The Best Outdoor Griddle for 2023

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

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

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:

1. 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.
2. Is the removable grease tray exposed to the elements? If the griddle is left uncovered and it rains, will the grease tray collect rainwater?
3. 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.