
The outdoor griddle is a hot commodity in the outdoor cooking space, and it's time to determine who makes the best 36" griddle. We recently put 8 different brands to the test.
Why Trust Our Review
We have personally used every outdoor griddle mentioned in this article. Not only have we used each one, but we also used each one side-by-side so that we could best compare similar qualities. Don't just take my word for it. The evidence is in the pictures and video.
This article was not written by AI; it was written by real humans who have actually used these products.
We have run each outdoor gas griddle through the same series of tests and will let the data speak for itself.
Though the flat top griddles themselves were supplied to us for free for this video and article, none of the manufacturers have paid to be involved or "win" this review.
We are affiliates, however, and will earn a small commission if you purchase any of these gas griddles using our link. That is one of the ways we are able to continue doing what we do, so we do appreciate your support in that way.
Our Quick Picks
Winners
Product Information
BEST FLAT TOP GRILL

Traeger Flatrock
- Huge side shelves provide ample prep space
- Recessed griddle top protects the burners from wind
- Baffles between burners create 3 separate heat zones
BEST GRIDDLE COMBO

Grilla Grills Primate
- The Primate is a full gas griddle and a full gas grill in one box
- All 304 stainless steel construction
- The recessed griddle surface protects the burners from being affected by wind
BEST BUDGET GRIDDLE

Weber 36" Griddle
- 756 square inches of cooking space
- Even cooking from front to back and side to side
- Very affordable price
BEST BUILT IN GRIDDLE

Le Griddle "The Ranch Hand"
- 304 stainless steel construction
- Stainless steel griddle surface will never rust
- The cast iron plate welded under the griddle provides even cooking throughout
How We Tested For The Best Outdoor Griddles
Time to Temp
When I'm using the griddle on a weeknight, I want to fire it up and be cooking in about 5 minutes. We set the target temperature of this test to 400 degrees, fired up each griddle on high, and used our Thermoworks Big and Loud timer to keep track of how long it took us to get to 400. Then we monitored the griddle surface temperature with our Thermoworks Infrared Thermometer.
You can see in this chart below how long it took for each of the outdoor griddles we tested to reach 400° on the surface.
Griddle | Time to 400° |
---|---|
Pit Boss Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle | 05:27 |
Grilla Grills Primate | 05:38 |
Weber 36" Griddle | 05:40 |
Blackstone 36" Griddle | 05:48 |
LoCo Cookers 36" Griddle | 06:07 |
Traeger Flatrock | 06:18 |
Halo Elite 4B | 06:25 |
Camp Chef Flat Top 600 | 08:43 |
Testing for Hot Spots
Time to temperature, BTU's, heat zones and more are all fine and good, but here's a test designed to check the evenness of the flat top griddle heat.
We set each grill to 350 degrees as measured by our Thermoworks IR gun, then covered the entire griddle surface with white bread from our local bakery outlet. We set the Big and Loud timer to 5 minutes and sat back to smell the toast.
At the 5-minute mark, here's how the toast on each flat top griddle looked. You can certainly judge for yourselves, but our opinion was that the Traeger Flatrock and the Weber griddle displayed the most even temperature distribution.

Pit Boss Ultimate

LoCo Cookers

Halo Elite 4B

Grilla Grills Primate

Blackstone 36"

Camp Chef 600

Weber 36"

Traeger Flatrock
Wind Test
We're based in the Midwest, and it's rare that we're cooking without wind as a part of the equation. It's been annoying to me that some outdoor griddles have a hard time functioning in the wind, so we wanted to test these 8 griddles with an artificial wind test to see how they fared.
We picked up a fan that we could set to the perfect height on the left side of the gas griddle and set it to medium-low speed. We heated the griddle top to 400 degrees in the middle and let the bacon cook until it was ready to turn over.

Here's what we saw from each flat top griddle after we turned the bacon.


The 3 flat top griddles that resisted the wind the best of the group were the Traeger Flatrock, with just a minute difference in the length of the bacon, but same color all across, the Grilla Grills Primate, with almost zero noticeable difference between pieces, and the Halo Elite 4B, with which you can't tell a difference between the left side where the fan is from the right side with no wind. If you live in an area where wind is a common factor in your outdoor cooking, these three flat-top grills came out on top for us in resisting a good wind.
Sear Ability
One of the things I wanted to know was what kind of a sear these gas griddles could put on a smash burger. I picked up some grass-fed 80/20 beef and made 2 three-ounce patties for each glat top griddle. I set the griddles to 500 degrees and smashed burgers on each one. After the smash, I set our Big and Loud timer to a 60-second countdown, and here's how things looked after the flip.


