happy griddling!

FAQ