Best Gifts for Blackstone and Griddle Owners

The purchase that decides whether a flat-top is a pleasure or a chore, and the only one here nobody can skip. A griddle is cooked with two turners rather than tongs — one to slide under and one to steady, or both at once to fold a pile of onions — and a kitchen spatula is too short, too flexible and too narrow to do either. Blackstone's own pair is stainless with beveled edges for chopping and scraping, on handles long enough to keep your knuckles off a plate running north of 400°F. Buy these first and the rest of this page becomes optional.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

A griddle is cooked with turners, not tongs, and the two that come in the box with most griddles are too short and too flexible. This is a pair of long, stiff stainless turners — one for flipping, one for chopping and scraping the plate between batches. It is the thing they will pick up every single time they cook, and almost nobody buys it for themselves.

Who it suits:

Every griddle owner, with no exceptions and nothing to check. If you are buying one gift from this page, buy this one.

Check before you buy:

Nothing. It fits any griddle because it does not attach to anything. If they already have long turners, a second pair is genuinely useful — griddle cooking tends to need two hands.

Best for: The first thing to buy with any griddle

Specs read from Blackstone published 2-Piece Spatula Set product page (SKU 5550 — two spatulas of durable stainless steel with heat-resistant handles, beveled edges for chopping and scraping, one-year manufacturer's warranty) + Amazon listing (B09R5D812R, Extra Long Griddle Spatula, Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Set of 2), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

Three and a half pounds of American cast iron, and the only press worth owning, because weight is the entire specification. A smash burger is made by flattening the ball hard in the first thirty seconds while the crust forms — a light aluminum press bounces and a thin one warps. Lodge publishes the figures almost nobody else in this category does: 8 inches across, 3.5 lb, naturally seasoned, made in the USA. It doubles as a bacon weight that stops rashers curling, and it is the cheapest route to diner-style crust on a sandwich.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

Smash burgers are the single most popular reason people buy a flat-top, and they do not work without weight. Three and a half pounds of seasoned cast iron pressed onto a ball of beef is what creates the lacy brown crust; a thin spatula pushed down by hand does not. It also presses bacon flat and weights down a grilled sandwich.

Who it suits:

Anyone who has mentioned smash burgers, or who has a griddle and has not tried them yet. It is the gift most likely to change what they cook.

Check before you buy:

Nothing in terms of fitment — it is a free-standing disc. If they already own a press, check whether theirs is round or rectangular: most people end up wanting both, because the round one suits burgers and the rectangular one suits bacon.

Best for: Smash burgers and flat bacon

Specs read from Lodge published Round Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press product page (item L8RFIP — 8.0 in, 3.5 lb, naturally seasoned, made in the USA, care: hand wash, dry, oil) + Amazon listing (B0971NPHXJ, Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Round Griddle Press, 8 Inches), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

A stainless dome is what makes a smash burger on a flat-top taste like a diner smash burger. Drop it over the patty with a slice of cheese on top and a squirt of water on the steel beside it, and the trapped steam melts the cheese in about fifteen seconds without overcooking the meat underneath. It does the same for a heap of onions, a fillet of fish, or anything that needs heat from above on a cooker that only has heat from below. At this price it is close to a no-brainer for anyone who cooks burgers.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

A twelve-inch steel dome turns a flat, open surface into a tiny oven for ninety seconds, which is how cheese actually melts onto a burger and how onions go soft instead of just browning. It is the cheapest thing on this page that unlocks food they currently cannot make, and a flat-top owner without one is usually improvising with a mixing bowl.

Who it suits:

Any griddle owner, particularly one who makes burgers, cheesesteaks or anything with cheese on it.

Check before you buy:

Nothing — it just sits on the surface. Twelve inches covers two burgers or one sandwich comfortably; if they cook for a crowd every weekend, two domes is not an extravagant gift.

