Buying guide
Griddle or gas grill?
Start with dinner.
Choose the cooking surface you will reach for all week.
The decision
What do you want to cook without adapting the appliance?
Choose a griddle when your outdoor meals often involve eggs, chopped vegetables, smash burgers and food you would normally cook in a skillet. Choose a gas grill when open-grate cooking, covered roasting and rotisserie meals are the center of your menu. Both can cook a steak; the more useful difference is how the rest of dinner comes together.
Start with the griddle
A continuous plate supports small ingredients, keeps a burger’s toppings nearby and gives a spatula room to work. You trade that convenience for a surface-care routine that continues after the food is served.
Start with the gas grill
Open grates and a cooking hood suit the way many people already barbecue. In this Broil King Regal package, a rear burner and supplied rotisserie kit add a cooking method the Blackstone package does not include.
Dinner in practice
One continuous plate, or a grill built around grates?
A flat plate keeps the burger and its chopped toppings on the same cooking surface.
Imagine fajitas for four: peppers and onions can cook directly on the griddle beside the meat. On an open grate, those small pieces need suitable cookware or a basket. Now imagine a chicken turning on a spit: the Regal already includes the kit and dedicated rear burner. The useful comparison is the complete meal, not a photograph of grill marks.
The working differences
Compare the job each appliance is ready to do.
| Decision | Blackstone Select 36-inch | Regal S 590 Pro IR |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking surface | Pre-seasoned Omnivore Blackout plate; nominal 36-inch cooking width | 625 sq. in. primary area with 9 mm stainless-steel cooking grids |
| Included cooking equipment | Griddle plate, hood and folding side shelves | Cooking grids, warming rack, rear burner and rotisserie kit |
| Additional cooking method | Flat-top cooking across a continuous plate | Dedicated infrared side burner and rotisserie setup |
| Current selected appliance price | $999.00 | $1,999.00 |
Nominal griddle width and grill cooking area measure different things. The Regal’s 875-square-inch total includes its warming rack; its primary grilling area is 625 square inches. Neither number establishes how many complete meals you can serve without considering the food and cookware.
The Hearth Outpost view
Choose the routine, then the equipment.
Our take on Blackstone
We would choose the Select cart griddle for a household that wants more breakfasts, quick lunches and mixed-ingredient dinners outdoors. Its supplied hood and folding shelves make a coherent cart package. A griddle is less compelling if maintaining the plate will make you avoid using it.
Ratings cover the Blackstone Select cart griddle family.
Our take on Regal
We like the Regal for someone who will use its open-grate, searing and rotisserie capabilities. The included rotisserie matters: it is part of this package, rather than another item to remember later. If flat-top meals dominate your week, buying more grill features may solve the wrong problem.
Ratings cover the Broil King Regal family.
What owners say
Owners praise quick preheating, searing and flexibility for family meals, including rotisserie cooking. Some report wear to grids, ignition or burners and mixed service experiences.
Planning and care
Leave room for cooking and the cleanup afterward.
If you already own a grill and only occasionally want a flat cooking surface, first check whether an approved griddle accessory fits your exact grill. A dedicated griddle becomes more compelling when those meals are frequent enough to justify their own appliance.
These examples are freestanding outdoor appliances. Plan working shelves, an unobstructed route behind the cook and the fuel connection using the exact manual. Do not treat either cart as a built-in island head.
The Blackstone plate is pre-seasoned, but that does not make future care disappear. Clear residue and follow Blackstone’s cleaning and surface-care instructions after cooking. The Regal needs its own routine for grids, drip collection and the cooking system below the grate. Choose the maintenance you are comfortable repeating.
Complete the setup
Buy the package once.
Blackstone package
- Pre-seasoned Omnivore Blackout plate
- Built-in hood and dual folding side shelves
- Compatible fuel supply and care tools planned separately
Regal package
- Stainless-steel grids and warming rack
- Premium rotisserie kit and dedicated rear burner
- Side shelves and enclosed cabinet base
Shop the ranges
Continue with the exact configuration.
These are complete freestanding appliances: a propane Blackstone Select 36-inch cart griddle and a propane Regal S 590 Pro IR. Product pages also show their available fuel choices.
Blackstone
Blackstone Select 36-inch cart griddle
$999.00
36-inch propane cart griddle with hood and folding side shelves.
Broil King
Broil King Regal S 590 Pro IR
Broil King Regal family rating
$1,999.00 $2,199.00
Propane cart grill with infrared side burner and included rotisserie kit.
More outdoor cooking options
Blackstone
Blackstone Select 36-Inch Black Griddle with Cart
$999.00
Price shown for the selected available configuration. View product for other options.
Blackstone
Blackstone Select 28-Inch XL Black Griddle with Cart
$799.00
Price shown for the selected available configuration. View product for other options.
Broil King
Broil King Regal S 590 Pro IR Gas Grill
$1,999.00 $2,199.00
Price shown for the selected available configuration. View product for other options.
Broil King
Broil King Baron 590 Pro Shadow Gas Grill
$1,299.00 $1,399.00
Price shown for the selected available configuration. View product for other options.
Warranty and documents
Know what supports the purchase.
Blackstone Select
One year of limited residential warranty coverage supports manufacturing defects in parts, workmanship and finishes. Keep the receipt and register the griddle.
Broil King Regal
The model-linked warranty gives lid and cookbox components limited lifetime coverage, with 15-year limited coverage on remaining parts and paint.
Your shortlist
Make the next conversation useful.
Let’s find the right fit for your project.
Tell us the meals you cook and whether you already own a grill. We can help you choose a useful first appliance or a second one that adds something different.
Speak to an Expert
Common questions
Before you choose.
Can a griddle replace a grill?
It can be your main outdoor cooker if flat-top meals suit your menu. It does not reproduce every open-grate or rotisserie method simply because both appliances use gas.
Does the hood make this Blackstone a conventional grill?
No. The cooking surface remains a griddle plate. Follow this model’s operating instructions rather than treating the hood as permission to use it like a covered roasting grill.
Do I need to buy a rotisserie for the Regal?
The selected Regal S 590 Pro IR package includes the premium rotisserie kit. Do not add another kit for the same purpose.