Key Takeaways
- The press to buy first: The Blackstone Smash & Sear Press sits at bestseller rank #20. It also works as a bacon press, so it gets used past burger night.
- The spatula for venison crust: The Weber Griddle Spatula has a beveled edge. Lean venison sticks harder than beef, and a beveled edge gets under the crust.
- Winter protection: The Blackstone 5483 28″ cover has cinch straps and is the highest-ranked pick here at #14.
- No more propane runs: The Blackstone 5249 natural gas conversion kit comes with a 10 foot hose. It carries the deepest markdown of any Blackstone hardware in this group.
It’s late October in West Virginia. Bow season is a month old, and somebody in the family already has a freezer drawer full of ground venison. If you’re still waiting on yours, our piece on how long to hang a deer before butchering covers the step before any of this.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so plenty of driveways will have a griddle going while the kids work the neighborhood. Venison smash burgers on a Blackstone are hard to beat for that kind of night. Just respect how lean the meat is, because most folks mix ground venison with beef fat or pork before it ever touches a flat top.
For this week’s WV Finds I went through the garden and outdoor cooking deals, and the thing that stood out was burger presses. Several were marked down at the same time. Blackstone has two of them inside the top 30 on the bestseller list, and Pit Boss has its own smasher in the mix.
So this post is mostly about smashing and scraping. I added one griddle cover and a natural gas conversion kit for anyone who plans to cook through the cold. Discounts run from about 28% to 48% across the ten, and prices were verified October 27, 2026.
What press works best for venison smash burgers?
For lean venison you want a press with some weight and a flat face, and the Blackstone Smash & Sear Press is the safest pick. The cast iron version gives you more weight if you’re willing to take care of it.
If you’d rather slow-cook the better cuts and save the grind for burgers, our guide to smoking a venison backstrap on a pellet grill fits right alongside this one.
Blackstone Smash & Sear Press
If you only buy one thing for venison smash burgers, make it the Blackstone Smash & Sear Press. It’s stainless steel and doubles as a bacon press or a weight for paninis, so it keeps a spot on the side shelf after burger night. At bestseller rank #20, plenty of griddle owners have landed on the same choice.
- Stainless steel burger smasher
- Doubles as bacon and panini press
- Bestseller rank #20
Blackstone Cast Iron Griddle Press
The Blackstone cast iron press is listed as medium heavy duty, and with lean venison you want weight behind the smash. It’s pre-seasoned, measures 10 by 5.5 inches, and has a heat-resistant rubber handle. The downside is upkeep, since cast iron has to be dried and oiled after every cleanup.
- Pre-seasoned cast iron
- 10 x 5.5 inch press face
- Heat-resistant rubber handle
Pit Boss Smash Burger Press
Pit Boss Smash Burger Press | This tool makes it easy to get perfect, smashed patties on the griddle
The Pit Boss Smash Burger Press makes sense if you cook on a Pit Boss griddle and like your tools to match. The listing gives almost no specs, which is why I put it behind the Blackstone press. It does ship with Prime, and a rank of #76 shows steady demand.
- Made for smashed patties on the griddle
- Prime shipping
- Bestseller rank #76
Which spatula and scraper handle a smash burger?
A beveled spatula with a raised handle does most of the work, and a cheap stiff scraper takes care of cleanup. The scrape matters more with venison, because there’s less fat between the patty and the steel.
Any of these would also make a good stocking stuffer, and we have more ideas like that in our cabin gift guide with grill tools.
Weber Griddle Spatula
A smash burger lives or dies on the scrape, and the Weber Griddle Spatula has a beveled stainless edge made to get under a crust. The raised handle keeps your knuckles away from the cooking surface. Venison crust sticks harder than beef, so a sharp front edge is worth having.
- Stainless steel
- Beveled edge for scraping crust
- Raised easy-grip handle
Blackstone 6 Inch Griddle Scraper
The 6 inch Blackstone scraper is the cheapest thing in this post and might be the one you use most. It’s stainless with a long heat-resistant handle, and it also chops onions right on the flat top. At rank #63, it’s a common add-on with any griddle order, and that makes sense.
