It’s time to literally set your outdoor cooking skills on fire with our brand review of Blaze Grills. Try not to set your food on fire though. 🙂
Blaze Grills was founded by the famous BBQ Guys, and is now owned by Brand Velocity Partners. The company is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and while the grills themselves are made in China the firm employs many local US staff. Verified reviewers give Blaze Grills 4.2-4.7 out of 5 stars.
Let’s discover more about the Blaze Grills brand, history and product range in greater detail – so you can make an informed decision when buying one of their grills.
Where Are Blaze Grills Made? (Are They Made in The USA?)
Blaze Grills was founded by the famous BBQ Guys, and the company is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The products themselves are made for Blaze Grills in China, but the company still continues to employ many local people in its Louisiana HQ.
Blaze Grills began life as a store in Baton Rouge, which later became the online retail and review site, BBQ Guys. Original co-founder Mike Hinckley teamed up with business partner Corey Tisdale in 2012 to launch their own grill manufacturing company, Blaze Outdoor Products.
Who Makes Blaze Grills? (Will They Stand Behind Their Products?)
Blaze Outdoor Products and BBQ Guys were bought by Brand Velocity Partners in 2020. This is a private equity company that specializes in brand marketing and development. Like many other grills, the products are manufactured by Charter Enterprises in China.
It’s early days for the new ownership; however Blaze Grills currently claim to offer a lifetime warranty.
What Products Are in The Blaze Grills Collection?
Blaze Grills began with the commitment to offer accessible outdoor kitchen kit. So, they naturally have a good range of built-in gas grills. You can actually buy most if what you need for an outdoor kitchen from the Blaze Grills range, including cupboards, refrigerators, and cooking accessories such as smokers, rotisseries, and lighting sets.
If you like that classic smokey BBQ taste, they also make charcoal grills and Kamodo smokers. Add to this griddles, side burners and portable grills, and you have a great choice of outdoor cooking equipment.
What Size & Weight Are Blaze Grills?
Blaze makes a whole outdoor island unit, featuring the grill, a burner, a refrigerator, and lots of storage space. This mighty unit is 84.56″ wide. At the other end of the scale, we have the small-but-powerful portable pro, measuring just 27” at a weight of 51 pounds.
In the middle, a generous-sized 40” grill freestanding Blaze is 56.75” (H) x 63.37” (W) x 25.75” (D). Made from 304 grade stainless steel, Blaze Grills produce robust and sturdy equipment.
Do Blaze Grills Come With a Warranty?
Blaze Grills are so confident in the build quality of their products, that they offer a lifetime warranty on all the stainless steel parts.
Blaze Grills explain a bit more about their grill warranty in this blog post.
Where Is The Model Number On a Blaze Grill?
You’ll find the serial number of your new Blaze Grill on the outside of the grill unit, on the left-hand side of the fire box.
Do Blaze Grills Also Make Accessories?
If “accessories” to you means fun aprons and sets of BBQ tongs, this isn’t the Blaze way. Their accessories are fantastic extra pieces of equipment that can transform your outdoor cooking experience. You can literally pick up a kitchen sink (with a built-in bottle opener – these guys sure understand a BBQ!) or add a smoker box to your grill set-up.
There are plenty of items designed to make your cooking experience easier. A flame tamer will eliminate flare-ups, and there are insulated jackets for gas grills. Add a rotisserie or a pizza stone to increase your al fresco cooking menu. If you want to convert a built-in grill to a freestanding, or customise your set-up, you can also buy the cary portion separately.
Lights will make winter and nighttime grilling easier (although most pro models already have LED lighting), and don’t forget to pick up a robust cover for protect your grill when not in use.
What Do The Reviews Say About Blaze Grills?
What do customers think of Blaze Grills? Do they live up to their commercial-quality reputation? We took a look at the reviews of the Blaze Freestanding Grill, a 32” gas model with lights. It scored 4.2 out of a possible 5 stars. Customers loved the heavy-duty grill and there are good things said about its ability to sear steaks – but the cart is described as too flimsy for the sturdy grill.
