Blackstone vs Camp Chef
One is a griddle. The other is a griddle that genuinely becomes a grill — and gives up 103 square inches to do it.
We earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. That is how this site is paid for, and it does not decide what we recommend — full disclosure.
Quick picks
Ranked on published specifications using our scoring rubric. Tap a row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Blackstone 36" Original GriddleLarge families and crowd cooking | Large families and crowd cooking | 8.6 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600People who want a grill and a griddle | People who want a grill and a griddle | 8.3 | Check price on Amazon |
#ad We publish no prices: there is no verified price feed on this site, so the retailer’s page is the only price. How this is funded
Side by side
Same fields on both sides. Heat density is computed from the published BTU and cooking area, not quoted from a manufacturer.
| Specification | Blackstone 36" Original Griddle | Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | 769 sq in | 604 sq in |
| Burners | 4 | 4 |
| Total output | 60,000 BTU | 48,000 BTU |
| Heat density | 78 BTU / sq in | 79.5 BTU / sq in |
| Cooktop | Carbon steel | Pre-seasoned cold-rolled steel |
| Best for | Large families and crowd cooking | People who want a grill and a griddle |
| Our score | 8.6 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 |
These are not the same kind of appliance
The Blackstone is a griddle. The Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600 is a convertible: 604 square inches as a griddle, 501 as a grill, with actual grill grates rather than a ridged plate.
That distinction matters. A ridged plate leaves marks but cannot produce grilled flavor, which comes from fat dripping onto heat, vaporizing and rising back through the food. Camp Chef uses real grates with gaps, so it genuinely does both jobs.
Heat density: effectively a tie
79.5 against 78.0 BTU per square inch. Camp Chef gets there with four matched 12,000 BTU burners, which is a small but real advantage — every zone has identical capability, so there is no inherently weaker zone.
The caveat is that 79.5 only holds with all four burners lit in griddle mode.
Surface: Blackstone, by 165 square inches
769 against 604 is a substantial difference — roughly the capacity of two extra zones. If griddling is what you do, the Blackstone simply holds more food.
And the Camp Chef drops to 501 square inches in grill mode, so against the Blackstone it is either 165 or 268 square inches smaller depending on configuration.
What conversion actually costs
- 103 square inches switching to grill mode. Geometry, not a design failure.
- Storage. Whichever surface is off the unit has to live somewhere, and a griddle plate this size is not small.
- Effort. Swapping is a few minutes plus somewhere to put a hot, heavy surface. This is the practical reason many combo owners end up using one mode only.
The option that undercuts both
If you already own a gas grill, a steel griddle plate gives you the same convertibility for a fraction of the cost of either griddle here, with no extra footprint and often a thicker cooking surface.
You lose the grill while the plate is on, and hot spots follow your grill’s burner layout. For most people that is an excellent trade, and it makes a combo appliance hard to justify unless you do not already own a grill.
Which to buy
Blackstone 36 if griddling is the point. More surface, better parts availability, nothing to swap or store.
Camp Chef FTG600 if you genuinely switch between grilling and griddling and have room for one appliance rather than two.
Neither, and a plate for the grill you own, if that describes you. Working out which you actually want.
The picks in detail
Specifications are linked to their source on every card. Scores are ours, derived from those specifications.
#1 · Large families and crowd cooking
Blackstone 36" Original Griddle
The default large griddle: four burners over 769 square inches, with the highest burner count in its size class and the deepest accessory ecosystem of any brand here.
#ad We publish no prices: there is no verified price feed on this site, so the retailer’s page is the only price. How this is funded
Key specifications
- Cooking area
- 769 sq in (35¾ × 21½ in)
- Burners
- 4, stainless steel
- Total output
- 60,000 BTU
- Cooktop
- Carbon steel
- Ignition
- Single spark
- Grease system
- Rear
Specifications from BBQGuys spec sheet.
Scores
- Cooking area9.5
- Heat output9.0
- Zone control9.5
- Surface care6.5
- Portability3.0
What works
- Four independent zones is the real argument for this size — you can hold a warm zone and still sear
- 769 sq in is enough to cook a full breakfast for eight without staging
- The widest accessory and spare-parts availability of any brand in this guide
What to know
- Bare carbon steel: it will rust if you leave it uncovered and unseasoned
- Needs real patio footprint — this is not a griddle you put away each week
- Rear grease management means the drain is behind the unit, which is awkward against a wall
#2 · People who want a grill and a griddle
Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600
604 square inches as a griddle, 501 as a grill — the only unit here that converts properly rather than pretending a griddle plate is a grill.
#ad We publish no prices: there is no verified price feed on this site, so the retailer’s page is the only price. How this is funded
Key specifications
- Griddle area
- 604 sq in
- Grill area
- 501 sq in
- Burners
- 4 × 12,000 BTU
- Total output
- 48,000 BTU
- Cooktop
- Pre-seasoned cold-rolled steel
- Dimensions
- 62.5 × 37 × 22 in
Specifications from BBQGuys spec sheet.
Scores
- Cooking area8.0
- Heat output9.5
- Zone control9.0
- Surface care7.0
- Portability3.5
What works
- Genuinely does both jobs — the grill grates are real grates, not a ridged plate
- Even 12,000 BTU per burner means the zones are matched rather than lopsided
- Pre-seasoned cold-rolled steel out of the box
What to know
- You lose 103 sq in when you convert to grill mode
- More parts to store than a dedicated griddle
- 79.5 BTU per sq in is strong, but only with all four burners lit
Common questions
Is the Camp Chef 600 a real grill as well as a griddle?
Which has more cooking area, Blackstone 36 or Camp Chef 600?
Is a combo worth it over a dedicated griddle?
Sources
Every specification on this page came from one of these. If you find one of them has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
Read next
Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600
604 square inches as a griddle, 501 as a grill, four matched 12,000 BTU burners. A combo that genuinely converts.
The best griddle and grill combos
Griddle-grill combinations compared. Which convert properly, which are a griddle with grill marks, and the cheaper alternative.
Griddle vs grill
What a flat top does better than a grate and vice versa, with the foods that decide it — and the cheapest way to have both.
The best griddle plates for gas grills
Steel griddle inserts for gas grills and ranges, compared on thickness, drainage and what you give up.
Blackstone 36" Original
769 square inches, four burners, 60,000 BTU. The large-griddle default — and an honest look at who actually needs it.
The best 36-inch griddles
Six 36-inch-class griddles compared. Surface areas land within 50 square inches of each other; heat density varies by nearly 30%.