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Unit arrived by truck and unboxing was simple. The instructions included were clear and easy to follow.
Box arrived on a Friday. Friday night I fired it up and proceeded to season with extra virgin olive oil. I did 4 cycles of add oil, rub it in, burn it off......
Saturday morning I cooked a pack of bacon and scrambled a dozen or so eggs. Food cooked quickly and I learned a bit about the griddle itself. The right side is the hottest while the other three burners as you move from right to left are a little cooler. Having watched a few videos where they advised to start at near low heat settings and adjust I agree 100%. On high setting I can get well over 400 on the right most side.
Saturday night was fajitas. Spot on, and easy clean up.
Sunday night was chicken fried rice. Spot on and easy clean up. everything worked well, chicken cooked on the right, rice was going on the left while I did the eggs and veggies in the center. Moved the rice to the middle, mixed it all up and then diced the chicken and brought it in.
Tonight was strip steaks, leftover veggies that needed to be cooked and some shrimp that I think my son was going to use for bait. Guess what... It was fantastic. Bottom line is I've cooked some variety, I've tried to burn it and otherwise make it less than good and this is one forgiving cook surface.
The griddle itself.
When unboxing I noted one or two places the legs had the black finish scratched to bare metal. I'd be concerned if this was going to be out in the elements but it lives in a climate controlled shop when not in use so nothing to cry about.
Seasoning was simple and easy enough. you can see in the third photo what it looked like before my first meal and the lower left was still kind of light. Fast forward and you will see that this grill gets better seasoned with each use. When I finish cooking I scrape and oil over high heat. Once the oil burns off I do it one more time and then let it cool and put very light coat of oil on until next use. The bottom of the grill is open with the exception of the right most burner which protects gas line and bottle from heat and does a great job. The bottom shelf is nice and sturdy... which brings me to heat... I did note that when all 4 burners are on high to season or while cleaning the bottom shelf gets hot.... hot to the tune of 195 on the left and 135 on the right. I measure temps with an infrared thermometer we use on tire temps when racing and I know its accurate. Does that bother me? Not really, just note to self... don't put things on the bottom shelf you don't want hot and be aware of children and animals.
As for portability, this is designed to fold up for storage / take camping. Sure I think you could do it, but I'd want a more protective finish to let this thing last. One or two trips to the beach and I can see corrosion if you don't really take it down and clean well. Again, that's not a deal breaker for me and at this price it really should not be a deal breaker for anyone.
My final thoughts. Love it, love it, love it. for my purposes this is incredible. Setup and clean up are quick and easy, cooking is forgiving and the surface has enough room for some serious foods. There are plenty of YouTubers out there cooking on this and other manufacturers griddles and all have good content and sage advice for new owners. My favorite was two guys who are twins. The cook on another brand, but the content is good and their message is simple. Cook how you want and have fun. The PitBoss Griddle is my gateway to doing just that.
