Blackstone griddles are a popular outdoor cooking appliance. They can easily reach extremely high temperatures, making them a great option for cooking a variety of foods.
How hot exactly can Blackstone griddles get? Well, that depends.
When set on High, gas-powered Blackstone griddles can easily reach temperatures of about 650 degrees Fahrenheit or 343 degrees Celsius. With the right conditions, the temperature can get even higher. The griddles can reach about 500 degrees Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius.
The question is do you really need such a high temperature?
Table of Contents
- Do You Even Need Your Griddle Top To Get So Hot?
- How Long Does A Blackstone Griddle Take To Heat Up To the Max Temp?
- Factors That Affect The Temperature Of Your Blackstone Griddle
- How Hot Do the Electric Blackstone Griddles Get?
- How to Check the Temperature of the Blackstone Griddle?
- Blackstone Griddles and Their Hot Zones
- Why is My Blackstone Griddle Not Getting Hot Enough?
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Do You Even Need Your Griddle Top To Get So Hot?
You will rarely need such high temperatures for cooking, but it’s fun to know that your griddle is capable of reaching them.
The average temperature you will use for cooking on a Blackstone griddle is between 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or about 176 to 232 degrees Celsius. This is hot enough to cook most foods, but not so hot that you have to worry about burning them.
Some of the foods that may benefit from being cooked at higher temperatures are steaks which you want to sear or pizzas which you want a crispy crust on. Yes, you can cook pizza on a Blackstone griddle. 650 or 700 degrees Fahrenheit would still be too much though.
Besides, most cooking oils will start to smoke and break down at those temperatures, effectively ruining your food with a burnt bitter flavor.
Anyway, high temperatures are good when you are seasoning your griddle as you want that nice non-stick coating that is so easy to cook on and clean. Seasoning your griddle also protects it from rust.
Anyway, when cooking, you can and should experiment with different cooking times and temperatures to find what works best for you and the specific food you are cooking.
Can High Temperatures Damage Your Blackstone Griddle?
Blackstone griddles are designed to withstand high temperatures, but that does not mean you should leave them on high all the time.
When not in use, it is best to turn off your completely or at least dial it down to a lower setting.
Keep in mind that sudden temperature changes can cause the cooktop to warp, so it is best to avoid them.
For example, do not put a huge pot of cold water on a griddle pre-heated to 600 F. Instead, let the griddle cool down a bit first and increase the temperature gradually.
The same goes for when you are cooking frozen food such as frozen burgers or frozen pizza.
How Long Does A Blackstone Griddle Take To Heat Up To the Max Temp?
The smaller Blackstone griddles such as the 17-inch model will heat up to max temperature in about 8 minutes. That’s on a normal day with the outside temperature at about 64 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius.
The larger models such as the 28-inch XL griddle will take a tiny bit longer, about 9 minutes to reach over 600 degrees Fahrenheit or 315 degrees Celsius.
The electric griddles will take about 8 to 9 minutes to reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius, and usually will not go higher than that.
As you can see, Blackstone griddles heat up pretty quickly, so you will not have to wait long before you can start cooking.
Also, keep in mind that these are the times it takes to reach max temperature. For normal cooking, you will need lower temperatures than that.
Factors That Affect The Temperature Of Your Blackstone Griddle
There are a few factors that will affect how hot and how quickly your Blackstone griddle will get.
One of the most common outside factors is the weather or the outside temperature to be more specific.
If you are doing a cookout at Death Valley in the middle of the day, then your griddle will get hotter than if you were cooking in the winter in Alaska. Heck, you can even fry eggs on a sidewalk in Death Valley. Without a griddle. But don’t do that. Be a considerate visitor.
Other factors include:
- Type of griddle – Whether your Blackstone griddle is gas or electric-powered. Gas griddles will usually heat up faster than electric ones.
- The specific model of Blackstone griddle – The bigger the surface area, the longer it will usually take to heat up.
- Wind conditions – If there is a lot of wind, then the heat will be dispersed and it will take longer for your griddle to heat up. Also, the flame on a gas griddle may be blown out if there is too much wind. Wind guards can help quite a bit.
- Outside temperature – A mentioned above. Using your griddle in winter will make it take longer to heat up.
How Hot Do the Electric Blackstone Griddles Get?
The E-series griddles don’t get quite as hot as the gas-powered ones. They max out at about 500 degrees Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius.
While this is still plenty hot for cooking, some people prefer the higher temperatures of the gas-powered griddles.
Another difference is that the E-series griddles take longer to heat up. Although the difference is minor, perhaps a minute or so, it is something to keep in mind if you are in a hurry.
How to Check the Temperature of the Blackstone Griddle?
