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Can a Blackstone Griddle Be Used Indoors?

Can a Blackstone Griddle Be Used Indoors?

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Blackstone is one of the leading manufacturers of griddles and grills. If you are a fan or grilling, you might have heard people talking about griddles or grills.

Many people use the term interchangeably, though they are quite different. For instance, grills are usually ridged, whereas griddles are generally flat.

But this is just scraping the surface. Griddles are generally large and flat, and they have a rectangular shape. They are usually made from stainless steel or cast iron, and have a connected handle made of wood or PVC.

The cooking surface receives the heat from underneath and spreads it around, thus cooking the food with the help of the oil that is spread on the griddle or cooking the meat in its own juices.

Griddles are also known as hot plates and you might have seen them in restaurants. Popular items such as sandwiches and burgers are made on the griddle. Using a conventional cooking method, these items can be fried quickly and conveniently.

Many cookers and BBQ units also come with griddle attachments. Again, the underlying principle remains the same: the gas-powered flames provide heat to the metal place, thus allowing you to cook the food.

If you want, you should also consider adding a griddle pan to your house kitchen. They are generally not as big and make for fantastic substitutes to those larger hot plates. This way, you can make restaurant-quality burgers from the comforts of your home kitchen!

However, the griddles manufactured by Blackstone are slightly different. They are bigger, and you need considerable experience to use them to their full effect.

The company itself says that their griddles are not designed for use indoors. However, their answer is pretty concise. They don’t tell you why these griddles should not be used indoors.

Some people will tell you that their 17” griddle (a popular choice) is perfectly suitable for use indoors.

Cooking with a Griddle Indoors

Keep in mind that this is a full griddle, not just a griddle pan, so it is not recommended to be used indoors. It uses propane gas just like the stove in your house. But the similarities are not so apparent.

First of all, you have to take into account the safety precautions and the considerations associated with combustion before you light it up.

The first obvious thing to consider is the use of propane. If you are going to cook using the Blackstone griddle indoors, you will need propane. The natural gas supply in your house is not propane, so you can’t just switch it around.

Instead, you will have to buy a bottle of propane to use the grill. There are outdoor styled propane tanks available in the market that you shouldn’t bring into your house.

Propane gas does not easily dissipate into the air, and you will need a solid ventilation system to get rid of it. There are smaller propane cylinders that you can buy that you can use as well.

But, as mentioned earlier, there are a few important things that you need to consider regarding the use of propane.

Propane combustion is known to create carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that is usually produced when your stove does not burn properly. Without delving too deep into the science, you should know that carbon monoxide is very harmful.

If there is incomplete combustion, it leads to the production of carbon monoxide. Incomplete combustion usually occurs when the ideal ratio of propane to air is disrupted.

More importantly, if you read about the harmful effects of carbon monoxide, you will realize that it’s not something that you should risk.

There are also other hazard considerations that you need to take into account when using a griddle inside your house. First of all, there’s the factor of an open flame.

It’s obviously not very critical to most people, but if you have kept the griddle in a room with flammable material such as drapes or clothes, the open flame is a serious concern. It is simply a disaster that is waiting to occur.

In case the open flame causes a fire, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to put out. The propane tank that you have to use with the griddle leads to an additional safety concern, and there is a strong risk of a blow-out as well.

Always make sure that when you are cooking with a griddle indoors, you could keep it in a well-ventilated space where there are no hazardous materials around.

More importantly, you have to think about the mess that is created when you cook on a griddle. First of all, there’s always hot oil and grease that tends to pop from time to time.

This is going to fall on either side of the tabletop and the counter is going to get messy. If you are a fan of cooking, this won’t be so problematic for you, but it’s obviously difficult to handle.

This isn’t really a big problem for most people, as many professional cooks tend to go about the cleaning while cooking only.

Then, there’s always the consideration of odors and gases. Noxious gases such as carbon monoxide are deemed as silent killers because of how harmful they are. If you haven’t cleaned the griddle properly, the improper combustion will release this gas into your house.

If you notice a weird gaseous smell in your house, you will have to shut off the flame and then take the grill out to inspect exactly what part is causing the problem or the leakage.

Simply put, these griddles just aren’t designed for use indoors, so you should only use them in a well-ventilated, outdoor area.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Symptoms

Carbon Monoxide Dectector

Then, you also need to know about the symptoms related to carbon monoxide poisoning. This is important because most people usually just ignore their symptoms.

The symptoms aren’t very discernible and most people just assume they have caught the flu. The common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are an upset stomach, weakness, consistent vomiting, and shortness of breath. Many people also get confused and suffer pain in their chest.

