JUNE

[S10CHEVY]

You can also file a complaint with your state Attorney General's Office.

You would think that they would also have a dolly on the truck to use, for heavy boxes.

[Micanopy]

Well after much more research, obsession she calls it, I have determined that the perfect griddle for me is going to be difficult to find.

Most all are cold rolled steel tops over top of stainless steel burners, rigged into some sort of roll around metal cart, with and without covers. These as you know require upkeep and careful attention to seasoning. I really do not want that as I know me far far too well.

Ceramic tops, like the one in my driveway currently, are much easier to maintain, but at a price. Cannot use steel utensils as it will gouge. The surface is likely to peel away over time. I think these are now out as well.

Cast iron would be great, but the ones I saw are just toppers for grills and such already owned. These too require care and metal utensils are probably going to scratch the seasoning and make things cling here and there. These provide the best distribution of heat, and therefor the best results.

I really like the Cuisinart round griddles. Beautiful in design and look like quality workmanship. My issue is that I feel I would be chasing the food around way too much as there is no edge to catch it. Things would simply slide off into a nasty drip ring. Watched videos of them in use and that was exactly what I saw. People carefully lifting and moving stuff instead of sliding, flinging about, and stuff falling off the round surface. They sure look good though.

Stainless steel tops lack the even distribution of heat that all of the above have. They will have hot spots directly above the burners and cold spots right next to the burner. Stainless actually resists even heating. However, stainless does offer the ability to use metal utensils. It can also allow for a serious cleaning without worry of damaging the surface. I mean you could ruin it, but soap and water are OK. A pumice block lightly applied is allowed. Scraper tools with metal edges are allowed. No rust to worry about. Pretty much as easy to maintain as any of the others, if not a little easier.

Most stainless steel griddles are ones you lay atop a cook surface you already own. Some have cast iron stuck to the bottom to provide even heating, but those are commercial designs costing thousands of dollars. BlackStone offers a “stainless steel” model, but that really only means the cart is stainless. Same cold rolled top even if they choose not to make that evident.

So I found one that seems to fit my needs but is more than I really want to spend- $600 plus shipping. Cajun Fryer Griddle.



This thing is built like a tank. Heavy carbon steel frame that is not going to break. Stainless steel burner that turns out 90,000 btu. The size of the cooking surface is only 15” x 20” though, which is kind of small, but doesn’t take up a lot of room on the porch. Nice drip tray in the front where I can access it and monitor to see when it needs dumped. Big drippings hole, again up front not in the back where the food will want to hang out. Overall the unit weighs in at 100 pounds. Five year free replacement of parts if they break, and it looks to me like it would last a really long time and just sit there. Like one of those charcoal grills they set out in parks and such.

The single burner has a single knob to control flow and cranked all the way open would produce one very hot surface. Most other griddles run about half as much heat ( 50,000 btu ) and to heat twice as much surface. I imagine setting temperatures will be very tricky to manage. This unit is MADE IN AMERICA while none of the others can deny their Chinese heritage. Some city in China is the gas grill capital of the world and I am spitting mad that ain’t Milwaukee or Cleveland like it should be.

My wife likes to ask ridiculous questions, and she loves to do it anytime she sees that I am interested in something. So she asks- Honey, what do you plan on cooking with this thing ?

So I says I do all the cooking around this dump and so the answer is apparently whatever it is you will ingest for the next number of years. That and I see this as a healthy alternative for us.

Fish can be griddled and not deep fried. Our red meats can be seared and delicious without having to buy a new Chinese grill every couple of years. Chicken can be purchased in the large sized packages and cooked all at once and then placed in Tuperware and used for sandwiches and salads. We can make healthy Chinese dishes, and Mexican food, and the ever so healthy and delicious burger. In fact whatever I would normally cook in a skillet can be cooked on the griddle far more effectively. Vegetables on the griddle. I mean I suspect this thing is gonna be my go to kitchen gadget.

It is just that the surface is so small at 20 x 15. I mean it is bigger than any skillet I have, but still a little larger would be nice. They make the $900 plus shipping unit and it is 30 x 21 and weighs in at 150 pounds and has a thicker top- 3/8” stainless. Two burners producing the same 90,000 btu. Same everything else, but all at a price $300 more. Definitely be nice and outlast me. She will be the one cooking on it eventually and that thing would be a bear to roll about on the porch. If it fell over it would crush her. Hmmmmmm……

Anyways, as you can see I am engaged in a battle with the options here. This would have all been so unnecessary had FedEx done what they should have done to begin with.

Should I get the full size model ?

[DockShootinJack]

Looks very well built indeed
. . Most things these days are built to sell. That one definitely looks built to last

[Micanopy]

Thanks Jack….. I knew I could rely on your support in this matter. She will be in touch with you later.

[DockShootinJack]

Ain't skeered

[Micanopy]

Six days and the griddle still lies next to the parcel box awaiting the return of that horrible little delivery boy. The one that destroyed it instead of delivering it.

