outdoor griddles buying guide

A flat steel surface for everything a pellet grill's grates can't cook

Smash burgers, pancakes, stir-fry — a pellet grill's grates can't do this.

Here's how the top-reviewed 2026 outdoor griddles compare on cooking area, burners, and price.

Compare the top outdoor griddles

Quick answer: Our top pick for outdoor griddles is the Blackstone 36" 4-Burner Griddle Cooking Station (Best Overall). If you're looking for best budget, the Blackstone 28" 2-Burner Griddle is a strong alternative.

Grates are great for steaks. A flat top is better for almost everything else.

Reviewed by the Grillstead team · last updated 2026-08-22

A pellet grill's open grates work well for steaks, chops, and anything you want visible grill marks on, but foods like smash burgers, eggs, pancakes, stir-fry, and thin-cut vegetables either fall through the grates or cook unevenly on them. A flat steel griddle solves that with one continuous cooking surface and, on multi-burner models, several independently controlled heat zones.

Griddles also cook differently than a pellet grill's indirect, convection-style heat: it's direct contact with hot steel, closer to a stovetop than a smoker, which is part of why griddle and pellet-grill owners tend to use both rather than pick one over the other.

Burner count and independent zones

More burners (and independently controlled zones) let you sear on one side while keeping food warm or cooking something delicate on another — a 2-burner model works fine for weeknight cooking, but a crowd benefits from 4.

Cooking surface material and thickness

Thicker rolled steel holds heat more evenly and resists warping over years of high-heat use better than thinner stamped surfaces.

Grease management

Look at where grease drains and how easy the trap is to empty — rear-channel systems tend to be tidier than front-drain designs that can clog with debris.

Portability vs. cooking area

28-inch, 2-burner griddles are easier to store and move; 36-inch, 4-burner models need a dedicated spot but cook for far more people at once.

Product Best For Price Rating
Blackstone 36" 4-Burner Griddle Cooking Station Best Overall $450 - $650 4.7/5
Blackstone 28" 2-Burner Griddle Best Budget $250 - $350 4.5/5
Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle Best for Temperature Control $700 - $800 4.6/5
Camp Chef Gridiron 36 Most Refined Build $550 - $650 4.6/5
Best Overall

Blackstone 36" 4-Burner Griddle Cooking Station

★★★★★ 4.7

A 768-square-inch flat-top griddle with four independently controlled burners delivering 60,000 BTUs total, built to feed a full backyard crowd.

  • 768 sq in of cooking space feeds a full backyard crowd
  • Four independently controlled burners for multiple heat zones
  • Rear grease management system simplifies cleanup
  • Large footprint needs real patio space
  • Propane only, no WiFi or app features
$450 - $650 View on Amazon
Best Budget

Blackstone 28" 2-Burner Griddle

★★★★★ 4.5

A 524-square-inch, two-burner version of Blackstone's flat top, sized for weeknight cooking without the footprint or price of the full 36-inch model.

  • Two independent heat zones at a fraction of the 36-inch price
  • 524 sq in still handles a family-sized cookout
  • Locking caster wheels for easy storage
  • Less total cooking area than the 36-inch model
  • Fewer burners means less zone flexibility
$250 - $350 View on Amazon
Best for Temperature Control

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle

★★★★★ 4.6

A 468-square-inch griddle with Heatshield Insulation separating its two burner zones, keeping them genuinely independent rather than just nominally separate.

  • Heatshield insulation keeps the two zones genuinely independent
  • Double U-burner design covers more of the cooktop per burner
  • 5-year warranty, longer than most competitors
  • Smaller cooking area than the Blackstone 36-inch
  • Pricier than comparable Blackstone models
$700 - $800 View on Amazon
Most Refined Build

Camp Chef Gridiron 36

★★★★★ 4.6

A 4-burner, 36-inch flat-top griddle with a soft-close lid and an oversized, better-placed grease trough than most competitors, preseasoned and ready to cook on out of the box.

  • Soft-close lid avoids the metal-on-metal clank of open griddles
  • Oversized, better-placed grease trough than most competitors
  • Preseasoned surface is ready to cook on out of the box
  • Comparable price to the Blackstone 36-inch with a smaller cooking area
  • Fewer third-party accessories than the market-leading Blackstone line
$550 - $650 View on Amazon

Which one should you get?

You want the biggest griddle that handles a full cookout

The Blackstone 36" 4-Burner's 768 sq in and four burners are hard to beat for feeding a crowd.

You're cooking for 2-4 people and want to save space and money

The Blackstone 28" 2-Burner covers weeknight cooking without the footprint or price of a full-size model.

You want the most precise, independent heat zones

The Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone's insulated heat shield keeps its two zones genuinely separate, not just nominally.

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