Blacktop 360 Party Hub Grill-Fryer Giveaway and Review~ 2/15

Momma Told Me: Never come between a man and his grill.

There were a lot of things my father put on hold when I was born. For the sake of raising a family, and setting a good example for his daughter he settled into a lifetime career, became Mr. Family Man, and even put down his favorite beer. The change, I imagine, was so dramatic, that the man I now know today as 'Pop' is quite a different person that that of childhood memories- both equally as great, just one more pro football, and malt beverage enthusiastic. In any case, it's fair to say there were several male stereotypes my father never possessed, in my eyes, while growing up. There was one thing, however, that does stand out in countless memories within my head; dad at the helm of his grill.

As far back as I could support myself on my own two feet, hands pressed against the sliding glass doors, and eyes wide in awe of the roaring flames; Pop was our Grill Master. No matter where we were living, celebrating, or dining, if a grilling opportunity arose, the spatula was in his hand. A sort of unspoken respect for his mastery of charbroil and flame. Momma would cook 350 nights a year, but those other 15, well, they belonged to my dad. And, while there would often be a fuss about 'clean up' and how tricky that elusive 'perfect sear' really was, I seldom saw my father's face light up as much as when he sat those seared patties down on his perfectly toasted buns. Well, that is until I bought him his first fryer.

Next to bacon and beer, the quickest way to my pop's heart, like so many men, is freshly fried anything. So much so that a few years back I bought him a counter top fryer for his birthday. We'd spend afternoons frying just about anything in sight, and grazing upon course after course of cheese sticks, egg rolls, and chimichungas. Both true foodies it was far from gourmet, but the perfect, portable, method for food cart style gluttony. I dare say that mini fryer saw a fair lifetime of runs before finally giving out, to my father's sadness, last year. So, it was with the fryer in mind, that I went hunting again for compact/portable fryer options for the home. What I found was far from anything I'd ever expected, but an experience no one could forget; The Blacktop 360.

The Blacktop 360 Party Hub, combination grill/fryer/griddle/warmer is truly a tailgating gastronmer's heaven. Not only is the entire device (fold up) portable, but electricity free; for fresh fried and grilled food, anywhere your imagination can take you. Now, honestly, as a rational woman, my first response to this concept was, "Well that's an extremely dangerous and absurd product that's sure to be a mess." After all, encouraging (possibly) drunk, overenthusiastic and distracted men (fans) to tote a fryer (table) around and serve up a myriad of greasy foods- recipe for disaster. Thankully, unlike many crazy impulse buys out there, this product went beyond dream stages to functional design and long term consideration. As cool as a tabletop cook station sounds, the Blacktop is much more than a sport's fans tailgating mistress.

For marketing purposes (the features any overenthusiastic foodie or sports fan will likely care about), the Blacktop 360 is a compact (fold away) table featuring a full service propane grill, 2QT deep fryer, warming plate, and griddle. It features stainless steel construction with a push pulse ignition, 452 square inches of cooking space, tons of accessory hooks/ad-ons, and can support a full size 20lb tank (for all day grilling). With a suggested retail value of just $249.99, this testosterone pumping accessory borders the thin line between toy and gourmet cook station. Included with your new stow-away-kitchen is a genuine wood cutting board, thermometer, insulated liquid (dripping) catch bottle, and stash away carrying case. The grill itself is supported by 4, fold in, rubber footed legs that help stabilize this (relatively light) 37lb device.

I received a Blacktop 360 Party Hub for review and feature during Bubbles of Love, and just in time for the upcoming Super Bowl (Go Pats!) Our Blacktop arrived in an extremely colorful square box (about 30" x 30"), featuring a myriad of tasty food suggestions. As crazy as one thinks they might get with such a powerhouse of flame and fry, it was surprisingly difficult to conceive what I'd cook on it (outside of special circumstances). Thankfully, a few grill minded males, were quick to prove me wrong. The Blacktop 360 is a functioning (standard) grill, just as much as a combination unit for on-the-go. My father, very soon after first seeing the device in action, mentioned how he might, personally, bring it with him to the beach. As someone with limited yard and storage space I simply loved that I could easily pack it away and pull it out to grill with friends.

The box touts that there is no assembly required, which I suppose is true in the sense no nuts or bolts were needed. Naturally, there are parts that will need to be put in place before use. We also had a little difficulty locating smaller accessories, such as the drip canister (more like a durable thermos) and thermometer. As it turns out these items were located in the actual styrofoam packing, along the sides of the Blacktop, in the box. Included was a complimentary, specialty fit, zip-up carry case, for transport and cleanliness when in storage. This generic vinyl cover is of standard thickness, and quality, and (in my opinion) will likely not out last the grill itself, but makes for a nice addition. The included instruction booklet appeared to be predominantly legal disclosures and common sense warning, though there are some useful assembly diagrams and basic grilling (temperature) guidelines. I thought it was neat that the suggested fry temperature is 360F, tying into the product's name.

Actual 'assembly' consisted of folding out the 4 legs, which featured plastic grip caps for stability on various surfaces. The legs also offered folding instructions (these legs first, etc), visually noted on the legs themselves, for simple (mindless) storage. Next, the actual Blacktop plate was set atop the infrared burner (which reminded my of a sexy car engine, full of shiny stainless steel and chrome). Then on went the slosh ring and complimentary thermometer (which visually indicates the suggested 'fry temperature' range. Around the Blacktop 360 is a blue accessory ring featuring gripped hooks for various grill tools and (I assume) future product ad-ons. The rather sturdy (Thermos-like) drip canister comes off entirely (and screws shut for transport), to be cleaned. It can be loosely clipped/hung underneath the designated grease run off channel. There is, in fact, a specified groove meant to channel any boil over oil or grease, for clean collection.

