I’ll be honest. When I first saw a blackstone 4 burner griddle with hood at a local hardware store, I thought it was overkill. I already had a perfectly good propane grill. Why on earth would I need 768 square inches of rolled steel just to make breakfast? Then I tasted a smash burger made on one. That changed everything. There is something about the way that cold beef hits a screaming hot, seasoned surface that a traditional grate just can't replicate. It’s not just about the heat; it’s about the contact.
Most people looking at this specific model are usually torn between the classic open-top version and the one with the integrated hood. Let me save you the internal debate right now: get the hood. It’s not just a fancy lid to keep the rain off, though it does that quite well. It’s a heat-trapping tool that lets you steam broccoli, melt cheese on a pile of Philly cheesesteak meat, and keep the wind from blowing out your flames. If you've ever tried to cook outdoors on a breezy Tuesday in April, you know exactly how annoying a flickering flame can be.
The Reality of 60,000 BTUs
Let’s talk power. This machine isn't some dainty kitchen appliance. We are talking about four independent stainless steel burners pushing out a combined 60,000 BTUs. That is a massive amount of energy. What does that actually mean for your Sunday brunch? It means you can have one side of the griddle cranked to "searing hot" for bacon, while the other side stays on "low" for delicate pancakes.
You’ve probably heard people complain about "hot spots" on large griddles. Blackstone handles this fairly well, but let’s be real—every large cooking surface has variations. The trick is learning where those zones live. On the 36-inch model, the corners tend to be a tiny bit cooler than the center directly over the burner tubes. This is actually a feature, not a bug. I use those cooler corners to keep my toasted buns warm while the meat finishes up.
Why the Hood Changes the Game
Before Blackstone started shipping these with attached hoods, everyone used those heavy, rectangular melting domes. They work, sure, but they are a pain to store and they get covered in grease. The integrated hood on the blackstone 4 burner griddle with hood acts like a convection oven. If you're doing thick-cut pork chops or even a frozen pizza (don't knock it until you try it), that hood traps the ambient heat.
It also saves you a ton of time on cleanup.
Without a hood, you're constantly scrubbing off pollen, dust, or bird "gifts" before you can even start seasoning the metal. With the hood, you just lift it, wipe a quick layer of oil, and you’re ready to rock. It protects that precious seasoning you worked so hard to build up.
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The Learning Curve Most People Ignore
Building a seasoning is where most beginners fail. They think "pre-seasoned" means "ready to cook a ribeye." It doesn’t. You need to treat this like a cast-iron skillet. You want thin—and I mean paper-thin—layers of oil. If you glob it on, it gets sticky and gross. Use something with a high smoke point like Blackstone’s own seasoning paste, or just basic avocado oil. Flaxseed oil used to be the gold standard, but a lot of pros like Todd Toven have pointed out that it tends to flake off over time if you don't do it perfectly.
Heat it until it stops smoking. Then do it again. Five times.
It takes about an hour, but once it’s done, that surface is slicker than a skating rink. You’ll be sliding eggs around like a hibachi chef in no time. Speaking of hibachi, that’s where this 36-inch beast shines. You have enough room to toss two pounds of fried rice on one side while searing shrimp and steak on the other. You can't do that on the smaller 28-inch models without making a massive mess over the edges.
Managing the Grease Trap
Blackstone moved their grease management system to the rear a few years back, and it was the smartest move they ever made. Older models had a little side cup that caught everything, but it was messy and prone to leaking down the leg of the grill. The rear grease discharge is much more efficient.
Pro tip: buy the disposable foil liners.
Seriously. Cleaning out a greasy metal cup by hand is the fastest way to lose your appetite. The liners cost pennies and you just toss them when they're full. Also, make sure your griddle is level. If your patio has a slight slope for drainage, your grease might not flow toward the hole properly. I’ve seen guys use washers or even pieces of wood under the casters to get that perfect "grease flow" angle.
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The "Everything" Cooking Surface
The versatility of the blackstone 4 burner griddle with hood is why it has such a cult following. I've seen people do things on these that would baffle a traditional griller.
