Griddle Dilemma


 
T

Tom Reed

TVWBB Member
Hi, I’m having a tough time choosing a griddle. With so many options from Weber including new griddles added this week it has me in a bit of decision paralysis.

I’ve read a few in depth posts here about the griddle options from Weber but would love more feedback from other users.

I currently have a Genesis II e-335, two Genesis 1000s, limited patio space, and a wife who would kill me if I brought home a full sized griddle, so unfortunately that option is out. This leaves me between a full size insert for the 335, a full size insert for a 1000, a crafted insert for either, or one of the new traveler portable griddles. I will try to boil down my questions for each, lest this post get even longer.

Full size insert for 335:

This grill is my daily driver. Is it inconvenient to have to take the whole insert out and store it to swap between grates and griddle? Do the N/S burners allow for different heat zones?

Full size for 1000:

Somebody near me is selling one of these for $125, so it is an opportunity to save money. My 1000s are only used for certain tasks, like rotisserie or just when I’m feeling nostalgic. With the two rows of flavorizers removed, would this get hot enough for griddling? Are there drawbacks to the E/W burners for this?

Crafted insert:

Cheaper at $110, but my 9mm se grates won’t work with the crafted insert, so I’d still be removing two grates to use it. Is the cooking area smaller than desired?

New Traveler Griddle:

It’s only 22 inches wide and $299. BTU seems a bit low at only 16000 for the surface. Would give me a portable option for tailgating though, but more expensive than a camp chef portable that has considerably more BTU.

Sorry for the wall of text, thank you for your insight.
 
TimA said:
How many people are you cooking for, how often, and how much food.
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At home it can be anywhere from 2 ( my wife and I) to 10 with family. Eventually my kids (both under 3) will grow up and I’ll be cooking for them too.

During the warmer seasons I like to cook outdoors as much as possible, every day if I can. In the winter it’s at least once a week.

I haven’t had a full size griddle before, so I don’t know how much food I’d make on it, but probably a whole meals worth. For burgers it would be burgers, toasting buns, fries, etc. for breakfast it would be the whole meal.
 
I personally would deal with a pissed off wife and get a full-size stand-alone griddle.

Once she has bacon, eggs, French toast and pancakes off of it, all will be forgiven.

I have a 36” Blackstone, and I even run out of room. I would cook for 6 kids and us, and half the kids wouldn’t eat much off, like most wouldn’t touch bacon and eggs. So a meal for, say four people that will actually eat, can take up 36”.

I’ve looked at inserts but they are a largely unnecessary compromise on size and price and, for my usage anyways, they would be a no go. Simply not large enough and where am I storing a greasy insert anyways?
 
TimA said:
I personally would deal with a pissed off wife and get a full-size stand-alone griddle.

Once she has bacon, eggs, French toast and pancakes off of it, all will be forgiven.

I have a 36” Blackstone, and I even run out of room. I would cook for 6 kids and us, and half the kids wouldn’t eat much off, like most wouldn’t touch bacon and eggs. So a meal for, say four people that will actually eat, can take up 36”.

I’ve looked at inserts but they are a largely unnecessary compromise on size and price and, for my usage anyways, they would be a no go. Simply not large enough and where am I storing a greasy insert anyways?
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Have the 36" too Tim. Had weber had a griddle back when I was buying I probably would have got a weber. From what I understand, the Weber does a better job of adjusting heat for the griddle top with the contols..

That said, its hard to go wrong with tacos when feeding a crowd with a griddle, or a large family doing chicken gyros. Hibachi runs out of room fast.

Edit: forgot, sorry Tom. Got thinking about food and there went my focus. My vote is for a full size if you are looking to do griddle centric meals. If not and you are only doing small amounts inside a grill there is nothing wrong with setting a lodge cast iron griddle directly over the grates in what you have. Go with what you feel you will use most with your family in mind as the main consumer.
 
Brock Gingery said:
Have the 36" too Tim. Had weber had a griddle back when I was buying I probably would have got a weber. From what I understand, the Weber does a better job of adjusting heat for the griddle top with the contols..

That said, its hard to go wrong with tacos when feeding a crowd with a griddle, or a large family doing chicken gyros. Hibachi runs out of room fast.

Edit: forgot, sorry Tom. Got thinking about food and there went my focus. My vote is for a full size if you are looking to do griddle centric meals. If not and you are only doing small amounts inside a grill there is nothing wrong with setting a lodge cast iron griddle directly over the grates in what you have. Go with what you feel you will use most with your family in mind as the main consumer.
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Food is the best distractor. We all like food so much that this whole site exists to talk about one way we can cook it!
 
TimA said:
I personally would deal with a pissed off wife and get a full-size stand-alone griddle.

Once she has bacon, eggs, French toast and pancakes off of it, all will be forgiven.

I have a 36” Blackstone, and I even run out of room. I would cook for 6 kids and us, and half the kids wouldn’t eat much off, like most wouldn’t touch bacon and eggs. So a meal for, say four people that will actually eat, can take up 36”.

I’ve looked at inserts but they are a largely unnecessary compromise on size and price and, for my usage anyways, they would be a no go. Simply not large enough and where am I storing a greasy insert anyways?
Click to expand...
Thanks! Another motivator is how much room I have on the patio/ in the garage. My summit charcoal and e-335 live on the patio full time at this point, and if I’d be using the griddle a lot it would too. A lot of real estate to dedicate to cooking appliances.

