We just passed Memorial Day, which means that grilling season has truly begun. But grills aren’t the only great way to do some outdoor cooking! In recent years, the outdoor griddle has become a fun addition to the backyard appliances.
Weber recently added a 28″ model to their Slate line of griddles. You can choose between two different models, one fueled by propane, and the other by natural gas. Weber sent me a propane model, as well as a few accessories, to try out for myself.
What Is the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle?
The Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle is a 3-burner gas-powered griddle for making anything from pancakes to smash burgers to fajitas. It retails for $599, and can be purchased directly from Weber or from stores like Home Depot. The 28″ griddle is the smallest one in the Slate line, but models are available in sizes ranging up to 36″. The Slate 28″ Griddle has the following features:
• Rust-resistant carbon-steel cooktop is ready, not rusty
• Pre-seasoned and ready to cook on right out of the box
• Even edge-to-edge heat for consistent cooking across the griddle
• Reaches over 500°F for high-heat searing and crispy edges
• Wind guards protect burners and keep the temperature steady
• Precision control knobs adjust heat smoothly and gradually
• Independent heat zones expand cooking capabilities
• No use of coatings, so you can use metal tools without worry
Assembling the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle
The Slate 28″ Griddle arrives unassembled in a single box. Even though the instructions say that assembly is a two-person task, I found that once I opened the box and removed all of the parts, I was able to put the griddle together without any issues. All the parts are packed well in their shipping container, so be aware that there’s going to be a lot of cardboard left over once you’ve gotten all the pieces out.
Here’s a quick look at the assembly process:
Click to view slideshow.Here’s a look at the burners, before putting the griddle surface into place:
There are four holes on the frame around the burners; there are pegs on the underside of the griddle surface that slot securely into those holes.
As you can see in the above picture, there’s an opening in the lower left corner of the griddle surface. The Slate comes with a drip pan, which slides right underneath that opening. Using a griddle scraper, you can get any food stuck to the griddle cleaned off easily.
The griddle comes with two grill hooks, which clip onto the ends of either of the two side tables. Weber also sent along a few more for me to use.
There was also a bottle holder, which clips to the side tables in the same fashion as the tool hooks:
Here’s a look at the fully-assembled griddle, with all of the accessories attached and the propane tank installed and hanging from the griddle stand. The tools from the Weber Griddle Essentials Toolkit hang from the tool hooks.
The griddle was very easy to assemble. All I needed was a screwdriver. All the parts lined up perfectly, and it didn’t take me long to get everything put together. The griddle surface is a bit heavy, so that bit you may need a second person to help lift it into place. But otherwise, it’s smooth sailing.
Using the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle
The griddle surface is pre-seasoned, so once the propane tank is connected, you’re ready to start cooking. The one precaution that Weber asks you to take is to do before firing up the griddle, however, is to do a test to make sure there are no leaks in the propane tank or connections. This is done by simply spraying some soapy water onto the tank and regulator, then turning on the propane. If there’s a leak, you’ll see bubbles forming. Thankfully, everything was bubble-free, so I was ready to get started.
As luck would have it, this last Memorial Day weekend my girlfriend’s son and his wife were up visiting from San Diego for his high school reunion. They were available for breakfast, so we invited them over for a home-cooked meal. Some other members of my girlfriend’s family who live nearby also came over, bringing our total count to 9. This was going to be a good test of the Slate Griddle.
I preheated the griddle, using the suggested low setting for pancakes on all three burners. I had read that 375 degrees was an optimal temperature for cooking pancakes, so I used my infrared thermometer gun to tweak the dials on the burners until most of the spots on the griddle were near that temperature. Once I got the temperature settled, I buttered the griddle and added the batter on the first round of pancakes.
The first round was a success, so once I got those off the griddle, I scraped any scraps off into the drip pan, then repeated the cooking process. I ended up with 17 good-sized pancakes all in all.
One of my girlfriend’s relatives didn’t particularly like pancakes, so we quickly made some French toast batter and got some bread dipped and onto the griddle as well.
We also had eggs and sausage with breakfast, but my girlfriend and her sister prepared those in the kitchen so that everything would be ready around the same time.
Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle – Final Thoughts
Cooking on the Slate Griddle was a delight. I normally make pancakes almost every weekend, but until now, I had been doing them one at a time in a pan. It was so nice to be able to cook several nice-sized pancakes at the same time, cutting down my labor significantly. Not to mention that I was delighted with how well they came out- so nice and thick and golden brown. It should be noted too that it was a windy morning, yet the design of the griddle ensured that all three of those burners stayed lit.
The 28″ size is perfect for a small family, such as myself, my girlfriend, and her daughter. Had we been cooking just for ourselves, we could have made the pancakes, sausage, and eggs all at the same time on the griddle. If I found myself regularly cooking for a larger group of people like we did this last weekend, I’d likely want to graduate to the 36″ griddle, where we could get a lot more cooked at the same time.
I enjoyed not just the process of cooking on the griddle, but also the ease of cleaning the surface once I was done. The griddle surface does need to be seasoned after every cook or two, but that’s a simple process of applying some oil and then letting it burn off.
Weber has made a quality cooking appliance with the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle. I’m looking forward to the next time I make breakfast, and I’m already looking up recipes for smash burgers to try out. If you’re looking to cook on a flat surface outdoors, you should definitely give this griddle a look.
For more information on the Slate 28″ Rust-Resistant Griddle or to make a purchase, head to the Weber website.
Weber provided a griddle for evaluation, but had no input into this review.
Fonte: GeekDad - Leia mais