Remember, carbon monoxide poisoning can kill a person as well. Many people who are exposed to heavy doses usually pass out before they experience any symptoms.

Faulty Valves

How To Convert A Blackstone Griddle To Natural Gas - Finished

If you are going to use the Blackstone griddle on a frequent basis, you should always check the connectors and the valves. You will be turning the valves time and again, so it’s important that you learn how they work.

If you turn the valve too much on the first go, the flame will increase. However, that’s not the problem. One of the biggest issues with cooking on a propane grill indoors is that the gas can leak through the faulty valves.

Like all things, the valves are likely to wear out over the passage of time. Because they control the flow of gas, a leakage here could result in a serious problem. The gas will continue to leak and you won’t be able to determine the cause of the problem.

More importantly, this could lead to a blow-out. Equipment failure is always a danger when you are cooking in a confined environment, and there have been cases where people have received serious third-degree burns because of this.

In fact, there have also been fatal injuries caused by propane gas blow-outs.

If you are going to use your griddle indoors, you will have to check it after every few months. You can’t do it on your own, so you will have to call a stovetop engineer or an expert to determine whether the valves are leaking or have become faulty.

Because of the sheer number of concerns in using the griddle indoors, not to mention the fact that the company explicitly tells you not to, it’s generally a wise idea to avoid using it indoors.

Instead, you should consider investing in a griddle pan as they can easily help you make the same foods without having to worry about the propane gas or any of the harmful concerns.

Things You Will Need

Own Big Green Egg Blackstone Griddle Forest River Shamrock Rv Travel Trailer

Now, it’s best if you use the griddle outdoors. But, if you are going to make the best of your cooking (doesn’t matter if you use it indoors or outdoors), there are a few important things to keep in mind.

First of all, you have to get a few things that are going to help you cook your favorite dishes on the griddle. Here are some important accessories that you will have to buy.

The Spade and Spatula

These are essentially important and you simply cannot do without them. If you take a look at different videos of people cooking on griddles all over the globe, you will notice that they all use spatulas and spades.

Unlike conventional cooking pans and pots, griddles have a flat top. This means that you will need spatulas or spades to lift those patties. There are a myriad of different products that you can buy, so it’s best to do your research before making a purchase.

Infrared Temperature Gun

The amount of dry heat produced by the griddle is considerably high, so it’s important for you to know the temperature at which your food is cooking. The last thing that you want is to pour oil on your griddle and have it popping off almost immediately.

Investing in a high-quality infrared gun is a wise idea because it will allow you to gauge the temperature of your food with minimal hassle. There are generally less expensive variants available in the market with a price tag of under $30, so you don’t have to worry about forking out a lot of money.

More importantly, the infrared temperature gun will allow you to cook your food evenly. There are many cases in which the sides of the patties or the meat remain uncooked because the person cooking does not press down on either side.

To avoid this issue, it is recommended that you use an infrared gun and make sure that the temperature is evenly spread out. This will result in fantastic, well-cooked meat all the time!

Tins for Grease

The Blackstone Griddle also comes with a grease trap that allows you to efficiently get rid of all the grease that accumulates at the bottom. The grease is easy to get rid of and you don’t have to spend a great deal of time cleaning up the griddle.

However, investing in a grease tin makes it easy for you to gather the grease in one place. They are made from heavy-duty aluminum foil so you can easily get rid of the grease when you are done.

Griddle Bottles

Your conventional oil dispenser might not be such a wise choice to go along with your Blackstone griddle because of the dry heat that it produces. Instead, you should consider investing in dedicated griddle bottles.

Essentially, you are going to need two bottles. One will be used for cooking oil, and the other will contain water. From time to time, you will have to sprinkle a bit of water on the griddle to bring down the temperature.

These bottles have small sprinkle holes and are generally going to last you a long while, so it’s a worthwhile investment for most people. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on these things.

The Apron

Perhaps one of the most important things that you will need is an apron. Many people decide not to wear aprons the first time when cooking on a griddle, but you should know that it’s a terrible idea.

As mentioned above, a lot of oil pops up when you are using the griddle. Within a few minutes, you will realize that cooking without an apron is the perfect recipe for getting your clothes dirty.

Getting a simple apron in a dark color is a wise idea and it will resolve this problem for you. There are some pretty cute designs available in the market as well, so if you want something unique, you can go for those as well.

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Jon Arthur Judd

Tuesday 6th of April 2021

Blackstone does make an indoor electric 17 inch griddle as of March 2021.