You've probably seen it sitting on a Walmart shelf or tucked into the back of a neighbor's truck during a tailgate. The Blackstone Adventure Ready 17 is basically the "gateway drug" of the griddling world. It looks simple. It’s a flat piece of steel over a burner. But honestly, most people treat these things like disposable camping stoves, and that is exactly why they end up with a rusted, flaking mess by the second season.
I’ve spent enough time around these units to tell you that the "Adventure Ready" tag isn't just marketing fluff. It’s a specific build. If you're coming from a traditional charcoal grill or even a standard kitchen pan, there is a learning curve here that nobody tells you about until your pancakes are sticking and your regulator is frosting over in 40-degree weather.
Why the Adventure Ready 17 is different from the standard model
People get confused. They see a 17-inch Blackstone on Amazon and a 17-inch "Adventure Ready" version at Walmart and think it's just a sticker. It isn't. The biggest tell is the grease management. Older or "standard" portable units sometimes featured front-grease trays. They were messy. They leaked. They took up valuable real estate on the actual cooking surface.
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The Adventure Ready 17 uses the patented rear grease management system. This is a game changer for one simple reason: gravity. You scrape everything to the back, it falls into a little cup, and you're done.
Another nuance? The Omnivore Griddle Plate. This is newer tech that Blackstone rolled out to prevent warping and to help the plate heat up faster with fewer BTUs. It’s thinner in some places and reinforced in others. Basically, it’s designed to handle the wind better, which is the absolute nemesis of any tabletop griddle.
The Specs: More than just 267 square inches
Let’s talk numbers, but keep it real. You get 267 square inches of cooking space. What does that actually mean?
- About 9 to 12 sliders at once.
- Four massive steaks (if you’re adventurous).
- A full pound of bacon, though you'll be fighting the grease halfway through.
- Roughly 9 sausage patties.
It pumps out 12,500 BTUs from a single H-style burner. Now, some people complain that a single burner doesn't give you "zones." They’re right. Sorta. Because it's a single H-burner, the heat is relatively even across the middle, but you can actually use the far edges as a "keep warm" zone since the steel doesn't stay quite as scorching out there.
It weighs about 21 to 25 pounds depending on whether you’ve got the version with the hard cover. That’s light enough to carry with one hand, but heavy enough that you don't want to hike five miles with it. It’s a "car-to-table" piece of gear.
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The Seasoning Myth: Your first 30 minutes decide everything
If you take this out of the box and throw a burger on it, you’ve failed. Sorry, but it’s true. The plate comes with a thin layer of soy oil from the factory to prevent rust during shipping. You have to wash that off with soapy water—the only time soap should ever touch the plate—and then the real work starts.
You need a high smoke point oil. Think flaxseed oil, avocado oil, or the official Blackstone seasoning paste. Don't use butter. Don't use olive oil for the initial seasoning.
You want to get that plate so hot it starts to turn blue and then black. Apply a thin coat. I mean scary thin. Like you’re trying to wipe the oil off after you put it on. If it’s thick, it’ll get tacky and peel. You do this 3 or 4 times. When it looks like a black mirror, you’re ready.
Real world problems and how to dodge them
The biggest headache with the Blackstone Adventure Ready 17 is the "Low Flow" issue. You're out at the lake, you turn the knob, and the flame is a tiny, pathetic blue flicker. You think the regulator is broken. It probably isn't.
Most of the time, the safety check in the regulator tripped because you turned the gas on too fast.
- Shut everything off.
- Disconnect the 1lb tank.
- Wait 60 seconds.
- Reconnect and turn the knob slowly.
Wind is the other killer. Because the Adventure Ready sits high on its feet, a stiff breeze can blow right between the burner and the plate. This makes it feel like the griddle won't get hot. Pro tip: buy some magnetic wind guards or just use some folded-up aluminum foil to bridge that gap. It’ll cut your heating time in half.
Is it actually "Ready" for an adventure?
Honestly, the "bundle" is where the value is. If you buy the version that includes the hard cover and the carry bag, you're saving yourself a massive headache. The steel plate is heavy-duty rolled steel. If it gets damp or even a little bit of humidity hits it without a cover, it will rust overnight. I’ve seen it happen. A hard cover keeps the rain off, and the carry bag keeps the grease from getting all over your SUV's carpet.
For fuel, it's designed for those little 1lb green propane bottles. They last maybe 2 to 3 hours of total cook time. If you’re doing a long weekend, get the propane adapter hose and hook it up to a 20lb tank. It's cheaper, and you won't run out of gas in the middle of a pancake flip.
Actionable next steps for your new griddle
If you just picked one up or you're about to, here is how you ensure it doesn't become a rust bucket by July:
- Strip the factory coat: Use hot soapy water and a scrub pad immediately after unboxing. Dry it instantly with a paper towel.
- The 4-Coat Rule: Season the plate at least four times with very thin layers of oil before the first meal.
- Heat Management: Give it 10 minutes to preheat. These plates are thick and take time to absorb the energy from that H-burner.
- Post-Cook Maintenance: While the griddle is still warm, scrape it, squirt a little water to steam off the bits, wipe it dry, and apply a microscopic layer of oil to "seal" it before putting the cover on.
- Leveling: If your eggs are all sliding to one corner, it's not the griddle's fault. Use a small level or just shim the feet with a bit of cardboard to get that grease draining toward the back hole correctly.