Walmart refuses to issue a refund until I return the griddle. I feel that placing it next to my parcel box is returning it. They know it is there because I sent them an email to that effect on Saturday morning. They acknowledged receiving that email and asked me to rate the feller what sent the reply. Said for me to do so.

So……it has rained almost every day and the cardboard box has broken down even further. Doubtful it could be relied upon to contain the griddle inside. What a mess.

This morning I initiated the complaint process with PayPal. Who knew, but they told me that I could complain using the email address - [email protected]. Hmmmmm……..

I stated that I felt that Walmart was trying to avoid issuing a refund credit to my card, by refusing to secure the package for return. Obviously at this point there is no real need for them to do anything. Walmart has managed to make the entire incident my problem. My fault no- my problem yes.

We shall see if this complaint generates an email message to me. The longer this drags out, the more it motivates me to join some BBQ forums and speak about my personal experience with this griddle. How effectively it kills grass for instance. I still have the pictures showing where the driver dumped it against a tree half way down my driveway.

So whoa is me. I have been down about this all week. Been actively researching new griddles. I wanted that one you know. So yesterday my buddy calls and he has located a used griddle that I might like. Said it is a commercial unit that is sitting inside the old WesternAuto store he owns. Store has been closed. Said I would have to clean it up, but that it was mine for the taking. So Saturday morning he will meet me and help load it into my truck.

He said the top was something like four feet long. Stainless steel construction, but that may not include the griddle top, too. Much bigger than I wanted but hey it’s free. Well except for the price of the GAS I will burn getting to and fro. $5 a gallon in my area now. Oh the joy of living as a subject of the ruling class.

I bet the thing is going to be unusable though. Probably has all sorts of issues that will prevent me from using it. I mean I don’t mind cleaning it up, or buying some parts, but somehow I wonder why it has been just sitting there for a long time. Who knows, it is worth a shot. I could always haul it off to the dump. Lay it out there. Some enterprising man would grab it for scrap anyways.

The lesson in all of this is easy. Wally World will issue refunds quickly and easily, so long as the item is some of their cheap Chinese stuff. They are a bit more hesitant when it is some of their expensive Chinese stuff. That is when they put the brakes on and require the return to be processed differently. The $400 level gets you what I have experienced. Who knows, maybe the $300 level gets you there, too. I know that I will never trust Wally World to issue a refund ever again. Purchasing without fear or concern is now gone. Largest corporation on the planet and they seem to be intent on squashing little old me. Rub my nose in it. Make sure I know who the boss is round here.



Hot, my God has it been hot. I walk outside from the air conditioned office and wham. It is intense. I watched a co worker weed eating and such and wonder what ever happened to me. I mean I used to do that stuff, too. Now I guess I am just too soft to be worth a spit. Of course, I don’t see any joggers out there either. LOL

I do see more bums now. They sit on top of the median concrete thingie, with illegible signs written upon cardboard. A better grade of cardboard than my griddle came with BTW. Man it is hot and they just sit there hoping to get their beer money as fast as possible so they can go back to hiding in the shade again. One woman is especially determined to get paid to stand out there and try to lure folks. She strides back and forth and seems quite professional in her manner.

I see lots of bums now days and imagine how much harder life has become for them now that people have to use all of their money to save the planet for everybody who wanted us to have to do that. No easy money to be had these days I am afraid. The economy is punishing those who are the most venerable and weak. The little people are taking a big hit. I just don’t see people giving out cash like they used to. Gas prices are taking a heavy toll on lower income families, unwed mothers, all the usual suspects. Notice that no one in the media needs to care about the plight of these folks, because the ruling class has such good intentions now. Hmmmm…. isn’t that nice.

I need to burn some gas tonight. Funny how I have had to modify my life in order to cover the cost of fuel. Now I have to do without things until I can make another trip to the store. No bread, oh well have to skip having sandwiches until I can get to the store. No lunch for us. I load the cart up when I do go to try to make sure I have everything we might need. Prices at the grocers are unbelievable. Bacon is such a luxury any more. I feel dumb having to pass on the stuff.

I was talking to someone yesterday and they mentioned to me how God was so active in leading me. I mean ever since my termination from undertaking, everything has tried to get better. I no longer have to deal with that woman’s sickness any more. That is nice and I smile a lot more these days. The timing was suspect and that was how I knew He had a hand in it.

He is also active in my wife’s life as well. Tuesday night at dinner at her sister’s house, she announced that she had gotten a promotion. She has her own office and will soon be assuming the position of a woman who is retiring. Position will have her sitting pretty.

Anyways, she calls me at work yesterday and is very nervous. Her former employer had sent her a text, and she called and left a voice mail. She began worrying that she had done something wrong, and all that sort of thing. I calmed her and said he probably wants you to come back. Well sure enough, he wants her to come back. Offered her everything she asked for before she quit, and a bunch more money. I told her that God guided her to that promotion, because He knew that offer was going to be made, and he wants her where she is now. Kind of stiffened her resolve sort of.