Interestingly, a built-in model (a 40”, 5-burner premium model) had a better score of 4.7, with customers praising the build quality. Blaze’s single side burners rate highly, with customers liking this extra item’s quality and high heat. And one of the best-rated products? The pull-out trash can. There’s no saying what people will find pleasing! (But seriously, we love the idea of a quality concealed bin for your outdoor kitchen.)
How Much Do Blaze Grills Cost?
Blaze Grills started out with the mission to make outdoor kitchens affordable for more people. In practice, we’d say they’re still pretty luxe. However, Blaze grills do feel like value for money: for example, their premium outdoor island unit may seem expensive at $8000+, but you get an awful lot for your buck, including a refrigerator and LED lighting.
A 32” freestanding gas grill starts at around $1,400 with the built-in version slightly less. You can pick up an outdoor kitchen package on Amazon, which includes the grill plus cover, a burner, a fridge, a pull-out trash can, and a good-sized cabinet for $4,500, and is actually great value if you’re setting up a new outdoor kitchen.
Their Pro range naturally costs more, but you are getting a commercial-quality appliance. Expect to pay upwards of $4,600 for the Professional 34” BLZ-3PRO-LP freestanding model.
How To Use a Blaze Grill
Here’s how you light a gas Blaze Grill:
- Open the hood when lighting the burners
- Light the first burner by pushing the burner knob in and slowly rotating it counter-clockwise to the highest position
- Listen out for the loud click and look for the flame igniting through the bars
- Doesn’t work? Try again immediately. If it doesn’t work this time, turn the burner off, close the lid and wait five minutes
- Heat for 10-15 minutes before using
- Choose from slow, low cooking to swiftly seared steaks
- If you have a charcoal Blaze Grill, give it an initial 20-minute burn-off before using it to cook your food
If you have exciting extra features like a rotisserie or a smoker box, check Blaze’s Grills instructions before using them.
Are These Grills Easy To Maintain? (Do They Rust?)
Blaze Grills recommend cleaning the exterior surfaces with a stainless steel cleaner and a soft cloth, working in the direction of the stainless steel’s grain.
After each use, wait until the grill has cooled then remove the drip tray. Wash it with soapy water, dry it well, then replace it. Doing this every time prevents a build-up of flammable grease.
To clean the inside, heat the grill for 15 minutes or so on a high temperature with the lid closed. This will unstick and food remnants which you can then brush off when it’s cooled.
If you have a charcoal grill, let the coals burn out and the ashes cool, then remove all the ash. It’s important to do this every time, as ashes trap moisture. As with the gas version, brush the grids to remove stuck-on food remnants.
It’s worth noting that Blaze Grills are made from 304-grade stainless steel, which is extremely durable and means your grill won’t rust – especially if you care for it properly.
How Long Do Blaze Grills Last?
Because of their high build quality and the top standard stainless steel used in their construction, your Blaze Grill should last a lifetime.
Bear in mind that this is dependent on normal usage, eg. cleaning the grill properly after each use, not leaving it uncovered in the rain for long periods, and winterizing it during prolonged periods of bad weather.
How Do I Store My Blaze Grill?
How do you store or winterize a Blaze Grill? It really is worth investing in one of their covers (or a similar robust design – Amazon has a good choice), which will keep that lovely 304-grade stainless steel safe from the elements.
Ideally, you should store your grill in a dry garage, shed, or outbuilding if it’s not going to be used for a while, and certainly over the winter. Disconnect the gas, then give it a really thorough clean, to make sure there are no food particles left, which could attract bugs, rodents, or mold. Make sure it’s completely dry, then pop its cover on.
If you don’t have a suitable indoor space, cover your grill and place it in the most sheltered place you can find in your yard. Don;t worry about the butane cylinder – that will survive really low temperatures.
What if you have an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill? Winterize your grill by disconnecting the gas, and cleaning and drying it as before. This will help to keep it free from critters while it’s not in use. You may choose to cover your kitchen over the winter: but one word of caution – if moisture gets trapped beneath the cover, it could cause more damage.
Summary: Where Can I Buy a Blaze Grill?
Blaze Grills are easy to buy, and we’ve already mentioned that Amazon has a good stock – and of course, you can definitely get them from BBQ Guys.
Otherwise, take a look at the Blaze Grills website, which gives lists of authorized online and local stockists.
Go on – set your grilling skills ablaze today. 🙂
