A flat top griddle has one part that truly matters outdoors: the steel plate. It is bare metal held safe by a thin film of seasoning. The Blackstone 1528 is the maker’s cover for its Original 36 inch griddle. It is built around that fact.
It wraps the cooktop and both side shelves, then simply stops. Below the shelves, every caster and leg takes the weather bare. There is also no vent.
So the question is plain. Is a short skirt with no vent the right trade for bare steel? Blackstone chose to dress the griddle, not the cart. Whether bare steel is safe under that choice is what follows.
67 x 27 inFootprint of the cover, length by depth
25 inHow far the cover drops from the top
600DPolyester fabric, double layered
$20.99Amazon price on 2026-10-19, against a $37.99 list
First Impressions of the Blackstone 36 Inch Griddle Cover
It arrives folded small, and it opens into a plain black box shape with squared corners. Blackstone printed its name once, in white, mid panel. Nothing else decorates it, and nothing on it flaps.
The fabric has the stiff, slightly slick hand of coated polyester. Blackstone calls the build double layered, and it feels heavier than a cheap universal sheet. Water beads on the face in the maker’s own close up photograph.
One person can fit it without help. Shut the burners and let the plate cool. Then drape it from one shelf end to the other.
The shape tells you which way is front. Straps hang from the sides, each ending in a plastic buckle that clips under the base.
Once it is on, the line is neat along the top and the shelves. Below that, the cart’s legs and wheels show in full. That gap is the first thing you notice, and it is deliberate.
Key Features of the Blackstone 36 Inch Griddle Cover
The 1528 is a fitted cover from the griddle’s own maker. It is not a universal sized to many grills. Its features follow from that.
- Cut for one family: Blackstone aims it at the Original 36 inch carts. Its fit drawing shows both the counter height and the low shelf versions.
- 600D polyester shell: The fabric is a mid weight polyester, sewn double layered with reinforced corners and stitching.
- Buckle fastening: Poly resin buckles clip beneath the griddle base. They hold the cover down against wind.
- Water resistant face: Blackstone promises water rolls off. Waterproof is a word the maker avoids.
- No vent and no handles: Neither the maker nor the listing describes either one. You grip the fabric itself.
- Hose clean: Dust and bird mess wipe off or rinse away with a garden hose.
- Cover: It is the BBQ cover itself, one size and one color, black only.
Fit and coverage
Here the fit is a family claim, not a model claim. Blackstone’s page names the Original 36 inch griddle. Its drawing adds counter height and low shelf carts. That takes in most hoodless 36 inch Blackstones.
We have reviewed one of them, the Blackstone 36 inch Griddle Cooking Station.
The Amazon copy muddies this. It also names the Blackstone Tailgater, a smaller and differently shaped product. Neither Blackstone source repeats that claim, so treat it with caution. A hood model needs the 5482 cover instead.
At 67 inches long and 27 deep, the shell spans the cooktop with both shelves out. It does not need to stretch, so the seams carry no strain. The 25 inch drop tells you what Blackstone was protecting. It reaches past the firebox and shelves, then leaves the frame exposed.
Paint on a leg shrugs off rain. Seasoning on a steel plate does not.
Weather protection and durability
Rain is handled well. The 600D polyester sheds water from the top, and the top is where it matters. Blackstone also says the fabric resists fading in heat and cracking in cold.
The weak point is the missing vent. A griddle plate is bare steel under oil. Cover it damp, or in humid air, and moisture has nowhere to go. That is how surface rust starts under a cover, not from rain on top.
Some air does rise through the open bottom edge, which helps a little. It is not a substitute for a designed vent.
Durability looks reasonable for the price. Double layered fabric and reinforced corners address the usual tear points. The buckles are plastic. That is normal at this tier, and still the likeliest part to snap.
Blackstone backs it with a one year warranty. Be aware that the warranty file linked on Amazon covers a griddle, not this cover. Blackstone’s own page is the term that applies.
Handling, upkeep and value
At 5 pounds it is easy to lift over the shelves alone. The lack of handles shows only at the end, when you tug a corner straight. Buckling under the base takes a moment at each side. That step is also why it stays put.
Upkeep is minimal. A wipe or a hose rinse clears dust and droppings. Let it dry before folding it away.
Price is where the case is strongest. On 2026-10-19 Amazon sold it for $20.99 against a $37.99 list. On the maker’s site the same cover sat at $37.99 and could not ship.
The maker’s hood model cover costs $59.99. For a maker’s own cut, the Amazon price sits close to universal cover money.
Possible Blackstone 36 Inch Griddle Cover Complaints
- Condensation under the cover: With no vent, damp air can sit on the plate overnight. You feel it as orange bloom on the steel after a humid week. Cover only a dry, freshly oiled plate.
- Confusing fit claims: The Amazon page adds the Tailgater, while Blackstone names only the Original 36. A cart with a lid needs the other cover.
