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If you want a full outdoor griddle station that can also air fry, choose Blackstone 28; if you need a compact countertop appliance that air fries and grills indoors, choose Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer.
These two products get compared a lot because both sit at the intersection of "air fryer vs grill" — but they solve that problem in completely opposite ways. One is a freestanding propane griddle built for a backyard. The other is a 7.5-quart countertop air fryer with a grill plate for indoor searing. The right pick comes down to where you cook and how many people you feed, not which one sounds fancier.
• Blackstone 28 — biggest strength: A 524 sq. in. carbon steel griddle top plus a built-in 2-quart air fryer with a dedicated warming drawer, all on a freestanding gas frame with a hood and wheels.
• Blackstone 28 — biggest trade-off: It's an outdoor-only, propane-fueled unit that's 54.5 inches wide and 45 inches tall, so it needs patio space, a tank (not included), and it's not something you store in a cabinet.
• Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer — biggest strength: A 7.5-quart basket with both air fry and grill modes, 8 one-touch presets, and a 13" x 11" x 9" footprint that lives on a countertop.
• Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer — biggest trade-off: No outdoor griddle surface, no side shelves, no wheels — it's a single-basket appliance, so you cook in batches rather than on one wide flat top.
• Who each is for: Blackstone 28 for backyard hosts cooking big savory meals outdoors; Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer for a 3–7 person household that wants crispy food and indoor grill marks without stepping outside.
The Blackstone 28 is, first and foremost, a griddle. The 524 square inches of carbon steel cooking surface is the headline — that's a wide, flat top where you can lay out burgers, bacon, eggs, hash browns, stir fry and sautéed vegetables at the same time. Carbon steel is the material that gives a griddle its characteristic sear and flavor development, and Blackstone pairs it with a stainless steel frame, hood and side shelves, plus wheels so the whole station can be rolled around a patio.
What makes it unusual is the air fryer built into the same cart. The air fryer basket has a temperature control knob with three settings spanning 300°F to 475°F, and there's a separate warming basket/drawer so you can air fry a batch of fries and hold them warm while the burgers finish on the griddle. That combination — griddle, bake, sauté, roast, sear, stir fry and air fry in one freestanding unit — is genuinely rare, and it's why this thing is built for entertaining rather than solo weeknight cooking.
Buy it if you have a backyard or patio, you cook for a crowd, and you want the griddle to be the center of the meal. The two-burner gas configuration and rear grease management system (a rear grease trap that collects runoff) are aimed squarely at heavy, juicy cooking like bacon and fatty meats. Skip it if you live somewhere without outdoor space, don't want to deal with propane (the tank isn't included), or you mainly want to air fry single servings. At 25.5"D x 54.5"W x 45"H and 16 ounces shipping weight listed, this is furniture, not an appliance you tuck away.
This one flips the script. It's an air fryer first — a 7.5-quart basket rated for 3–7 people, big enough for a whole chicken, a large batch of fries, or several servings at once — with a grill plate accessory that adds a second mode. In grill mode you get high-heat searing and grill marks indoors, which is the whole point of the "air fryer vs grill" argument: you don't need an outdoor grill to get a seared steak or grilled chicken.
The controls are a digital LED touch panel with 8 one-touch presets, and you can manually set temperature anywhere from 160°F to 400°F and adjust time to match a recipe. Output is 1400 watts, the body is ABS plastic in black, and the footprint is 13"D x 11"W x 9"H — countertop size, no fuel line, no tank, no patio required. The "number of items: 20" field suggests it ships as a multi-piece set with accessories, which fits the idea of a grill plate plus basket setup.
Buy it if you want one appliance that air fries crispy food with little oil and can also sear meat indoors, especially for a family of 3–7 or for meal prep. Skip it if you're planning a big outdoor cookout with a wide flat top — the basket format means you cook in rounds, and there's no griddle surface, hood, side shelf or warming drawer here. It's also not built to live outside; ABS plastic and a touch panel want a kitchen counter.
• Best for outdoor cooking → Blackstone 28. Freestanding gas design, hood, wheels and side shelves are all outdoor furniture features.
• Best for indoor cooking → Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer. Countertop footprint, electric power, no fuel or ventilation setup needed.
• Best for feeding a crowd in one pass → Blackstone 28. A 524 sq. in. flat top lets you cook many items simultaneously.
• Best for a 3–7 person household in batches → Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer. The 7.5-quart basket is sized for family dinners and meal prep.
• Best for griddle-style food (bacon, eggs, smash burgers, stir fry) → Blackstone 28. Carbon steel griddle surface plus a rear grease management system.
• Best for crispy "fried" food with less oil → Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer. Air fry mode plus 8 presets and 160–400°F control.
• Best for searing without an outdoor grill → Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer. The included grill plate is specifically for high-heat searing and grill marks.
• Best for simple storage and setup → Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer. No propane tank, no assembly into a full cart, no patio space required.
In my opinion, these aren't really competitors — they're two answers to the same question asked from different kitchens. If I had a backyard and regularly cooked for a group, I'd buy the Blackstone 28, because nothing else here gives you a 524 sq. in. carbon steel griddle and a built-in air fryer with a warming drawer in one freestanding station. But if my cooking happens indoors and I want both crispy air-fried food and indoor grill marks without buying two appliances, I'd buy the Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer — the 7.5-quart basket and dual modes cover more of my actual weeknights. Match the product to your space first, and the air fryer vs grill decision makes itself.
FAQ
how to air fryer grilled cheese
Use air fry mode on the Generic Grill Plate/Air Fryer: assemble the sandwich, set a temperature within the 160–400°F range, and cook until the bread is crisp and the cheese melts. The 7.5-quart basket fits several sandwiches at once, and one of the 8 presets can get you close before you fine-tune the time.
Same approach as above, but flip the sandwich halfway so both sides crisp evenly. Because the basket is sized for 3–7 people, you can do a full round of sandwiches in one batch rather than reheating the appliance between servings.
how to air fryer grilled chicken
Season the chicken, place it in the basket in a single layer, and use air fry mode at a temperature inside the 160–400°F range, checking doneness near the end. If you want sear marks instead of a crispy exterior, switch to grill mode with the included grill plate.
how to air fry grilled cheese
If you'd rather have griddle-style grilled cheese, that's the Blackstone 28's territory — melt butter on the carbon steel top and cook the sandwich flat for a crisp, even crust. On the Generic unit, air fry mode gives you a lighter, crispier result with far less oil.
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