The money was great, but the cost far far too high. She has been so happy lately. Her employer pays for her to attend exercise classes. She went pole dancing, trapeze, trampoline, skating, and all sorts of things with her co-workers. I suspect she is very popular there at work.

So this boss of hers then asks would she ask me if I would work for him. She said no without hesitation. Never even asked me. I would have had to consider it given the pay that was being thrown out there. She doesn’t want me there because she thinks I am happier now and that would all change once I got in that job. I suggested over dinner that she was simply worried that I would show her up by doing a much better job.

I griddled up some chicken last night in my large Lodge cast iron pan atop my Bayou Classic propane burner. Sliced peppers and onions. I have been using avocado butter I found at the grocers as my oil. I think it works fine. I made some salad and tossed the chicken and stuff on top and served her up. She wanted hot sauce so I added some. Didn’t realize it was ghost pepper sauce though and she had a hard time swallowing the chicken after that. HAH….. that will teach you to eat hot sauce.

I want to make every meal outside on my back porch now. Every dinner. Every breakfast. Going to be a little griddle boy now.

[DockShootinJack]

The griddle sounds like a diamond in the rough

[BuckeyeCrappie]

It’s free so worth checking out.

[Micanopy]

Well the saga continues. Walmart is not doing anything. They are not replying to my emails. PayPal hasn’t responded to my email. I plan to call Visa today and ask them to refund me.



Well I was all excited to get my buddy’s commercial griddle, and was promptly disappointed when I saw the condition of it. I had already handed over my smoker, so it was gone. It was an Akorn, which is a metal egg style smoker komado. He also got a PID temperature controller, a charcoal chimney, big bag of charcoal for it, and a few extras and modifications…..and a huge boston butt to get started.

So I am out…….Four hundred bucks to Walmart, and my smoker, and I still don’t have a griddle. Amazing. I am beginning to think God doesn’t want me to have a griddle.

Well this same buddy calls me up last night and says I can have his commercial Char Broiler. Now we are talking. He says that it is in great shape and is a three burner model. This is like a flat top grill you would see in a restaurant. I can’t wait to get my hands on that thing.

It shall be the centerpiece of my new…….outdoor kitchen. Yes, I shall make me an outdoor kitchen. This char broiler can grill all sorts of foods to absolute perfection because of the ability to control the flame so well. I can lay skillets on top and cook foods in my cast iron stuff. I might buy a griddle topper thingie and lay on top of it to do griddling even though I am not supposed to.

Nothing too fancy, but I want it to look cool. I am thinking of building a small roof over the end of the porch, and putting down a cobble stone floor. Then encase the char broiler in stone and some wood. I really don’t know what to do at this point but this would need to be an enhancement to my back porch. I built a 25 x 25 deck for the wedding that abuts up to it, so I need to keep the porch looking nice. It is where she likes to entertain. It is my job to keep fogging them skeeters so she can hang out there with friends.

I plan to turn right around and buy me a brand new Akorn komado smoker, too. I loved that thing. I tried every smoker design out there and none of them worked for me. The fire too hot, fire too cold, fire too hot again. The komado allows me to maintain a steady temperature for those long cooks. I can set a boston butt on it in the evening, and wake up to a ready to go perfectly cooked piece of pig in the morning. Or put some ribs on it and go run errands and come back and eat. I have seven or eight frozen baby back ribs in the freezer, so they will be needing eaten.

Adversity. Why has this been such a huge hassle ? Most people just order a griddle and they are off cooking. Me I get a huge hassle for my money. I did join a smoked meats forum and posted up pictures and the story and such. Title was- Pit Boss Sierra Griddle. That way if someone googles that name my thread might get read and maybe they shy away from that unit. I plan to share my story elsewhere as well. I mean it would be different if we were talking about a small scratch or dent. We are talking crushed here. I am not paying for a crushed griddle.

Char Broiler- here is what one looks like



My buddy says they cost thousands of dollars. I could put this thing on a table top or I could build a cabinet of some kind. This and a smoker and I would have it made. I doubt that I would buy a refrigerator for my outdoor kitchen. I don’t need an oven. I could probably make pizza on my cast iron skillet on top of the broiler. Hmmmmmm

Anyways, work has been going good. Too hot to do much, but I did take some friends tubing on the lake. I went slow and was giving them the tour of homes treatment. They fell off and struggled to get back on the tube. Takes upper body strength. Then I took them back into the cypress trees and through a small creek into a secret pond. My boat runs very shallow for a 20 footer.

Wife is going to hang with her family Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weather report looks like I can fish on Sunday. Made up some new jigs to try out. Maybe the fish will bite for me. A buddy of mine says he has only been catching four and five a day when he goes. So it maybe that they are hiding.

I bet a whole crappie would toast up nicely on a char broiler. Hmmmmmm….. I can’t wait to see what I can do with that thing.

[DockShootinJack]

It looks like a top could be made to convert into a pizza oven very easily. It looks a lot like the gas pizza ovens they make. Nice looking for sure