Griddle covers, by size and burner count

Buy this before any other accessory

On a bare carbon-steel griddle a cover is not an accessory, it is a requirement. Rust is what ends most griddles, and the two things that prevent it are a thin oil film after every cook and a cover between cooks.

Of everything on this site, this is the purchase with the best ratio of cost to consequence.

Sizing: three things to match, not one

1. Width

17, 22, 28 or 36 inches for the common Blackstone sizes; 22, 30 or 36 for Weber Slate. Match the stated size of your griddle.

Sizes are not interchangeable between brands even at the same stated width, because the cart dimensions differ. A 36-inch Blackstone cover is not a 36-inch Weber cover.

2. Hood or no hood

A hinged hood adds several inches of height, and a cover cut for a hoodless griddle will not go over one. This is the sizing mistake people make most often, because the width is right and they assume that is the only variable.

3. Burner count and cart type

Two griddles of the same nominal width can have different cart footprints — a 28 with a cabinet base, a 28 with folding legs, a 28 on a standard cart. Check the cart style, not just the plate size.

Vents are not optional

An unvented cover is worse than no cover on a bare steel top.

Here is why. Moisture evaporates off the griddle and the ground beneath it. A sealed cover traps that vapor in a warm, still space directly against unprotected steel. That is close to an ideal rusting environment, and it is actively worse than leaving the griddle open where air moves.

Look for mesh vents, usually on the sides near the top. Then look for straps or a cinch cord — a cover that lifts off in wind protects nothing and usually ends up in a hedge.

What fails first

• Seams, where stitching perforates the fabric. Water gets in at the stitch holes before it gets through the material.
• The elastic hem, which loses tension and stops holding the cover down.
• The fabric itself, to UV. This is the real lifespan limit — covers are consumables, and a few seasons of direct sun degrades any of them.

Treat a cover as something you will replace, not something you buy once.

Covers, hoods and bags are three different things

• A soft cover protects the whole griddle including the cart, shelves and burner assembly — which is where painted steel rusts at the fixings.
• A hood or hard cover keeps rain off the plate and, in the hinged case, lets you cook with trapped heat. It does not protect the cart.
• A carry bag is for transporting a tabletop griddle, mainly to keep grease off your car.

They are complementary. Having a hood is not a reason to skip the cover.

Using it properly

1. Let the griddle cool completely first. Covering a warm griddle traps moisture and can melt the cover.
2. Oil the plate before covering. The cover is a second line of defense, not the first.
3. Secure the straps. Every time.
4. Check under it occasionally during long unused periods, rather than discovering a problem in spring.

The full rust prevention routine.