The Camp Chef Gridiron flat top was last seen on our channel in our Best Outdoor Griddle of 2024 roundup. Camp Chef is back with their new Gridiron Pro, and we're going to put it through The Barbecue Lab series of tests so you can decide if this griddle is right for you.
Camp Chef Gridiron Pro Features
Cooking Surface
Few things matter as much as the cooking surface on a flat top, and this one measures 35 3/4 inches wide by 21 inches deep if you include the trough. If you count just cooking surface, the depth is 17 3/4 inches.
It's made of cold rolled steel, and has 634 square inches of cooking surface to work with.
Gas Burners
It has 4 burners, and each is lit using the Camp Chef flamethrower ignition. There's 48,000 BTU's of power available to the cook top when set to high. For fuel it uses propane gas out of the box, with the option to convert it to natural gas with the Camp Chef conversion kit. The propane hose is a dual adapter hose that allows a single propane tank to feed the main 4 griddle burners and the side burner.
Side Burner
The right hand shelf includes the SideKick burner, which brings an additional 30,000BTU's of heat to the unit. The SideKick allows you to add a pizza oven attachment, a grill box or even an additional griddle top over the burner to expand your cooking options.
To test the Sidekick burner, we wanted to see how long it took to boil 8 cups of water. The water started out right at 80°, and we tested first with the side burner only. We found a rolling boil in just 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
We were curious if running the griddle at the same time as the side burner would result in a different boil time, and sure enough, 8 cups at the same temperature came to a boil in 5 min 30 seconds when all burners of the griddle were set to medium. So it appears as though using both the griddle and side burner simultaneously does have at least some impact on performance.
Cart
There are 4 wheels on the cart, and the front wheels lock to keep it from moving around. I wouldn't say that these wheels are meant for off-roading, but it will pull through the grass if you need to, unlike models from many other brands. The cooking interaction height is 34 inches. The cart is also very light, which means that it's potentially also not as durable as some others that are on the market as a trade off.
There are quite a few Camp Chef accessories that attach to the cart, and they're all magnetic. The paper towel and grilling tool holders are my personal favorites.
Camp Chef Gridiron Tests
Testing Capacity
To test the capacity of the flat top, we love cooking a flight of buttermilk pancakes for our kids. They're perfect in the freezer for easy mornings before school, and a 36" griddle can do a ton of them in a single batch.
The Gridiron pro was able to fit 8 pancakes wide by 4 rows deep. 32 pancakes at a time is plenty of griddle space for what I do around the house, and way more space than we needed for this single batch.
Wind Test
If you've ever used a propane griddle outside, wind can be a huge factor in how your flat top performs.
To test how the Camp Chef Gridiron Pro stood up to the wind, we laid down a full pound of bacon across the flat top and pointed a fan set to medium at the transition point between the burners and the griddle top.
The bacon on the left side was the last to finish, and it took about 5 minutes longer to cook on the left side of the grill compared to the right. The wind didn't blow out the burners on the left side, it just caused that side to be less efficient. I was a little surprised at this result because there isn't a visible gap under the griddle top for the wind to really get in, but we did this test twice with the same results each time.
Sear Ability
To test the sear capabilities of the Camp Chef Gridiron Pro, we threw down some smash burgers for lunch with the griddle set to high. After a minute on the first side, here's how they looked at the flip.
I don't have any issues with the searing capability of the Gridiron Pro, and I think it would handle whatever I'd throw at it that needs a good sear.
Cooking Evenness
One of the questions that we often see in the comments is how even a griddle is from left to right and front to back. And while this test gets some shade from manufacturers in my inbox, it's still a great visual representation of how a flat top distributes heat.
We measured the griddle top to be between 350-390° F, and laid down an entire loaf of bread across the surface. We set our Thermoworks TimeStack for 5 minutes and let the Camp Chef Gridiron do its thing.
At the flip, here's what our toast looked like on this flat top. The rear and front left corners are the most blonde with a pretty even distribution of heat across the rest of the surface.