Overall, every one of these griddles can sear a smash burger. The only real standout for me was the Pit Boss enameled surface for not getting the same "stick" on the burger, that Malliard reaction where smashed burgers get their glorious crust. On the Pit Boss, it wasn't the same sear as the cold rolled steel griddle tops, but that doesn't mean it was bad, it just means that it was different from the enameled top, and it's worth noting.
Cooking a Full Meal
Testing the individual qualities of a flat top griddle is all fine and good, but the true test is how all of those things work together to help us cook a full meal for our families.
Cooking on an outdoor gas griddle happens quickly so it's important to have the prep space for everything we need. Sometimes we need the ability to cook different foods at different temperatures. So our final test of these griddles was cooking a full meal of chicken fajitas.
We set each gas griddle up with 3 different heat zones, veggies cooking at high heat, chicken cooking at medium heat, and tortillas warming over low heat. We set all of the raw ingredients on one shelf and held dishes waiting for cooked food on the other.


The Traeger, LoCo, Halo, and Weber all managed to hold everything we needed just fine on their side shelves. The Blackstone, Grilla Grills, Camp Chef and Pit Boss have smaller shelves, and we had to be a bit creative in how we fit everything.
In this test, every outdoor gas griddle cooked the exact same amount of veggies and chicken. Overall, all 8 griddles could handle fajitas for a family of 4 without any trouble. If you take the warming of the tortillas out of the equation, there's plenty of room on all of these griddles to cook for 10 or more people, warming tortillas after the meat and veggies come off the griddle.


The Results of Our Flat Top Grill Testing
Best Flat Top Grill: Traeger Flatrock

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Surface | 594 square inches |
Cooking Height | 37.5" |
Number of Burners | 3-burner 43,500 BTUs |
Warranty | 5 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If the Flatrock price is within your budget, you will not be disappointed with this griddle. You won't have to worry about the weather, there's tons of space to set stuff when you're cooking. You can cook in up to 3 different temperature zones. I don't know about you, but it checks all the boxes we're looking for in an outdoor griddle.
Best Griddle Combo: Grilla Grills Primate

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Surface | 490 square inches |
Cooking Height | 36.5" |
Number of Burners | 4-burner 60,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 4 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If you're trying to decide between a gas grill and a griddle because you only have room for one, the answer is quite simply: Grilla Grills Primate. In my opinion most combo grills fall under "Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" but the Primate is definitely an exception. Grilla Grills builds high-quality outdoor cooking appliances and in the case of the Primate, you get two for the price of one.
Best Budget Griddle: Weber 36" Griddle

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 756 square inches |
Cooking Height | 35.75" |
Number of Burners | 4-burner 60,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 5 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
All-in-all, the Weber 36" griddle is a solid choice at this budget-friendly price. It doesn't come with many of the bells and whistles found on some of the other models we tested and the price reflects that. But even at the lowest price in this group, the gas griddle itself outperformed some of the higher-price models.
Best Built-In Griddle: Le Griddle "The Ranch Hand"

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 464 square inches |
Fuel | propane or natural gas |
Number of Burners | 2 U-shaped burners 18,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 5 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
We've been using our Le Griddle 30" gas griddle in our outdoor kitchen for about 3 years now. We use it all the time, probably 4-5 times a week, easily. I have utmost confidence that this griddle will last the long haul out there and when you install appliances in an outdoor kitchen you want products that will last. If you're planning to build an outdoor kitchen, I can't recommend the Le Griddle enough for your built-in griddle.
Halo Elite 4B Outdoor Griddle

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 720 square inches |
Cooking Height | 37.25" |
Number of Burners | 4-burner 48,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 5 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
Blackstone 36" Griddle with Air Fryer and Cabinets

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Surface | 769 square inches |
Cooking Height | 37.5" |
Number of Burners | 4-burner 60,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 1 year |
What we like:
What we don't like:
LoCo Cookers 36" Griddle Series II

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 738 square inches |
Cooking Height | 40" |
Number of Burners | 3-burner 46000 BTUs |
Warranty | 1 year |
What we like:
What we don't like:
Pit Boss 3-burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 536 square inches |
Cooking Height | 35" |
Number of Burners | 3-burner 36,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 2 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
Camp Chef Flat Top Grill 600

