Blackstone Dash Outdoor Grill Review
I recently purchased the Blackstone Dash Grill as a replacement for the Weber propane grill that I used at home and on camping trips for many years. The Weber was an excellent grill, but replacing it was going to be pricey, and after having read some positive online reviews of the Blackstone Dash, I decided to give it a whirl. I have now set it up and used it and can provide some thoughts on how this grill will work at home and in the field for camping.
First, the Blackstone Dash is propane powered with the small propane bottles available at most any retailer that sells camping supplies. For use on camping trips, I do not want to use the 20 lb propane tanks as they are too bulky. For these small grills, a small bottle will allow for quite a bit of grilling and the small bottles are far easier to pack and transport.
The Blackstone Dash comes in the box almost ready to use. In fact, it is essentially out of the box exactly the same way you will pack it up for transport. When you open it up, I suggest you pull out the grill, get the owner's manual, and spend some time looking over before getting started. One issue I did run into, was that my manual ended on page 17, and the Table of Contents informed me the operating instructions began on p. 22! So right off, I had to go online and find the manual - a bit of a pain that really should not happen and lessened my confidence on the quality of the product.
Once I did get things unpacked, and had read the manual (what I had received and online), getting the grill set up was very simple. Generally, the feel of the parts seemed solid and high quality with the exception of the lid latches. They seem to be kind of flimsy and I would not be surprised if they seem to be problematic in the future.
The cooking surface is nonstick and has two sides - a "corrugated" side for grilling meats, etc., and a smooth side for pancakes, etc. A drip pan attaches to the front of the grill for collecting grease coming off the griddle or grill side. My first use of the grill was hamburgers and chicken. I easily fit 6 boneless chicken thighs and 2 hamburgers on the grill. My cooking experience was excellent, but I did notice a couple of issues I will need to address.
First, on my Weber grill, the cooking surface was not nonstick and had holes where grease
dripped through, and the grease collection plate was at the bottom. You cleaned the grill the traditional way - heat it up and use a wire brush. Standard grilling tools were what you used. So, with the Dash, to clean the cooking surface requires letting it cool, and then cleaning it in hot soapy water. I would rather not need to generate hot soapy water on camping trips if I don't have to. Second, I will need to buy cooking utensils that are rubber coated so as not to damage the cooking surface. I have plastic spatulas but need to get some tongs for chicken, brats, etc.
I really like the way the legs and rolling mechanism works, and the unit is plenty light to just pick up and carry. An upcoming week log trip to Colorado will give me some added insight into this grill, and I will update this review as necessary.
I got the grill for right around $100 and you should have no problem doing the same.
I give the unit a tentative 4/5 stars.