2-Zone Cooking
I find that one of our regular uses of our flat top cookers is hibachi night here at the Gafford house. I like to start with veggies, and give carrots and the more dense veggies more time to soften up before I add the proteins. Steak is our usual protein, and we'll often go dual protein with chicken or shrimp.
I'll set up the griddle in a 2 zone setup with searing on the left and center burners and low on the right hand side to keep things warm. I was pleased with how the Gridiron Pro allowed me to sear the chicken and the steak while not burning the vegetables on the right side, so 2 zone cooking gets a thumbs up from me.
Cleaning the Camp Chef Gridiron Pro
Cleaning the Gridiron Pro is pretty straightforward using the large grease bucket hidden behind the front panel. If you've ever used a pellet grill, this grease bucket uses the same kind of aluminum liners you already know for easy disposal. I like that the door hides the grease catch, but you do have to bend down quite a ways to get the tray lined back up to get it put back together each time.
On the top of the flat top, you'll find the grease trough that spans the entire width of the grill with a drain in the front center. I'm torn on this design idea.
It does work to channel the grease down into the grease bucket, but you're also using a lot of griddle top square inches for a grease drain that could be used for cooking. Personally, I'd rather have that space as usable cooking area and a small hole for grease, but there are griddle designs for all types.
It's a little frustrating that the tool I use to clean the griddle doesn't fit the grease trough without holding it at a weird angle, even though its from Camp Chef. That isn't my favorite design choice on this model.
The standard spatula fits, but it's too big for the final cleaning portions in my opinion.
Since the griddle is made of cold-rolled steel, keeping a really good seasoning on the top is important to keep rust away. Rust will creep in if you don't take care of it and maintain the seasoning.
What's the difference between the Camp Chef Gridiron 36 and the Gridiron Pro?
If you've been watching The Barbecue Lab for long, you'll probably remember us working with the standard Gridiron model last year. We can't really cover the Pro model without comparing it to the standard Gridiron 36. I've walked around, measured and tested both models, and after quite a bit of comparison, I think we're talking about two main differences.
The first difference can be found in the cart. The Camp Chef Gridiron 36 has an open cart bottom, while the Gridiron Pro has a reinforced shelf. I found that the horizontal supports on the original version could stand to be strengthened since mine bent while storing it in the garage and needed to be replaced. I like the bottom shelf and the rigidity it brings to the griddle, though admittedly I don't use it to store anything. I like it structurally more than functionally.
Secondly, there's the addition of the 30,000BTU side burner. As mentioned above, this allows you to utilize any of Camp Chef's Sidekick appliances with your griddle. You could add the pizza oven attachment if pizza is your thing. I know this is a griddle, but you could also add the griddle attachment if you just want more griddle space. I think the most popular option will be the grill box option, allowing you to have a direct grilling option on a flat top grill. It adds a ton of versatility on the Pro over the original Gridiron if multiple cooking appliances on the deck is something you want to avoid.
Final Thoughts on the Gridiron Pro
After testing both the original Camp Chef Gridiron 36 and the Gridiron Pro, the difference really comes down to the addition of the side burner for me. If you're looking for an all-in-one solution for your back deck where working on a griddle is your main focus, the Gridiron Pro can fit the bill.
There aren't many other griddles with a side burner if any at all, so that makes this model a standout in the space.
If you're not excited about a griddle with a side burner, then to decide if the Gridiron 36 model is right for you, I'd focus on the grease trough functionality. If you like really easy grease and mess management, that's in my opinion what this griddle is designed for. You're losing some usable cooking space on a 36 inch griddle, but if you're not cooking for an army, then the extra space might just be extra, and using it for grease is well used for you. That's how I see this model in the grand scheme of the griddle market.
So, which model is the best one for you? Do you like the original GridIron or the Pro with the added bottom shelf and side burner? There's a lot to like here with the new Pro model, and if you're looking for an all-in-one solution and griddle is the main attraction, there are quite a few options how you could outfit this griddle to be the only cooker you'll need on the patio.
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