Now that we have just bought a new Blackstone Griddle, the obvious next step is to never stop spending money. It’s the truth even if it sounds like a joke! We know this before we ever make the move to buy that new griddle in the first place, yet once it is home and assembled and ready for action, we learn the reality that Blackstone accessories are a bottomless pit.
This is the world in which we live. There are three ways to deal with this fact of life:
- One is to avoid accessories like the plague and use whatever you already have, which can work to some degree until your unit wears out with no cover and your cold-rolled steel cooking surface is ruined from wrong care, and you see why two griddle spatulas are better than one.
- Two is to gradually add accessories so you get just what you need at the start and can budget accordingly along the way.
- Three is to go hog wild because we are in Spending Mode already so why not just load up a shopping cart with all these cool gadgets that will make griddle adventures so much more fun.
We’re going with the last choice here until our editor or our spouse decides enough is enough. But there are some provisos. We acknowledge the presence of countless other brands when it comes to Blackstone accessories. Amazon will guide you with 5-star ratings. Local stores have options and Facebook Marketplace has goodies for next to nothing. You’re going to need some advice here and below we’ll highlight the must-haves so you can get right to work.
Why We Need Accessories For Outdoor Griddles, Grills, and Barbecues
Most things in life do not require accessories. When you buy a new car, you get the steering wheel, the stick shift, the cams and pistons, the windshield wipers, the music, the odometer, even the spare tire in the back! When you buy a major indoor appliance like a refrigerator or washer and dryer, you hook them up and they just do their job. Washing machines need some detergent and softener but not 75 accessories, and a dryer just needs cling tosses.
When you buy an umbrella, you just open it if it’s raining and do not rely on further devices like a canopy extender or anti-lightning shield. When you buy a new pair of jeans, you just pay for them and then you go home and put them on and go outside. You can accessorize jeans with a belt, but you don’t have to, especially after you make all of our Blackstone recipes.
So what’s with grilling food? And especially Blackstone, which saw Weber and Big Green Egg’s raise and then doubled it? This has become a whole cottage industry where the real money for these brands is maybe even more substantial than the main attraction. And guess who pays all that extra money? That’s right, you and me. We aren’t even talking about the MAIN accessory, the food with high meat prices at the grocery store. We’re talking about accessories!
It shouldn’t have to be this way, but it is and there’s not much you can do about it. Fortunately, we are here to help navigate the choices. It has been this way ever since the whole concept of cooking began. Preparing food means preparing the right accessories to help ensure a successful dinner for your guests, inside or outside. Grilling just too it to another level.
You know what it’s like when you stand there at the store with your mouth wide open as you stare at this intimidating array of brand-colored accessories? You know that you don’t really NEED most of this stuff, but FOMO gets the better of you so you just start filling your cart.
Don’t blindly buy all Blackstone brand accessories, just because. Help smaller businesses that cater with great products. Do a little research and go with top-rated items.
Here Are 15 Blackstone Accessories You Need Right Now
You can spend $100 on a 30-piece Blackstone Accessory Kit, or even better $36 for a 20-piece kit that is off-brand on Amazon. Sure, this kind of bundle is convenient for those of with really busy lives. But you’ll have a lot more enjoyment from gradually building your own collection at good prices and with good ratings from a variety of manufacturers. And besides, the whole point of outdoor cooking is to get away from busy life and its stresses.
Try these 15 Blackstone accessories for starters, and slowly grow your tool chest:
1. SILICONE GRIDDLE MAT TO PROTECT YOUR GROUND SURFACE
Before you do anything, protect the ground surface beneath and around your new Blackstone. Griddle cooking is super fun but it also can be super messy as grease pops and you wave two saucy and oily griddle spatulas around like a warrior. I’m very happy with the Blackstone 48” x 32” silicone griddle floor mat I bought at Walmart, giving me one foot of mat surface in front of the unit so I stand on it while I cook and it catches any slop and occasional pancake batter. It is non-skid, fire-resistant and looks sharp with another big rah-rah logo. It helps protect my wood deck or a garage floor, and when you go to a campground just lay this out and it helps your griddle sit tight. Just hose off to clean. Grilltex is a popular pick for even more coverage.
