I have had a Blackstone for three years now. I get a much better sear on cast iron over my gas range then you do the Blackstone. Or on my Grill Grates over a hot bed of coal... Oddly, I have never tried a steak on my Blackstone. I feel it would not do as good of a job as cast iron or the grills. They do however kick ass for anything breakfast related, hibachi veggies and fried rice, smash burgers, grilled sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, that sort of stuff. It is pretty nice and convenient to cook entire meals on the griddle vs dirtying 4 plus pans in the kitchen. The real estate to cook on with the 36" model is damn nice at times.
They do suck in the wind. And I do wheel mine into the garage for the winter and probably use it more in the garage in the winter time then on my deck in the summer.