Best Blackstone Electric Griddle: E-Series vs Alternatives

The E-Series is the best Blackstone electric griddle because it is the only one, and it is a good one for breakfast-to-dinner cooking at a 1600-watt power draw. It heats fast and browns bacon and burgers evenly with the dial near the top, while two independently controlled zones let you cook eggs gently on one side and sear on the other. It is our pick for anyone who wants the Blackstone look and a hood on a counter.

The heat is not perfectly flat. The center runs hotter than the edges, and in one unit set to 325 the center read 415 while the edges read 260. That is a real hot-spot problem, and it is why we suggest sliding delicate foods toward the edges and searing in the middle. The cooking top is also crowned slightly in the middle, so oil runs to the edges, and frying sliced potatoes in a thin film is awkward.

The E-Series heats fast, but a heavy load at higher settings slows its heat recovery, even though everything still cooks. Bacon and burgers needed the dial near the top throughout, and the surface still browned evenly. Cook in smaller batches and you will not notice.

The hood is the feature that sets it apart from the cheaper models. It slides into half-open bracket ends and does not lock down, and the lid handle gets very hot, so keep a towel close. Cleanup is quick: push the grease into the rear bin lined with foil, wipe the hot top with paper towels, then wash the hood with mild soap. The top is light and slides into brackets, and the whole unit stores in a lower cabinet. The ceramic coating does not tolerate metal utensils, so use the nylon ones in the bundle. One unit we looked at had a base that popped out of the back and deformed under heat, so we would not run it on a crowded or unvented surface.

The Presto 07061 is the griddle we would hand to most people. It runs at 1500 watts, has a 22-inch PFAS-free ceramic nonstick surface, and costs a fraction of the Blackstone. It does the basic job without drama.

Capacity is the strong suit. The 22-inch top fits eight pancakes at a time, and a batch for five comes off in about 20 minutes. An infrared thermometer helps you avoid burning or undercooking, because the heat follows the line of the element and gives a slight hot-stripe pattern. Rotate the food once and the stripes disappear.

Cleanup is easy even after heavy use, and the removable handles simplify setup and let the griddle fit in a standard 18-inch cabinet for storage. The Control Master heat control detaches, and with it off the whole unit is fully immersible. The one weak spot is the plastic drip tray wings, which are brittle and chip if the tray drops.

The Cuisinart Griddler is not a flat 22-inch griddle, and we want to be clear about that. It is a 5-in-1 contact grill and panini press with two reversible plates of about 11 x 9 inches, so it fits a different job than the Blackstone. It is the pick if you cook sandwiches, burgers, and eggs for one or two people.

Its griddle mode runs from 200 F to 425 F, and the temperature control is adjustable. The plates release and clean easily, and they are dishwasher-safe PFAS-free nonstick. It makes strong grilled cheese and panini. The drip tray does not melt from hot grease the way a George Foreman-style tray can.

Build quality is the quiet selling point. One unit is still running after 11 years, and the limited 3-year warranty is longer than the Blackstone's and Chefman's one-year terms. The tradeoff is size. You will not feed a crowd on two small plates, and it will not replace a Blackstone for pancakes.

If surface size is your priority, the Presto 07046 is the largest griddle we would put on a counter. It holds up to 12 slices of French toast and fits up to about 24 small pancakes, so it is the one to buy for a crowd. It takes counter clearing to make room, so measure first.

Preheat it about 15 minutes so heat spreads evenly across the top. The center has only a slight cool spot, which is a gentler issue than the Blackstone's center hot spot. The ceramic PFAS-free coating, cool-touch base, and backstop ledge keep batter in place, and the tilt-to-drain design sends grease into the slide-out tray.

The tilt legs have no lock and can shift during use, so set the unit on a flat, stable surface. The grease tray melted when the unit sat on a hot burner by accident, so keep it far away from any stove. With the control removed it is immersible, which helps with cleanup after a big batch.

The Chefman XL is the cheapest way to get a real flat top. With a 10 x 20 inch surface, 1500 watts, and a 200 to 420 F range, it is the best budget electric griddle we found.

The long, narrow shape makes it easy to store and still roomy enough to cook eight pancakes or several eggs, bacon, and sausage without crowding. It runs a bit hot, makes crispy hash browns, and has a fairly even front-to-back gradient. Nothing sticks, and the control comes off so the top can go in the sink or, with the control removed, the dishwasher.

The catch is that the bottom element is unshielded, so the underside gets hot. Keep it on a heat-safe surface and away from the counter edge. Backed by a 1-year warranty, it is an easy first griddle, but it lacks the build and extras of the pricier picks.