Blackstone 28-Inch XL Omnivore Griddle with Hood vs Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 Digital Charcoal Grill

This is Blackstone's 28-inch XL griddle fitted with the Omnivore griddle plate and a hood. Flat-top griddles cook differently from grates: the continuous steel surface means small food, eggs, onions, smash burgers and diced vegetables all stay on the cooktop instead of falling through, which is why griddles have taken over so much backyard cooking. The Omnivore plate is designed to maximise cooking efficiency and produce a more consistent cook across the surface, and the hood traps heat for melting and steaming as well as protecting the cooktop between uses. Blackstone has added the details that get used constantly: a magnetic toolbar for spatulas, side shelf hooks and a paper towel holder, all built in rather than sold as accessories.

The Gravity Series 800 solves the fundamental problem with charcoal: temperature control. A GravityFed vertical hopper holds enough charcoal for up to 10 hours, gravity keeps feeding the fire as fuel burns down, and a DigitalFan regulates airflow to hold the temperature you set. You set a number and the grill maintains it, the way a pellet grill does, but burning real charcoal. It is also three appliances in one: charcoal grilling on traditional grates, a full flat-top griddle insert for searing and sauteing breakfast, burgers and fajitas, and low-and-slow smoking. Control is from the digital board on the grill or from a phone through the Masterbuilt app, so temperature can be monitored during a long cook without standing over it.

• Continuous surface handles food grates cannot
• Hood adds melting, steaming and cooktop protection
• Built-in tool storage that gets used constantly
• Large enough to cook for a crowd in one pass

• Real charcoal flavour with digital temperature control
• Griddle insert included, not sold separately
• 10-hour hopper covers a full brisket cook
• App monitoring during long smokes

• Requires seasoning and regular maintenance to prevent rust
• Does not produce the char marks or smoke flavour of a grate grill
• Substantial footprint that needs outdoor storage space

• More complex than a simple charcoal kettle, with a fan and electronics to fail
• Requires mains power for the fan and controller
• Ash and hopper cleanout is more involved than a pellet grill