On the opposite side, of the drip channel, the wood cutting board can be clipped/hung, though it is not the most stable for heavy duty cutting. Think of this as more of a storage place for pre-cut toppings, or cutting surface for light-weight vegetables. While the surface is solid wood, and generous in size, I wouldn't dare cut on it with hot oil, or a grill running. Next, it was time to attach the 2QT propane canister, via the easy screw in valve at the bottom of the Blacktop. While a hose adapter may be purchased, to accommodate 20lb tanks, we found that the portable propane canisters (which run about $5 locally) will last for up to 4-5 hours of use. Lastly, for set-up, we installed a (not included) AA battery in the push button ignition; the only source of electric based power this unit requires. I should note that the Blacktop 360 includes a 3-Position lid, which fits one of the stations at any given time (most useful on the grill when cooking, or to keep finished foods fresh and warm on the warmer).

Each station (fry, grill, griddle) offers it's own control knob, for targeted heat distribution, though the warming plate seems to run off extra heat from the other devices. I noticed, our particular unit, came from the factory with a loose screw on the 'Fryer' knob, that we've been unsuccessful in determining how to tighten. At this time it does nto interfere with the product's operation, but the device does operate with the turning of the knobs, and this could potentially be an issue down the line. Before using any of its other features we decided to heat the oil for some good old fashioned frying. As indicated by the instructions, we watched the (Blacktop 360) provided thermometer for a temperature of 360. The actual, round, oil compartment is centrally located and has visual indicators for proper oil content. During our testing we filled it between the MIN and MAX indicator lines. I should note, while the instructions say to allow the grill to heat 10-15 minutes, the oil seemed to heat to temperature (on a heat setting of 7) within 3-5 minutes. In fact, the temperature quickly rose above the marked 'fry' zone, and would have burned if left unattended.

Our first fry attempt was using fairly frozen, processed, tater tots. While a steamer accessory is currently sold (to fit the fry bin), there is no designed basket or scoop, as of yet. We used a stainless steel, slotted, spoon, and set the tater tots into the oil softly, one by one. Our initial reaction was quite radical, with oil popping and bubbling wildly to cover a radius of 2ft, around the Blacktop 360. We expected some kick back, as we were using a frozen product, but the actual response was much more dramatic than desired and prompted the need for a cover. Utilizing quick thinking we pulled a (glass) saucepan cover from the kitchen, which happened to fit the fryer perfectly. Our next batch of tater tots the reaction was equally as wild, but contained. It was then we took notice of how the provided thermometer was behaving. According to it the oil temperature would rise significantly upon the addition of more tater tots. This made it hard to judge just where we should keep the oil (at resting), and resulted in the turning of the temperature gauge down to '1-2'.

While messing with the temperature we also noticed that the knobs seem quite sensitive. As the dials indicate an actual place marker for '0' heat level, the flames would often go out (in any of the 3 regions), when the knob approached 1. I could say this was frustrating, but I rather feel it's simply the normal ins and outs of learning a new electric device, especially when dealing with propane and heat. In any case, our tater tots came out marvelously flavorful and perfectly fried- though in very small batches. Don't expect to fry more than one portion at a time, and I highly suggest investing in a lid and stainless mesh bowl/scoop for easy food removal.

By the time we were done withe the fryer, we'd moved onto the Grill station, where an attractive flame roared along the Stainless Steel infrared burner. I should note that the burner itself is also composed of the same base ceramic material that the Blacktop's surface is coated in, though our burner seemed to take a big hit from various sauces and fluids dripping down directly over it. While the grill is still quite functional, it is most certainly not as pretty as it was on day 1. In any case, the spacious 1/3 surface area accommodates about 3 1/3lb beef patties, or 3 average chicken breasts, at a time, and is prone to sticking (so be sure to pre-treat your grills surface). While grilling we found it useful to turn the griddle on, brush our buns with butter, and toast them at about 30 second intervals on high. The result was a (literally) perfectly toasted bun. Then, while the patties finished cooking, they migrated over the the warming pad.

In all, the manual's suggested cleaning method involves removing the Blacktop for a decent hose down, and manually cleaning the interior. While the Blacktop has a designated drip off canister, and secondary grease trap drawer beneath the grill, the mess inside is still quite considerable. I like that the grease can be contained for storage and moving, but don't expect this puppy to arrive home without creating a mess in the back of your (truck) bed. After all, it's a 'man's' toy, it's meant to get a little dirty, right? In my opinion, the Blacktop 360 is exactly what I would expect for the price, and well worth the investment for anyone with an active lifestyle (beach trips, vamping, tailgating), and a great entertaining piece. I still wouldn't recommend multiple chefs, or even multiple functions, at once (especially when beer is nearby)- but am more than thrilled with the compact footprint and power this unit puts out. My biggest suggestion for the company? Add a fryer cover.

What Daughter Says: This Valentines/Super Bowl/ Father's Day, surprise your man with a Blacktop 360, and if you're brave, take it for a test run, yourself.

One lucky Momma Told Me follower will win their very own Blacktop 360 Party Hub Grill-Fryer!


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