Blackstone 17 vs 22 Griddle
Thirty-five percent more cooking area is the headline and the second burner is the actual story. Here is what each of the two tabletop Blackstones can and cannot cook, on the published specs — and the single question that decides it.
Quick answer
Buy the 22.Two independently controlled burners and 24,000 BTU across 361 square inches let you run a hot zone and a holding zone at the same time, which is how a flat-top is actually cooked — and the hood means you can finish and keep food warm. Buy the 17 only if portability is the whole point: one burner, 12,500 BTU and 267 square inches in a body light enough to carry one-handed, running off a 1 lb propane bottle. The 17 cooks breakfast for two. The 22 cooks for a family and runs two temperatures. Between them that is the entire decision, and it is about burners rather than steel.
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| Spec |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | 361 sq in | 267 sq in |
| Burners | 2 (independent zones) | 1 |
| Total BTU | 24,000 | 12,500 |
| Cooking surface | Cold-rolled steel | Cold-rolled steel |
| Style | Tabletop (with hood) | Portable tabletop |
| Price | $219.99 · View on Amazon Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded | $129.99 · View on Amazon Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded |
The second burner is what you are buying
The specs make this look like a size comparison. It is not. The 17 has one burner, which means the whole 267 square inches sits at a single temperature — whatever that burner is set to, the entire plate is doing. The 22 has two burners with independent control, so half the plate can run hot while the other half idles.
That difference changes what you can cook, not just how much:
- Smash burgers and buns together. Burgers need the plate as hot as it will go; buns toast in seconds and burn in a few more. On one burner you do them in sequence and the burgers cool. On two, both at once.
- Breakfast at two temperatures. Bacon and hash browns want high heat; eggs and pancakes want moderate. This is the single most common flat-top cook and it is genuinely awkward on a single burner.
- A holding zone. Finished food parked on a warm third of the plate while the next batch cooks is how you feed four people at once instead of in relays.
The extra 94 square inches matters too — it is the difference between four smash burgers and six, or two servings of fried rice and four. But if the two griddles had identical cooking areas and differed only in burner count, we would still recommend the 22.
Side by side on the published numbers
| Blackstone 22 | Blackstone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | 361 sq in | 267 sq in |
| Burners | 2, independent zones | 1 |
| Total output | 24,000 BTU | 12,500 BTU |
| BTU per sq in | ~66 | ~47 |
| Hood | Yes, on this version | No |
| Cooking surface | Cold-rolled steel | Cold-rolled steel |
| Smash burgers at once | About 6 | About 4 |
| Runs on a 1 lb bottle | Yes, briefly | Yes — its intended fuel |
| Carry one-handed | No | Yes |
The BTU per square inchrow is the one people miss. The 22 is not just bigger, it is more heavily powered relative to its size: roughly 66 BTU per square inch against about 47 on the 17. That is why the 22 recovers faster when cold food hits the plate, which is the real-world difference between a crust and a gray patty. A griddle’s worst moment is always the instant the food lands.
Where the 17 is genuinely the right answer
It is not a lesser griddle, it is a different tool, and for three situations it is the correct buy.
Real portability.This is the one to carry to a campsite or a tailgate in one hand, with a 1 lb bottle screwed into the side and no hose or cylinder involved. The 22 is a two-hand lift and genuinely wants a 20 lb tank with an adapter hose for anything beyond a short cook.
Cooking for one or two, permanently. If the honest headcount is two, 267 square inches is sufficient and the 17 takes up a third of the storage space. Heating a plate you do not use costs propane.
Storage-limited spaces. On a small balcony or in an apartment where the griddle lives in a cupboard between cooks, physical size can simply decide it. Our small-space grill roundup covers the fuel rules worth checking in a lease first.
What neither of them does
Both are tabletop griddles, so both share the same ceilings and it is worth knowing them before you buy either.
Neither feeds a crowd.If you are regularly cooking for six or more, you want a four-burner cart — see the 28 vs 36 comparison and our 36-inch review. The jump from 361 to 769 square inches is a different class of cooking.
Neither grills. A flat-top has no grates, so there are no grill marks, no fat dripping to flare, and nothing that cooks over open flame. Griddle vs grill covers what each does better, and the answer is genuinely different foods rather than better foods.
Neither smokes. A griddle is a hot steel plate. If you want smoke, that is a different cooker entirely.
Both are bare carbon steel and both will rustif you put them away wet. Season either one on day one — how to season a griddle— and keep up the thin oil film after every cook. That matters more on these two than on a cart griddle, because tabletop griddles tend to get stored outdoors or in a truck.
How this is funded: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we recommend, and we’ll tell you when we’d skip one, or point you to a cheaper option when it’s the better buy. Full disclosure.
Both griddles, and the tool neither comes with
Live prices, fetched and date-stamped. The recommendation and the alternative, plus the accessory that matters more on a flat-top than on any grill — because a griddle is cooked with turners, not tongs.
Blackstone 22-inch Tabletop Griddle with Hood
361 sq in, two independently controlled burners, 24,000 BTU and a hood. The one to buy unless you specifically need to carry a griddle one-handed, because two zones is what flat-top cooking actually wants.
Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded
Blackstone 17-inch Tabletop Griddle
267 sq in on a single 12,500 BTU burner in a body light enough for one hand, running off a 1 lb propane bottle. The right call for camping, tailgating, or a household of one or two with nowhere to store a bigger plate.
Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded
Blackstone Extra Long Griddle Spatula Set (5550, 2-piece)
Two long stainless turners — one for flipping, one for chopping and scraping the plate between batches. The turners that ship with most griddles are too short and too flexible, and this is the tool you will pick up every single cook.
The decision in one question
Will this griddle leave the house?
If yes — camping, tailgating, a boat, a truck — buy the 17 and accept the single zone. Portability is the only thing the 22 cannot give you, and the 17 is excellent at it.
If no — it lives on a patio, a balcony or a kitchen counter — buy the 22. You get the second burner, the extra plate and the hood for a modest step up in price, and you will not spend the next two years cooking in relays. The only reason to choose the 17 for a stationary griddle is storage space, and that is a real reason but a narrow one.
If the answer is “it lives at home but feeds five,” neither of these is your griddle. Go to the griddle roundup and look at the 28-inch and 36-inch carts instead.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy the Blackstone 17 or the 22?
Buy the 22 unless the griddle needs to be carried. The 22 has two independently controlled burners across 361 square inches and 24,000 BTU, so you can run a hot zone and a holding zone at once — which is how a flat-top is actually cooked. The 17 has one burner, 267 square inches and 12,500 BTU, so the whole plate sits at one temperature. The 17's advantage is real portability: it is a one-hand carry that runs off a 1 lb propane bottle.
What is the difference between the Blackstone 17 and 22?
Three things. Cooking area goes from 267 to 361 square inches, about 35% more. Burner count goes from one to two, with independent control on the 22 — the most important difference, because it allows two temperature zones. And total output goes from 12,500 to 24,000 BTU, which works out to roughly 47 BTU per square inch on the 17 against 66 on the 22, so the 22 also recovers heat faster when cold food hits the plate.
How many burgers fit on a Blackstone 17?
About four smash burgers at a time on its 267 square inches, against roughly six on the 22. The practical limit is not only area but heat: at 12,500 BTU across one burner, four cold patties pull the plate temperature down and it takes longer to come back, which is what costs you the crust. If you routinely cook for more than two people, the 22's second burner and extra output matter more than the headline area figure.
Is the Blackstone 22 worth the extra money over the 17?
For a griddle that stays at home, yes, comfortably. The step up buys a second independently controlled burner, 94 more square inches, nearly double the total BTU and a hood, for a modest price difference. The 17 is worth choosing when portability or storage decides it — a campsite, a tailgate, a cupboard-sized storage space, or a household of one or two. Those are good reasons; saving the price difference on a stationary griddle is not.
Can you use a Blackstone 17 with a big propane tank?
Yes, with an adapter hose, and at home it is usually the better way to run it. A 1 lb camping bottle holds about 21,500 BTU, so a 12,500 BTU burner empties one in under two hours — fine at a campsite, expensive as a routine. A standard 20 lb cylinder gives you roughly twenty times the fuel at a far lower cost per pound. The constraint is storage: a 20 lb cylinder has to live outdoors and upright, which on some balconies is not permitted.
Do the Blackstone 17 and 22 both need seasoning?
Yes, and on day one. Both have the same cold-rolled steel cooking surface, which is bare carbon steel with no coating — it will rust the first time it gets rained on or put away damp. Seasoning builds a polymerized oil layer that both prevents rust and makes food release. It matters more on these two than on a cart griddle, because tabletop models get stored in trucks and garages where they pick up moisture.
Does the Blackstone 22 come with a hood?
The version we track does, and it is a genuine functional difference rather than a styling one. A hood lets you trap heat to melt cheese or steam vegetables, keeps wind off the plate — which matters a lot on a small griddle — and protects the seasoned surface between cooks. The 17 has no hood, so wind and weather reach the plate directly, and a melting dome becomes a more useful accessory on it.
Which Blackstone is best for camping?
The 17, without much argument. It is light enough to carry one-handed, it screws straight onto a 1 lb propane bottle with no hose or cylinder to transport, and 267 square inches cooks breakfast for two in the way a camp kitchen actually needs. The 22 can go camping but is a two-hand lift and really wants a 20 lb tank and an adapter. Our portable griddle roundup compares the 17, the 22 and the 28 for travel specifically.
Keep reading
Best Portable Griddles for Camping
The 17, the 22 and the 28 compared for travel specifically — weight, fuel and what each one feeds.
See the picks →Blackstone 28 vs 36 Griddle
The next size decision up: two burners or four, and how much flat-top you actually need.
Compare them →How to Season a Griddle
Both of these ship as bare carbon steel. This is the day-one job that stops rust and makes food release.
Read the guide →Best Griddle for Smash Burgers
Why burner output per square inch decides a crust, and which griddles have the heat to build one.
See the picks →