Best for: Melting cheese and steaming on the plate

Specs read from Amazon listing (B06Y6H4ZL6 — Blackstone 12-inch Round Griddle Basting Cover, Stainless Steel). Blackstone's own catalog currently lists square and collapsible basting covers rather than this round one and publishes no dimensions for it beyond the 12-inch diameter in the product name, so nothing further is printed here., last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

Rust is the flat-top's only real failure mode, and this is the kit that reverses it. An 8 fl oz bottle of restorer plus applicator pads: scrape the loose material off, work the liquid over the steel with a pad, wipe back to bare metal, then re-season immediately. It is not a cleaning product for after dinner — it takes the top back to zero, which is exactly what a griddle left uncovered through a wet month needs and exactly what a healthy seasoned top does not.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

A griddle top is bare carbon steel, and bare steel rusts the first time it gets rained on or put away damp. This is eight ounces of restorer and the pads to work it in, and it takes a top that has gone orange and patchy back to black. It is a strange thing to be given and an enormous relief to own.

Who it suits:

Someone whose griddle lives outside, or whose griddle you have seen looking rusty. Also the right gift for a lapsed griddle owner who stopped using it because the top went bad.

Check before you buy:

That their griddle top is steel, which it will be on any Blackstone or comparable flat-top. Do not buy this for someone with a brand-new griddle they are keeping pristine — buy them the dome instead. If the rust is already severe, pair it with the cover below so it does not come back.

Best for: Bringing a rusted or gummed-up top back

Specs read from Blackstone published Griddle Top Restoration Kit product page (SKU 4172, one-year manufacturer's warranty, product imagery titled Griddle Top Restoration Kit with Applicator Pads) + Walmart and Ace Hardware listings for the same kit (8 fl oz) + Amazon listing (B0CR98NXYS, Griddle Top Restoration Kit for Rust and Residue Removal), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

The accessory that decides whether your griddle is usable in October. A flat-top is an open slab of steel with burners under it and no walls, so a steady breeze strips heat off the surface faster than the burners can put it back — the plate never reaches temperature and the cook blames the griddle. Blackstone's guards hook over the edges of the top with no tools and no drilling, and on a windy evening the difference is searing versus stewing.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

Wind is the flat-top's real enemy: it pulls heat off the front edge of the plate, so one end of the griddle runs properly and the other will not sear. These hook over the edges of the top and block the draught, which is a far cheaper fix than the hood and solves the specific complaint most griddle owners have on a breezy day.

Who it suits:

Anyone cooking on an exposed patio, deck or balcony, and anyone who has complained that one side of their griddle is cooler than the other.

Check before you buy:

The griddle size. These are cut for a 36-inch Blackstone with the grease management at the front and rear. Find out which model and size they have before ordering — a 28-inch owner needs the 28-inch version, not this one.

Best for: Cooking outdoors in wind or cold

Specs read from Blackstone published 36-inch Wind Screen product page (SKU 5015 — helps to deflect the effects of wind on the griddle; simply hook the wind guards over the edge of the griddle top; one-year manufacturer's warranty) + Amazon listing (B000CETI2K, BLACKSTONE 5015 Griddle Wind Guards for 36 Inch Griddle Front and Rear Grease Model), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

The cheapest insurance policy in outdoor cooking. A seasoned griddle top is a thin film of polymerized oil over bare steel, and bare steel left in weather does what bare steel does. A weather-resistant cover with buckles that hold it down in wind is the whole answer, and Blackstone publishes the numbers for this one: 69 by 35.5 by 26 inches, sized for a 36-inch griddle with a hood or hard cover. Read that last clause before you order — Blackstone sells five different 36-inch covers and they are not interchangeable.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

The single biggest threat to a griddle is water sitting on bare steel, and the single best thing you can give a griddle owner is the thing that stops it. It is unglamorous and it is the gift that adds years to a cooker that cost them several hundred dollars. The published dimensions are 69 x 35.5 x 26 inches, which is unusually specific for this category and makes it easy to check.