2. EASY BEEZY SEASONING PUSH-UP STICK IS LIKE OLD TIMES
Remember those hot summer days when you enjoyed a Creamsicle push-up pop? It was like a toilet paper roll with a plunger and you always wished it would last longer. Maybe that’s the reason I like Easy Beezy so much. It kind of reminds me of those push-ups. I bought a 3.8-ounce stick on Amazon for $21 (arrived a day late) just to see what so many people like about it. This is a hardened blend of grapeseed oil, avocado oil and organic beeswax, and you want to push out just enough of the cylindrical cast iron seasoning and rub it over your griddle. My first mistake was doing this while the griddle was still hot, so what happens is it quickly melts your push-up and you go through it too fast! And you know how much you hated that back on those summer days. Jury is out on this product and we’ll dive deeper in a full seasoning post.
3. GLOVES THAT ARE EASY ON THE HAND AND EASY ON THE EYES
I am not applying for a superhero action movie role, so I am going to skip the bright orange Blackstone heat gloves. Just way too gaudy and distracting. Besides, my gray Grill Armor Gloves are in perfect condition after about 10 months of using in Big Green Egg smoking and regularly handling 500-degree cast iron pans that I restore and season with oil for three one-hour rounds in the oven. These Kevlar gloves handle heat up to 932 degrees, they’re super maneuverable, and they look as good as the day I got them at Ace Hardware, even after one or two washes. So I suggest you go to your local Ace to buy a pair, or go the Amazon route if they’re out.
4. COLLECT SOME BLACKSTONE TOOL HOLDER MAGNETS
As long as we’re talking about childhood memories, why not also recreate all that fun arranging fridge magnets into the alphabet by putting Blackstone tool holder magnets all over your griddle. Have to say that this was actually one of my first accessory purchases here, because the bright orange spheres really pop, because there are three per package that hold your main utensils (I’d buy two packs), and because they are just really fun to move around. They have stainless steel hooks, and everything can just stay in its place when covered, too. This comes with a little tool rack that affixes to the back of your griddle while you cook so you can conveniently place your spatulas when your hands are doing something else.
5. THREE-WAY CLEANING TOOL GETS THE JOB DONE
OK, so what objects to hang from those cool magnet tool holders? Let’s start with a good three-way cleaning tool. I went with the brand version for $20 at Walmart. There is a scrubber on one side and you can buy a five-pack of replaceable scouring pads. There is a pumice brick on one side to lift up any caked-on residue. There is a blade in the center to use as a scraper to move everything into the grease pan, and I wish the blade was twice as long to avoid the other sides contacting the surface. It even has a handy bottle opener on the end, although I’m not so big on opening bottles with an object used to remove detritus. It’s OK overall, but here’s another case where you can find alternatives on Amazon that are more effective and cheaper.
6. GRIDDLE SPATULAS AND WE DON’T MEAN JUST ONE
You still have two magnets left to hold Blackstone utensils, and we suggest using both of them for basically the same object: A griddle spatula. The first fact of life I had to accept in griddle life was using more than one spatula at a time. I thought it seemed like a waste to charge people for two spatulas per pack. On a Char-Broil grill or a Big Green Egg or a Weber grill, one big spatula was enough to get the job done. But cooking on a griddle is way different, and you can watch some Youtube videos to see exactly how it’s done. Pictured here is a Blackstone 6-Piece set with the spatulas, but we prefer the wood handles of a popular Anmarko set. It contains two stainless steel spatulas — one longer than the other for flipping, the other with beveled and sharp edges for grill turning — and a scraper/chopper with measuring rule. The scraper goes way beyond the one on that 3-Way tool, and just be careful you don’t burn yourself scraping the griddle.
7. AN ACCESSORY FOR ALL YOUR ACCESSORIES
Those three tool magnets were used up fast, and with all of these Blackstone accessories we are listing in this post, you could really use this Grill Caddy. Especially if you grill on the go! You’ll look a little like a construction worker, but your family will know you’re the barbecue person. Cook & carry with a removable handle, pockets for spices and squeeze bottles, 360-degree webbing, waterproof base, and a spacious interior. The Adventure Ready Tool Bag makes sense, too. Of course, you could go the cheap route and just get a 5-gallon plastic bucket for a couple bucks and throw everything in there for easy carry and storage. The Mad Accessory Scientists aren’t gonna like this idea, but maybe we could market it.
8. SMASH THAT SMASHBURGER WITH A SMASHING GRILL PRESS
There is no shortage of grill presses out there to smash down on your burger patty or panini or pressed sandwich and get a nice, thin and crispy finished product on your griddle. I love the cast iron Big Green Egg grill press, which I bought for about $25 at Ace Hardware. It has the cool-grip spiral handle, and on the Blackstone standup griddle it helps keep bacon and ham from curling up, while over on the Big Green Egg ceramic cooker it lets you achieve a perfect sear for your steak and seafood. It’s a gorgeous piece of cookware that I keep out on the counter.