- Smash Burgers: The gold standard. You need that flat surface to get the "lace" on the edges of the patty.
- Breakfast for 20: You can cook two packs of bacon and a dozen eggs simultaneously. It’s a camping game-changer.
- Fajitas: Searing peppers and onions alongside the steak gives you that restaurant-style char that a pan simply can't match because of the surface area.
- Seafood: Scallops love the high heat of the rolled steel.
One thing to watch out for is the wind. Even with the hood, if you’re in a high-wind area, the heat can get sucked out from under the griddle plate. Some people buy aftermarket wind guards—little magnetic strips of metal that block the gaps. It's a cheap fix if you live in a place like Kansas or the coast where the wind never stops.
Maintenance and the "Rust" Scare
I see it on forums all the time: "My Blackstone is rusting! Is it ruined?"
Usually, the answer is no. It’s steel. Steel rusts if it’s neglected. If you leave it out in a humid environment without a layer of oil, you'll see some orange spots. The beauty of the blackstone 4 burner griddle with hood is that it’s nearly indestructible. You can take a wire brush or a scraper to that rust, get it back down to the bare metal, and just re-season it.
After every cook, while the surface is still warm, I scrape off the food bits, squirt a little water to steam off the stubborn stuff, and then wipe on a very thin layer of oil. That’s it. If you do that consistently, that griddle will outlive you. The hood helps tremendously here because it keeps the direct rain and dew off the surface, which is the primary cause of flash rusting.
Is it worth the footprint?
This thing is big. It’s about 62 inches wide when the side shelves are up. If you have a tiny balcony, this isn't for you. But if you have the patio space, it becomes the centerpiece of the yard. The side shelves are actually sturdy enough to hold a heavy tray of meat, which is a common complaint on cheaper knock-offs.
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The legs are foldable, supposedly for "portability," but let's be real—this thing weighs about 120 pounds. You aren't going to want to load it into a truck by yourself every weekend. It’s "portable" in the sense that you can move it to a new house, not that you’ll want to take it to every tailgate. For tailgating, look at the 22-inch tabletop versions.
Final Practical Steps for New Owners
If you just picked one up or are about to hit "buy," here is exactly what you need to do to ensure you don't hate your life three weeks from now:
- Check the Regulator: When you first hook up the propane, open the tank valve slowly. If you rip it open, the safety bypass might trigger, leaving you with a tiny, pathetic flame.
- The First Burn: Run all four burners on high for about 10-15 minutes before adding any oil. This burns off the factory shipping oil. You’ll see the metal turn a dark blue/grey. This is good.
- Buy a Good Scraper: Don't use a flimsy spatula to clean. Get a heavy-duty, wide-blade bench scraper. It makes the cleanup process take 30 seconds instead of five minutes.
- Temperature Management: Remember that the hood holds heat. If you're cooking something thin like crepes or eggs, keep the hood open. Close it for thick steaks or melting cheese on burgers.
- Cover It: Even with the hood, buy the heavy-duty fabric cover. It prevents moisture from creeping into the burner tubes and keeps spiders from building nests in your gas orifices (a very common reason for "my grill won't light" calls).
The blackstone 4 burner griddle with hood is a tool that rewards those who take care of it. It’s not a "set it and forget it" gas grill where you can leave the grates covered in char for a month. It requires a bit of a ritual. But once you get that ritual down, the quality of the food you can produce in your own backyard is legitimately professional-grade. Just be prepared for your neighbors to start showing up every time they smell bacon.
Essential Gear to Pick Up Immediately:
- A pair of long-handled squeeze bottles (one for water, one for oil).
- A heavy-duty scraper.
- At least two "offset" spatulas (the ones with the bend in the handle).
- A pack of rear grease cup liners.
- Infrared thermometer gun (optional, but great for finding those hot spots).
Stay on top of the seasoning and keep the surface clean, and you’ll find yourself rarely using your indoor stove again during the summer months. It's just more fun out there.