Who it suits:

Anyone whose griddle lives outdoors uncovered — which, judging by how many rusty tops there are, is most people.

Check before you buy:

Size and configuration, carefully. This is cut for a 36-inch Blackstone fitted with a hood or hard cover. A 36-inch griddle without a hood, or a 28-inch, needs a different cover. If you cannot confirm the model, buy the spatulas instead and give the cover next year.

Best for: Keeping a 36-inch hooded griddle out of the weather

Specs read from Blackstone published 36-inch Griddle Cover product page (SKU 5482 — fits 36-inch griddles with hood or hard cover, 69 in L x 35.5 in W x 26 in H, weather-resistant material, reinforced stitching and secure side buckles, one-year manufacturer's warranty) + Amazon listing (B097KVQWPV, Blackstone 5482 Griddle Cover, 36 inch, Black), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

The one accessory here that changes what the appliance can do rather than how conveniently it does it. A lid over a flat-top holds heat above the food, so the griddle stops being a frying pan and starts being able to roast, hold a tray of food warm, or finish a thick chop without a dome over it. It also keeps leaves, pollen and rain off the steel between cooks. The catch is printed on Blackstone's own page and in the product name: it fits the V1 and Omnivore 36-inch griddles only. Verify your model before spending this much.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

A hood is the one accessory that changes what a griddle can do rather than how comfortable it is to use. With a lid down, a flat-top can hold heat, roast and keep food warm; without one it is permanently an open plate in the weather. It is also the gift that will visibly surprise someone — nobody expects to be given a lid.

Who it suits:

The committed flat-top cook who uses the griddle year-round and has started to want it to behave like an oven.

Check before you buy:

This is the gift with the strictest fitment on the page: it fits the 36-inch Omnivore and V1 griddles only. Blackstone has made several 36-inch generations and they are not interchangeable. Confirm the exact model from the listing or the label on their griddle before you order, and if you cannot, pick something else — this is not an easy return.

Best for: Turning a 36-inch Omnivore into a covered cooker

Specs read from Blackstone published 36in Griddle Hood product page (SKU 5856, titled 36in Griddle Hood (V1/Omnivore ONLY) — helps keep your griddle top clean between uses, prevents scratching on the griddle surface, and keeps the elements from directly hitting your griddle top; front handle; one-year manufacturer's warranty) + Amazon listing (B0CY3L7F7Z, Blackstone 5856 Omnivore 36 inch Steel Griddle Hood, Black), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.

The cheapest thing on this page and the one that changes how a griddle session runs. Two bottles, one oil and one water: oil to dress the plate between batches without walking back to the kitchen, water to hit the steel under a dome and steam a pile of onions or melt cheese in seconds. Cooks who have never used the water bottle assume it is a gimmick; it is the single technique that separates a flat-top from a very large frying pan. Any food-safe squeeze bottle does this job, which is exactly why you should not spend much on it.

For the gifter

Why it lands:

Flat-top cooking needs oil and water on the plate in controlled squirts, constantly — oil to cook, water to steam and to lift the fond when scraping down. Pouring from a bottle is messy and inaccurate. Two 32 oz bottles cost almost nothing and are on every griddle cook's counter within a week of being given them.

Who it suits:

Any griddle owner. It is the natural companion gift to the spatula set and makes a complete small present together.

Check before you buy:

Nothing. They fit any griddle because they are just bottles. One for oil, one for water — the twisting lids are what stop them leaking in storage.

Best for: Oil in one hand, water in the other

Specs read from Blackstone published Squeeze Bottle Set product page (SKU 5071, 32 oz — a must-have for cooking oil, water, sauce and dressings; one-year manufacturer's warranty) + Amazon listing (B07JW8DRZF, 32 oz Plastic Squeeze Bottle Set with Twisting Lids, 2-Pack), last checked September 29, 2026. Prices change; the number in the card is fetched live.