9. EVERY GRIDDLE NEEDS A PAIR OF SQUIRT BOTTLES
Liquid is a fact of life for griddle cooking, so right away you will need the right holders. One clear plastic bottle for your favorite cooking oil, in my case one that is mostly Canola. Oil is how you start the whole griddle adventure, lubricating the surface so all those veggies or meats slide around like magic and avoid burning. The other bottle is for water, used whenever the time is right. I cross-branded on this one and bought a pack of two Weber squirt bottles because I like their size, shorter than the Blackstone versions. The point here is that you can mix and match brands, don’t kneel to marketing if one works better. You can really cheap out this accessory.
10. GREASE IS THE WORD IS THE WORD HAVE YOU HEARD
And because it’s the word you are going to go through multiple aluminum rear grease cup liners. Blackstone sells these as 10 packs in the accessories aisle so just toss it in the cart and keep moving. Pro tip: Blackstone also makes liners for those pans so cleanup is easier, good to know if you happen to have a dog and are used to throwing out used thin bags with gross stuff inside.
11. MORE FUN SILICONE STUFF LIKE YOU’RE A KID
I don’t know why, but silicone is like an endless fun optional material for the Blackstone griddle life. There could be 100 silicone accessories, and maybe there are. Heat is no object, making cool shapes is half the fun, and easy cleanup is maybe the best part of all. The Six-Section Egg Ring Tray will save you space and time for great breakfasts, and besides straight eggs you can tinker with pancakes, omelets and sausage. Add comments below with any special silicone accessories that have made your griddle life better!
12. EVEN MORE FUN WITH SILICONE STUFF LIKE YOU’RE A KID
This Blackstone 28” Adventure Ready Griddle will be going places, and you need some portable stuff that is ready for any such occasion. Here’s another great silicone item to keep handy, a collapsible basting cover. The brand bills it as “a culinary camper’s best friend,” and I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to be a culinary camper! It weighs just a pound, folds flat when you need it, and after you finish cooking you can even flip it over to use it as a bowl so one less dish to take on the trip.
13. A PROPER BASTING DOME IS ROUND AND A MUST-HAVE
That silicone basting dome is fine for the road, but when you’re at home you need your restaurant kitchen game on. Blackstone offers a choice between a traditional round basting dome and an extra-large rectangular version. Weber has a square model, and so does Blackstone. Let’s be clear: A dome is round, and shape is the most important part of your choice so it provides even distribution to your food. It should be large enough for your food items to fit in the middle, so one foot in diameter is good for an average 6-inch patty. Honestly, if you want one large enough to cover all the food on the whole griddle, why not just close your griddle hood? I’m going with Blackstone here because it’s a stainless-steel dome with a heat-resistant handle.
14. DON’T FORGET THE OTHER KIND OF SEASONING FOR YOUR GRIDDLE
We highlighted the Easy Beezy griddle seasoning stick above, but now we’re talking about the stuff you sprinkle on or use to marinade your food. I’m a big fan of Big Green Egg’s Signature Steakhouse blend, which goes with just about everything. As you might expect, Blackstone has an endless array of its own branded seasonings, so just shop around and get what you like!
15. THE RIGHT COVER WILL MAKE YOUR GRIDDLE LAST LONGER
I saved the most important accessory for last. If there’s any one of these 15 that you absolutely do NOT want to cheap out with it is the cover. Go for the highest quality possible, because you will get what you pay for here. My Big Green Egg brand cover was crap, wafer thin and poor-fitting. In this case, the Blackstone brand comes through. As I wrote in 20 Steps to Become a Standup Blackstone Griddle Owner, the Walmart where I bought this Blackstone 28” Griddle for $200 also sold specific covers for both the 28 and 36 inch models. I love the two-tone heather gray and slate black heavy-duty cover for the 28, better to me than the all-back 36-inch model which will fade in the Florida sun. The only knock is that it is too big for this portable Blackstone griddle, despite being marketed as a 28-inch cover, so it flows onto the ground like a pair of pants that are too long. It’s almost overkill for my griddle, but I’d rather have overkill than subpar coverage.
That’s just 15 Blackstone accessories to get you started, and trust us we will be bringing more as we keep trying them out on our back deck or on some adventurous outing. Start easy and make smart choices then have fun gradually growing your collection, whether it’s new stuff from Blackstone or used from FB Marketplace or just one you invented. You can do that, you know.
