Is Costco's Blackstone Camping Griddle Kit Worth Buying? Here's What Campers Have To Say

Cooking over a campfire isn't always as fun or as efficient as it seems, and if things aren't going well or you run into bad weather, it could dampen your entire camping experience. If a griddle is one of the must-haves for your summer camping trips, Costco may have what you need with its Blackstone 20-inch Camping Griddle Kit with Stand, which sells for $259.99 online, and less in brick-and-mortar Costco locations. 

This propane-powered griddle has two separate cooking areas, each with its own burner control. The nonstick titanium-coated ceramic griddle plate has a 20-inch-by-14-inch cooking surface, as well as a built-in grease trap behind the device. When closed, the suitcase-style structure locks with latches. The kit comes with two spatulas, a removable base that has adjustable legs, a silicone basting dome that can be used as a serving bowl, and a weather-resistant carry bag with a shoulder strap. It has just about everything needed for camp cooking, other than the food, cookware, and a required one-pound propane tank to heat things up. The full kit weighs a little over 43 pounds. To date, the product has a 3.7 out of 5-star rating. 

Blackstone doesn't sell this exact model on its website; the closest thing is its 20-inch-by-14-inch camping griddle, which looks similar, but doesn't have any of the extra accessories or the base and legs. It has adjustable feet and a slightly different latch style than the Costco griddle kit, and it retails for $169. Blackstone sells the collapsible basting dome for $24.99, but none of the other exact items in the Costco kit, making a direct comparison on value difficult. 

Out of over 35 reviews, the slight majority are positive, ranking the product between 4 and 5 stars, but there is no shortage of negative reviews. One of the most common criticisms of the product on the Costco product page is that reviewers feel this isn't a traditional Blackstone cooktop as it is nonstick, which seems to be a turnoff for those used to Blackstone's signature cast iron griddles. At the other end of the spectrum, several five-star reviewers appreciate how easy it is to clean because of the nonstick coating. 

On the Costco website, reviewers note that the griddle has adjustable feet so it can be leveled on a tabletop, rather than using the base-and-legs setup. That feature could be handy if using the griddle on a table on uneven ground, which can happen even when you book the perfect campsite for your next adventure. Many of the positive reviews appreciate the convenience of the griddle and how everything fits into the carry bag. Some also say the griddle works well and heats up fast, and that it's nice to have two separate heat zones for cooking. 

A couple of the one-star reviewers had issues with the burners or the igniter not functioning as designed. Several of the negative reviews also state that the briefcase-style griddle housing and its hinges are not as sturdy as they'd like, with one calling the piece "flimsy stamped steel." This reviewer also noted the issue could be corrected by the company by using a heavier gauge metal and a twin piece on the other side.

To determine whether the Blackstone Camping Griddle Kit at Costco was worth purchasing, Outdoor Guide evaluated the product specifications as well as users' reviews of the kit. We looked for any repeated themes in the reviews, both positive and negative, and weighed them against each other. For the most part, users who knew the cooktop had a non-stick coating and treated it as such had a positive cooking experience, while some of the users leaving comments about the griddle getting scratched or ruined may have used metal utensils on the surface, which, in general, isn't good practice for non-stick surfaces. 

Based on the comments and specs, it seems the griddle kit is a nice option for those who don't haul it around numerous times per year, and for people who treat their gear with care and appreciate a non-stick cooking surface. It's not a replacement for a beefy at-home griddle, but it could be a suitable stand-in for convenience while camping. If you like to buy all your camping gear at Costco, campers love one of Costco's most popular, affordable tents.