Griddle Feature | Measurement |
---|---|
Cooking Space | 604 square inches |
Cooking Height | 36" |
Number of Burners | 4-burner 48,000 BTUs |
Warranty | 1 year |
What we like:
What we don't like:
How To Choose The Best Outdoor Griddle For You
We did a full week of testing 8 griddles and in the process, we were able to conclude what our favorite (or favorites) were from the bunch. The thing is, we don't necessarily use outdoor gas griddles the same way you might. And the things we care about might be different from the things you care about. So you and I might look at the exact same data and reach different conclusions about which flat-top we prefer.
Here are a few questions we recommend asking to help you decide which griddle is right for you.
How much cooking space do I need?
Outdoor gas griddles come in a variety of sizes and it can be difficult to decide what the perfect size might be for you. You don't want to go too big and have a cooking appliance that takes up too much patio space, but you also don't want to go too small, limiting what you can cook on your new griddle.
Before you commit to a particular griddle size, I recommend making a list of 5-10 foods or meals you plan on cooking on your griddle. Does your list consist of mostly single-course foods or do you find that you're wanting to cook full meals?
In our experience, we often run out of space when cooking a full meal on a griddle, so more space is better for us.
What is the heat source for a flat-top grill?
Most flat-top grills on the market are heated by propane or natural gas burners below the griddle surface. These burners can come in all shapes, sizes, and BTUs.
Sometimes the arrangement of burners results in hot spots and cool spots that present challenges when cooking. Other times the arrangement is just right for even cooking front to back and side to side.
When shopping for your next outdoor gas griddle, take a look under the hood to see what the burner situation is.
How is grease managed?
Flat-top cooking often produces grease and food debris that needs a place to go, so manufacturers have designed their griddles to channel grease into some type of removable grease tray. The location of the grease trap varies from griddle to griddle; some in the front, and some in the back. As you compare each grease management system here are some things to consider:
- How much cooking surface is lost to the grease trap and does it look like food might accidentally get lost down that hole while cooking? There's nothing worse than accidentally knocking a shrimp down the grease trap.
- Is the removable grease tray exposed to the elements? If the griddle is left uncovered and it rains, will the grease tray collect rainwater?
- What's the capacity of the grease tray? Will it need to be emptied after every cook?
How will the flat-top grill perform in windy conditions?
Not all outdoor gas griddles perform equally in windy conditions. Many griddles are built with a gap between the griddle surface and the burners below for airflow. These griddles struggle to perform well in windy conditions.
There are some flat-top grills available with a recessed griddle surface, protecting the burners from exposure to the wind. These flat-top griddles perform equally regardless of the wind.
I highly recommend choosing an outdoor griddle that will perform well on a windy day.
How much prep and storage space will I need?
Griddle cooking is typically hot and fast. Emphasis on the fast.
It is important to have all your ducks in a row before you start cooking because you can't generally leave your food on the hot griddle surface and run back inside to grab something. Not only do you need to have all your ingredients and cooking utensils ready, but you also need to have your clean dish or dishes to transfer the cooked food into when it's done cooking.
This is why sufficient shelf space is absolutely critical in my opinion. Unless you want to have to set up a table every time you cook on your griddle, your griddle shelves need to be able to accommodate the tools and ingredients for the job.
Do I need to season my outdoor gas griddle before I use it?
Most carbon steel outdoor griddles will need to be seasoned before use unless clearly labeled "pre-seasoned" in the manual. Stainless steel griddle surfaces do not require seasoning.
The seasoning process will help your griddle develop a non-stick cooking surface as well as help protect your griddle from rust, extending the life of your flat-top grill.
What Griddle Care and Maintenance is required?
Treat your carbon steel griddle surface the same way you would your favorite cast iron pan. Season it with oil (several layers) before first use, don't wash with soap, but instead, use water and an abrasive scrub tool to remove any food debris, and reseason with oil after each use. Failure to reseason your griddle surface after each use may result in rust developing.
How long is the warranty?
As with any outdoor cooking equipment, I gain a lot of my buying confidence from the warranty. Most people don't plan to make these purchases repeatedly every year, so when a company backs their product with a robust warranty that tells me that they have the confidence their product will outlive that time span. The longer the warranty, the more likely I am to choose that brand over another.
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