You’re standing in the middle of a crowded Lowe’s or scrolling through a dizzying array of black powder-coated steel on the Blackstone website, and you see it. The beast. Most people gravitate toward the classic 36-inch four-burner model because that’s what everyone’s dad has. But then there’s the 5 burner Blackstone griddle, usually found in the Culinary series or specific Pro-Series lineups, staring you down with that extra knob.
It looks massive. It is massive.
Honestly, most backyard cooks don't need five burners. They just don't. If you’re just smashing two burgers for a weeknight dinner, firing up a 38-inch or 50-inch cooking surface is like using a flamethrower to light a candle. But for the person who has become the designated "breakfast guy" for the neighborhood or the person who actually enjoys cooking an entire hibachi dinner—fried rice, veggies, shrimp, and steak—without playing Tetris with the ingredients, those extra inches are a godsend.
The 5 burner Blackstone griddle isn't just about raw size, though. It’s about thermal management.
The Heat Zone Myth
People think more burners just means "more hot." That’s wrong. In reality, having five burners under a heavy cold-rolled steel plate gives you something a four-burner setup struggles with: a true "cool zone" that isn't actually cold.
When you have five independent burners, you can crank the far left to high for searing ribeyes and keep the far right on the lowest possible setting. On smaller units, the heat bleed across the steel is aggressive. On the 5-burner models, especially those with the 38-inch width found in the Culinary series sold at places like Lowe’s, you have enough physical distance to keep pancakes from burning while your bacon is screaming on the other side.
Blackstone uses cold-rolled steel for their tops. It’s durable, but it’s a heat sponge. It takes time to warm up. Once it’s hot, it stays hot. Having that fifth burner allows for a more granular gradient of temperature. You’ve probably seen chefs like Todd Toven or those guys on the Blackstone YouTube channel talk about "zones." Five burners take that concept and actually make it functional for a home cook who isn't a professional short-order chef.
Size Matters (But Not Why You Think)
Let’s talk specs because the "5 burner" label often applies to the 38-inch Culinary Series or the massive 50-inch event units. Most residential 5-burner units offer around 720 to 768 square inches of cooking space.
That’s a lot of surface area.
Think about a standard bag of frozen hash browns. On a 2-burner, that bag takes up half the space. On a 5 burner Blackstone griddle, that bag is a tiny island in a sea of steel. You can have a pound of bacon, eight eggs, a pile of hash browns, and a stack of toast all going at once. Nobody waits for their food. Everyone eats at the same time. That is the ultimate flex of the 5-burner owner.
The downside? Gas.
This thing eats propane. If you’re running all five burners on high, you’re pulling a lot of BTUs. Most of these units push around 60,000 to 62,000 BTUs total. If you aren't hooked up to a natural gas line with a conversion kit, you’ll be hauling 20lb propane tanks to the exchange station way more often than you’d like. It’s the "hidden tax" of owning a heavy-duty outdoor kitchen.
Culinary vs. Adventure vs. Pro Series
It gets confusing. Blackstone loves to segment their products by retailer.
The 5 burner Blackstone griddle you see at Lowe’s is usually the Culinary Series. It’s got the fancy hood, the integrated trash bag holder, and the paper towel rack. It looks sleek. It’s designed to stay on your patio forever.
Then there are the "Event" units. These are the 50-inch monsters. You usually see these at tailgates or being used by catering companies. They often have folding legs, but let’s be real—moving a 150-pound piece of steel is not "portable." If you buy the 50-inch 5-burner, you are committed. It stays where you put it.
Why Some Pros Actually Hate the 5-Burner
There is a segment of the griddle community that thinks the 5-burner is overkill. Their argument is simple: more moving parts, more ignition points to fail, and more surface area to season.
Seasoning a griddle is a ritual. You need high-heat oil (flaxseed, grapeseed, or the Blackstone-branded blend) and time. Doing this on a 36-inch is a chore. Doing it on a 38 or 50-inch surface requires a lot of oil and a lot of patience to ensure the corners get dark and non-stick. If you’re lazy about maintenance, a 5 burner Blackstone griddle will rust just as fast as any other model, and you'll have more surface area to scrub with a grill brick when you inevitably mess it up.
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Also, wind is the enemy.
Because these units are so wide, they have large gaps between the cooktop and the burners. A stiff breeze can blow out your flame or drastically lower the temperature of the steel. Many owners end up buying aftermarket wind guards. It’s an extra expense that people don't factor in when they see the shiny unit on the showroom floor.
Real World Use Case: The Sunday Brunch
Imagine you’ve got six people over.
- Burner 1 & 2: High heat for crispy bacon and sausage links.
- Burner 3: Medium for sautéing onions and peppers.
- Burner 4: Low for delicate scrambled eggs.
- Burner 5: Off (using residual heat) to keep the finished pancakes warm.
You cannot do that effortlessly on a 3-burner. You just can't. The 5-burner setup allows for a literal "assembly line" workflow.
The Durability Question
Is it built better because it has more burners? Not necessarily. The frame is essentially the same gauge of steel as the 4-burner models, just stretched. The ignition systems are still piezo or battery-powered pulses. One common complaint with the larger units is that the middle burner can sometimes struggle if the gas manifold isn't perfectly pressurized.
But honestly? If you take care of it, it lasts.
The key is the hood. If you’re buying a 5 burner Blackstone griddle, do not buy one without a lid or a hard cover. The amount of debris and moisture that can collect on that massive slab of steel overnight is enough to ruin your seasoning in a week if you live in a humid climate like Florida or the Pacific Northwest.
What You Should Know Before Buying
- Check your patio measurements. This isn't a small footprint. With the side shelves extended, a 5-burner can easily span 5 to 6 feet in width.
- Buy a bulk propane adapter. If you have the option to hook into a 100lb tank or a home line, do it.
- The weight is real. These units often arrive in boxes weighing 140+ pounds. Do not try to assemble this alone unless you want a trip to the chiropractor.
- Heat-up time. Expect to wait 15-20 minutes for the steel to fully "heat soak." If you throw food on too early, you'll get sticking.
Actionable Next Steps for New Owners
If you just pulled the trigger on a 5 burner Blackstone griddle, your first move isn't cooking bacon. It’s cleaning.
Factory-shipped griddles come with a thin coat of soy oil to prevent rust during shipping. You need to wash that off with soapy water—the only time soap should ever touch your griddle—and dry it immediately.
From there, perform at least five rounds of seasoning. Apply a very thin layer of oil, let it smoke off completely until the smoke stops, then repeat. The steel should turn from grey to a deep, dark obsidian black.
Once that's done, your first cook should be something high-fat. Onions and cheap bacon are the gold standard. The onions help "clean" the surface and the bacon fat starts building that long-term polymer layer that makes a Blackstone better than any non-stick pan in your kitchen.
Keep a scraper handy, buy a good set of long spatulas, and always, always apply a thin coat of oil after you finish cleaning the hot surface. That simple habit is the difference between a rust-bucket and a generational cooking tool.