Blackstone vs. Pit Boss: Head To Head Grill Review

(Please note, this is not an affiliate post. We just wanted to offer a review of these griddle options to help make shopping a little easier, especially since grilling or using a griddle can be an easy way to upgrade your food options while keeping things a little healthier). 

Grilling isn’t just an incredible way to prepare your food. It can be one of the healthiest options and can turn into a hobby all its own. 

Some might even go so far as to say that grilling is a way of life.

But, like any hobby, you need to have the right tools for the job if you want to get the best results. 

You wouldn’t want to start cooking without mixing bowls and a bunch of dull knives, right? It’s important to know that you’re getting a good grill when you’re choosing between a range of different options. 

At the same time, a lot of people have been moving away from true grills, and opting for griddles like the Blackstone and Pit Boss. These tools are a little more versatile and flexible, and home chefs and restaurants are both making the switch. 

But which is the better option? 

Blackstone and Pit Boss Griddles both have a good reputation and are known to be great options. Let’s take a closer look at both of these options, what they’re good for, where they could be better, and what kind of person is going to get the most benefit from each. 

All About The Blackstone Griddle

The first thing you need to know about Blackstone is that their griddles are considered the gold standard in the industry. They specialize in griddles of various sizes and heights, both standalone and countertop. That means that everything about a Blackstone griddle is going to be designed with performance in mind. 

Blackstone griddles have a few different advantages, regardless of which model you choose: 

Heat Distribution: 

The heat on a Blackstone is going to be well distributed across the entirety of a Blackstone griddle top unless it’s specifically designed to offer different heat zones. 

That’s important because it means you can expect consistent cooking time and temperature across the whole griddle. Consistent temperature is often less important for home consumers than restaurants, but it’s still nice to know that you can expect consistent cooking when you’re working with a Blackstone. 

Most Blackstone griddles these days do have controllable heat zones, which also makes it easier to prepare more than one element of your meal on the griddle at the same time. 

Even Non-Stick Texture: 

Another common complaint when it comes to griddles is that they might develop sticky zones or places where the non-stick starts to fail sooner than on the rest of the griddle. 

The problem with these is that a sticky or scratched spot can dramatically decrease the versatility of that part of the griddle. 

The high-quality coating on a Blackstone helps ensure consistent cooking and non-stick performance across the entire griddle surface. 

Easy To Care For: 

A lot of griddles rely on the performance and characteristics of quality cast iron to achieve their grill-like function. But, that cast iron surface can be harder to care for, which can contribute to developing rough or sticky spots on the griddle. 

By using rolled carbon steel instead, Blackstone has some serious durability and ease of use advantages. Cleaning and maintaining your griddle is simpler and easier with carbon steel

Not sure what recipes work on a Blackstone? Don’t worry, we’ve got a Blackstone recipe round-up just for you. 

All About The Pit Boss Griddle

The Pit Boss griddle might not have as much of an industry reputation as the Blackstone, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as good at what it does. 

The Pit Boss brand is well-named since this griddle performs incredibly well when you’re cooking large slabs of meat. It’s perfect for grilling up for your favorite steaks, putting the finishing touches on BBQ, before or after smoking, and can handle just about any cut of meat with ease. 

However, there are a few key differences with this brand. 

Cast Iron Construction: 

Pit Boss griddles are made with cast iron. That helps to create the smokey flavor and quality sear you’re looking for when you’re cooking meat. It also makes it a little less versatile as a cooking surface and means that you should expect to spend a little more time on maintenance in the process. 

Temperature Control: 

Unlike the Blackstone, which offers both good heat performance and heat zones in most models, Pit Boss griddles only offer one of those benefits. Pit Boss griddles have uniform heat across the entire griddle. However, cast iron does create slight differences in heat zone depending on where the head is being applied. 

You can expect relatively consistent cooking performance across the entire griddle, but it will take some time to learn where the individual hot and cold spots are on your griddle. 

The portable models of the Pit Boss do use stainless, but the performance is still a little different and a little more varied than with a Blackstone. 

Size: 

Size isn’t everything when it comes to a good griddle, but it can have a significant impact on how you can use the griddle. Larger griddles take more energy, which is important to remember if you’re thinking about getting one of the gas-powered models. However, they also give you a whole lot more cooking space. 

If you have a large family or are expecting to cook larger pieces of meat or large meals, the added size of the Pit Boss is a big advantage. 

Head To Head: Blackstone Vs. Pit Boss Strengths and Weaknesses

When it comes down to Blackstone vs. Pit Boss there are a lot of similarities, so a lot of people think that the preference for one over the other is a matter of taste more than function. 

That’s true in a lot of ways. Both of these griddles offer top-notch performance, are effective, and give you a great cooking surface for certain kinds of preparation. 

However, there are some key differences. 

For one, the way Pit Boss and Blackstone griddles transfer heat is significantly different. Blackstone griddles are incredibly versatile and suitable for cooking just about anything that can tolerate the heat of the griddle. However, Blackstone griddles aren’t as good for cooking larger cuts of meat. Even a particularly thick steak could be more challenging on a Blackstone. 

The Pit Boss, on the other hand, handles thicker cuts of meat like a champ but is generally less versatile than Blackstone griddles. The brand name, Pit Boss, is really appropriate here because the griddle is best suited to use by BBQ pit masters and in similar situations. 

When it comes to making other kinds of food, the Pit Boss might not be the best choice for fruits, more delicate vegetables, or things like pancakes. 

Maintenance is another big difference between these two. Assuming you have the right tools and cleaners, cleaning a Blackstone griddle is pretty simple. The carbon steel surface is hardy, easy to clean and sanitize, and doesn’t need any special treatments to keep it in good shape. 

Pit Boss griddles are a little different, at least if you have one of the cast iron versions. Assuming your griddle is well-seasoned it should have a similarly non-stick surface that’s easy to work with. However, you will have to periodically re-season your Pit Boss griddle, and you might need to be more careful with it when you’re cleaning. 

You’ll also want to get a cast-iron-specific cleaner since other cleaners might be too harsh for the seasoning or fail to completely sanitize a seasoned cast-iron surface. 

Who Is It For? 

Choosing the right griddle for your needs is important to make sure you’re getting the right griddle for yourself and your family. 

If you’re looking for a more versatile and low-maintenance griddle, a Blackstone is probably going to be the more versatile option. Especially if you choose a Blackstone with more than one heat zone. 

However, if you’re a fan of larger cuts of meat you might do better with a Pit Boss thanks to the better results for any meat that’s over a couple of inches thick. People who love hosting grilling parties or BBQing their meat might do better with a Pit Boss overall. 

However, for seared fruits and vegetables, or getting that fresh grilled flavor in some of your favorite summer meals, the Blackstone might do better. 

Not sure what kinds of meals you can make on a quality griddle? Take a look at our list of the best grilling recipes. Any of these recipes are going to work well on both of these griddle brands. 

Final Thoughts: Blackstone Vs. Pit Boss

There are a few other things we haven’t already hit on that are worth mentioning. For one thing, Blackstone specializes in griddles, but Pit Boss doesn’t, Pit Boss has a range of different products they offer for grilling and cooking, including some specialized to work with their other products. 

Overall, the biggest deciding factors between these two griddles should probably be how versatile they are and how easy maintenance is. 

Blackstone griddles tend to be more versatile and easier to care for, but that also means they are less effective