I’m currently leaning towards the full insert for the 1000 since it would get my using my 1000 more and I can get it at a considerable discount of the original price. Only hang up is the east/west burners and how hot it can get. How hot does your Blackstone typically need to run to cook?
 
Tom Reed said:
Thanks! Another motivator is how much room I have on the patio/ in the garage. My summit charcoal and e-335 live on the patio full time at this point, and if I’d be using the griddle a lot it would too. A lot of real estate to dedicate to cooking appliances.

I’m currently leaning towards the full insert for the 1000 since it would get my using my 1000 more and I can get it at a considerable discount of the original price. Only hang up is the east/west burners and how hot it can get. How hot does your Blackstone typically need to run to cook?
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Depends on what you are cooking and how your burners are set up to the regulator. Eggs and breakfast I try to keep the heat down around 325. Chicken or pork closer to 400. For other things there are better ways to get a sear. Taco meat, can run in between the temps?

Best advice, get a laser thermometer for the griddle. A little wind can change things on you.
 
I have the full size insert for my EX-335 and am super happy with it.
When I got it, I had sold 2 WSMs and gave my performer to my daughter. That left me with the WSK and EX-335. After the downsizing, I didn’t want to Add anything new so I bought the griddle. It works wonderfully and I have the storage bag.

To use it, I remove the grates (store in the cabinet), install the griddle and go. Temperatures are quite even and it gets plenty hot. Also have the advantage of using the lid!

Review for the full griddle have been good online. So very happy I went that way.
 
I am in the same position, we don't have the options for full size griddles in the Uk you have in the USA and was thinking about buying the Pit Boss Ultimate 4 Burner Planch at £600 (roughly $800) so you can see what the prices are like for a full size Griddle over here for one as they're all imported the Blackstone 36" is £800 (roughly+1000$)

I have decided to buy the Full Weber Griddle Insert for my 2022 Weber 335s (from my understanding) with the sear button it will allow me dual zone cooking as well. Still £275 (roughly $350) but more cost effective for my already adequate Genesis Gas Grill that is currently under used sadly and with the Smokefire and the Genesis already on the patio, the Plancha would have gone up the top of the garden with the Pit Barrel, Mastertouch and ground firepit.

This way it stays close to the house and the main social area when we get visitors and I am cooking for the masses as we are only a household of 2 at the moment otherwise. I have the Crafted Plancha and although it is useful for 2 people, it really doesn't cut it as a griddle for more than that. Wish the full insert was available before I bought the Crafted version.

Although Weber UK starting selling the full insert last month in this country, when I rang them about the Storage bag for it, 1) they didn't know it even existed as a product & 2) they don't see anything on the catalogue internal system for it to become available anytime soon.

Noticed ours in the UK is Porcelain Enamelled Cast iron (like the Crafted version I assume) and yours iin the USA is Carbon Steel, hopefully it works just as well, would imagine it wouldn't need seasoning like the Carbon Steel one

https://www.weber.com/GB/en/accessories/tools-and-cookware/griddles--and--planchas/6791.html

Had to buy a larger size bag (camp chef) to store it or put the grates in when in use, from Amazon US, the storage cabinet is full of other Crafted stuff already so no room to store the grates in there. It should arrive in the next 14 days, so will order the full insert when it has been dispatched from the USA, just in case there has been a price drop in the next 10 days or so. Unlikely though.

Most of the Crafted stuff is ok, I own it all that is available in the UK, but it's frustrating owning the Genesis (came supplied with Crafted grates and frame) but owning a Smokefire EX4 I had to buy the Frame and grates seperately for it for my EX4 to be able to use them on that. The Spirit gas grill would have been interchangable with my Smokefire EX4, the Genesis is interchangable with just the EX6 unfortunately.

Got my Genesis for just over £600 on a misprice just after launch instead of £1600 (they missed the 1 off in the listing) but in all fairness the company I bought it from, honoured the misprice. So can't complain to much at the extra cost to convert my Smokefire and I bought the Crafted Stainless Steel grates for the EX4 which are so much easier to clean (go in the dishwasher) than the original cast iron ones that came with it originally, that have to be hand cleaned in the sink and a very messy job that can be as well.
 
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Mark Foreman said:
I have the full size insert for my EX-335 and am super happy with it.
When I got it, I had sold 2 WSMs and gave my performer to my daughter. That left me with the WSK and EX-335. After the downsizing, I didn’t want to Add anything new so I bought the griddle. It works wonderfully and I have the storage bag.

To use it, I remove the grates (store in the cabinet), install the griddle and go. Temperatures are quite even and it gets plenty hot. Also have the advantage of using the lid!

Review for the full griddle have been good online. So very happy I went that way.
Click to expand...
With the full size can you have two different zones of heat?
 
Tom Reed said:
With the full size can you have two different zones of heat?
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Yes it’s pretty easy to make heat zones. Just adjust the burners. When I make smash burgers for example I put one burner on high, opposite on low, then adjust the middle burner accordingly to get 2 zones. Have not yet tried three.

Here is a a review by the flat top king.
 
I use a regular Traveler grill with 2 sets. This way, I can make my traveler into full grill, full griddle or half/half. I've found myself using the half/half more frequently with proteins on one side and veggies on the other. I like the versatility of the different grates.

I use 2 of Onlyfire stainless steel rod grill grates and 2 of Onlyfire reversible cast iron griddle. Size good for 4 or more people.

Half Griddle / Half Grill Grate:
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Full Grill Grate:
20231205_184344.jpg

Full Griddle:
Traveler 1st Cook.jpg
 
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