If you already own a Blackstone griddle, you know that there is no built-in temperature gauge. Yes, there are the knobs that let you set the temperature, but there are no numbers associated with the vague words “low” and “high”.
However, there are a few ways that you can check the temperature of your griddle. The best way is to use an infrared thermometer. This will give you an accurate reading of the surface temperature of your griddle.
Although infrared thermometers may sound a bit fancy, they are actually quite affordable. You can grab an infrared thermometer over on Amazon for 15 bucks.
They are also very easy to use. Just point the thermometer at the surface of the griddle and pull the trigger. The reading will appear on the screen almost instantly.
Feeling going up a level? Some of the fancier thermometers are equipped with a probe that you can use to measure the internal temperature of meat as it cooks. In fact, Blackstone sells one too. It’s about 35 bucks, so not that expensive either.
Blackstone Griddles and Their Hot Zones
Even though the griddle top of the Blackstone gas griddles is made of cold-rolled steel that heats up fairly evenly, there are still going to be some hot and cooler zones.
A good outdoor chef will know how to use these hot and cool zones to their advantage.
The hottest zone on the griddle will be in the center. On high, it can reach almost 700 F. This is the spot to cook your steaks on.
As you move towards the edges of the griddle, the temperature will drop. It might be surprising but it can easily be 200 degrees less than in the center of the flattop. Usually, the coolest zone is right at the front edge of the griddle.
The cooler zones can still be used for cooking. It just may take a bit more time.
These cooler zones are also great for stuff that’s already cooked or almost cooked. Are your burgers about done and they are just waiting for the cheese to melt? Move them to sides without having to worry about them overcooking.
Veggies also do great in the cooler zones. They can cook slowly without burning and pick up some of that delicious flavor from the drippings of the meat.
The moral of the story is that no matter how hot your griddle gets, there will always be some areas that are hotter than others. Use this knowledge to your advantage when cooking.
Why is My Blackstone Griddle Not Getting Hot Enough?
Like with many other products, Blackstone griddles may have some problems. One of the issues that people often ask about is that their griddle is not getting hot. If your Blackstone griddle isn’t getting hot enough, there are a few things that can cause that.
Igniter problems
If it does not get hot at all, then there’s probably a problem with the igniter or the propane tank. I mean, are you 100% sure there’s gas in the tank? If it’s the igniter’s not working then obviously, the gas won’t ignite and burn, so no heat for your steaks. The most common culprit is the battery. Try replacing the AA battery in the igniter. That may do the trick.
Gas regulator problems
Does your griddle ignite but then the flame goes out after a second or does it start fluttering? If so, then you might have a problem with your gas regulator. You see, the regulator controls the flow of gas to the griddle. If it’s not working right, then the gas won’t flow properly and you’ll end up with a weak or flickering flame.
You can try resetting the regulator and if that doesn’t help, the regulator is a relatively inexpensive part to replace.
Air gate problems
Another reason why your Blackstone griddle might not be getting hot enough is because of the air gate.
The air gate is a small device that controls the amount of airflow to the burner. If it’s not set correctly, then the griddle won’t get hot enough. This can be fixed by adjusting the air gates.
Conclusion
The Blackstone griddle can reach temperatures up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the hottest in the center of the griddle and it decreases as you move towards the edges. The front edge is usually the coolest zone.
There’s no real reason to ever use the highest setting on your griddle while cooking unless you’re trying to send your steaks to oblivion. The medium settings will still get hot enough to cook most things. High temperatures can be useful when you are seasoning your griddle.
If you would like to know exactly how hot your griddle is, you can always buy an infrared thermometer. These are not very expensive and allow you to judge quickly and easily what temperature your griddle is sitting at.
Hope this article helped, happy griddling!
FAQ
How can I make my Blackstone griddle hotter?
There are a few things you can do to make your Blackstone griddle hotter. One is to use a hood that Blackstone sells. There are also some DIY mods to the burners that can make them hotter, which I would not recommend messing with.
How do you know when a griddle is hot enough?
The easiest way to check the temperature of your griddle is to use an infrared thermometer. With some experience with the griddle, you will be able to guess whether the griddle is hot enough or not based on how long it has been heating up.
What is the best temperature to cook on a Blackstone griddle?
The best temperature to cook on a Blackstone griddle varies depending on what you’re cooking. For most things like burgers, chicken, or veggies, medium heat is usually sufficient. If you’re looking to sear a steak, you’ll want to crank up the heat to high.
What should the flame look like on my Blackstone griddle?
The flame should be blue, with maybe a little bit of yellow at the tips. If the flame is yellow or orange, that usually means that there’s not enough oxygen getting to the burner and it’s not burning as efficiently as it could be. It may signal a problem with the air gates or the burners themself.