- 6 inch stainless steel blade
- Long heat-resistant handle
- Scraper and chopper in one
Blackstone Hamburger Kit
The Blackstone 3-piece hamburger kit is a good fit if you’re starting with nothing. The box holds a stainless flipper spatula and a patty press, plus a basting cover. If you already have a good spatula, buying a press and a dome separately from this list makes more sense.
- 3-piece stainless steel set
- Flipper spatula and patty press
- Includes basting cover
Blackstone 12 Inch Basting Cover
The 12 inch Blackstone basting cover melts the cheese before a thin patty overcooks. Squirt a little water next to the burger and drop the dome over it, and the steam does the rest. It’s stainless and dishwasher safe, which helps when you’re feeding a crowd.
- 12 inch round stainless dome
- Heat-resistant handle
- Dishwasher safe
How do you set up a Blackstone for cold-weather cooking?
Cover it with something that has straps, and think about your fuel before January. A loose cover on a ridge in November ends up in the neighbor’s yard.
We went through this in more depth in our roundup of grill covers that stay put in the wind.
Blackstone 5483 28 Inch Griddle Cover
This Blackstone 28 inch cover is made for griddles with a hood, so check your model before you order. It’s 600D polyester with cinch straps, and the straps are what count on a windy hilltop. It ranks #14, the highest of anything I picked this week.
- Fits 28 inch griddles with hood
- 600D polyester, water resistant
- Cinch straps
Blackstone 5249 Natural Gas Conversion Kit
If your house has a natural gas line, the Blackstone 5249 conversion kit means no more hauling propane tanks in the snow. It comes with a 10 foot hose. Confirm your griddle is compatible, and have a qualified gas installer make the hookup.
- Propane to natural gas conversion
- 10 foot hose
- Made for outdoor griddles
Is a cast iron griddle worth it without a Blackstone?
Yes, if you cook small batches. A cast iron griddle over a burner will smash a few patties without a full flat top setup.
Camp Chef Cast Iron Griddle
The Camp Chef CGG16B is pre-seasoned cast iron with a grill side and a griddle side. Its 224 square inches will handle a small batch for hunting camp or a cabin weekend, and the molded handles make it easier to move. It’s the right pick for someone who wants smash burgers without buying a whole griddle.
- 14 x 16 inch, 224 sq in cooking area
- Reversible grill and griddle sides
- Pre-seasoned with molded handles
Frequently asked questions
How long do you cook smash burgers on a Blackstone?
With the griddle on high, a thin smash patty usually needs about two minutes on the first side and less than a minute after you flip it. Venison is leaner, so watch the edges and pull it a little early. The harder you smash, the faster it cooks.
Do venison smash burgers need added fat?
Most cooks mix ground venison with beef fat or pork, because straight venison is very lean and tends to stick and dry out. A heavier press and a sharp spatula help either way.
Can you leave a Blackstone griddle outside in the winter?
You can, but the steel top will rust if moisture sits on it. Wipe on a fresh coat of oil after every cook, and use a fitted cover with straps so the wind can’t pull it off. Some people move the griddle into a garage or shed for the coldest months.
Can you convert a Blackstone from propane to natural gas?
Blackstone makes the 5249 conversion kit, which comes with a 10 foot hose, for this job. Check that your griddle model is compatible before you buy. Have a qualified installer connect it to your house line.
Do I need a burger press, or will a spatula work?
A spatula with a second spatula pressed on top will work. A dedicated press gives you even pressure and keeps your hand farther from the heat. Lean venison benefits from the extra weight.
Discounts on these ten ran from 28% on the Blackstone basting cover to 48% on the 6 inch scraper. The presses fell between 30% and 44%, and the cover and conversion kit were both in the 40s. The original prices match what these accessories usually list for, so the markdowns look real and not padded.
This is a solid week if you cook on a flat top and a quiet one if you don’t. The Smash & Sear Press is the one I’d point a neighbor to first, with the Weber spatula right behind it. The hamburger kit is fine, but I’d pair the Weber spatula with a separate press before I’d buy the bundle, and you can browse all deals if you want to build your own set.
Buck firearm season opens the Monday before Thanksgiving, so a lot more ground venison is about to go into freezers around here. Griddle tools often get marked down again ahead of Black Friday, but I wouldn’t wait on a winter griddle cover with November wind coming. Save the hams for a slow day on the pellet grill, and grab the press now so burger night is ready the first cold Saturday after your deer is in.
