The 9 Best Outdoor Griddles of 2026

Street prices below reflect mid-August 2026 and move week to week.

Key takeaways

• We cooked the same battery of dishes on all 9 griddles, scored on performance, heat, ease of use, and cleanup.
• Bare steel tops need roughly an hour of seasoning; pre-seasoned units still want a burn-off.
• If you already own a grill, a stainless insert is the cheapest good griddle you can buy.

Comparison table

We bought all 9 griddles ourselves, no review units, and inspected every box at delivery. Each bare steel top was seasoned before its first cook, roughly an hour of thin oil layers per unit. Then every griddle cooked the same battery: smash burgers, bacon, eggs, pancakes, fried rice, seared steak, and salmon. We logged surface temperatures at each burner setting, watched for hot spots and cool edges, and scored each unit on cooking performance, heat distribution, ease of use, and cleanup, with a separate test for grease systems.

The window ran six weeks, with every unit cooking the seven-dish battery twice plus daily-use cooks, so each griddle saw roughly 15 to 20 cooks before scoring.

The Blackstone 36-Inch Omnivore won our test kitchen over: 768 sq in of cold-rolled steel, and smash burgers came off with a real Maillard crust. We cooked most nights on one or two burners, since all four on low still push the top past 450 F. See the Blackstone 36-Inch Omnivore or the Blackstone 36-Inch Griddle with Hard Cover for the covered variant.

Blackstone 36-Inch Omnivore specs

Dimensions	64.5 x 28 x 41 in
Cooking surface	768 sq in
BTUs	60,000 (4 x 15,000)
Burners	4, electric push-button ignition
Weight	about 130 lb
Material	cold-rolled steel Omnivore cooktop

The Camp Chef Gridiron 36 answers the question the Blackstone leaves open: how much griddle can you get without paying for the name. Its rear leveling screws are the only cooktop leveling system we saw in this test, and they keep oil running to the trough on uneven ground. We seared steak, cooked chicken, and sweated vegetables in the same cook. There is no Amazon listing, so buy the Camp Chef Gridiron 36 direct or through BBQGuys and Home Depot.

Camp Chef Gridiron 36 specs

Dimensions	69 x 32 x 40 in (44 in down)
Cooking surface	634 sq in
BTUs	48,000 (4 x 12,000)
Burners	4, flamethrower electric ignition
Weight	134 lb
Material	cold-rolled steel, palm-oil seasoned

Burgers and pancakes covered the full 756 sq in surface at once when the grease system complained: the right-side drain funnel gummed shut on dripping fat mid-cook. The funnel sits inside the cooktop edge, so it eats into usable steel and catches falling food; we cleared it with a scraper, and it needed a second pass before the next batch.

That is the Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner 36-Inch: 756 sq in of hot-rolled steel with 60,000 BTU across four stainless burners, at the lowest full-size price in the test. It cooked evenly and cleaned up fast in our hands, but the soft steel and the side drains kept it a notch below the full-size picks above. Shop the Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Griddle at Home Depot.

Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner 36-Inch specs

Dimensions	66.1 x 29.6 x 41.2 in
Cooking surface	756 sq in
BTUs	60,000 (4 x 15,000)
Burners	4, electronic ignition
Weight	about 129 lb
Material	hot-rolled steel cooktop, stainless lid

The picks above are cart griddles you will not move often. The Blackstone 22-Inch Tabletop Griddle lives where you take it: about 20 lb of rolled carbon steel with two H-shaped burners that heat evenly. Owners report running theirs through a full camp season, about seven months of weekend cooks. Buy the Blackstone 22-Inch Tabletop Griddle standalone; the all-in-one cart version's legs are unsteady.

Blackstone 22-Inch Tabletop Griddle specs

Dimensions	about 22 x 19 x 9 in
Cooking surface	361 sq in
BTUs	24,000
Burners	2 H-shaped
Weight	about 20 lb
Material	rolled carbon steel cooktop

If the 22-inch is the portable pick for camp, the Royal Gourmet PD1301S is the budget pick for the patio table. Three burners on a 304 sq in porcelain-coated top cooked bacon, pancakes, and fried eggs at once, though the piezo starter can take a few pushes. Ours arrived dented in shipping, so open the box immediately. Check the current price for the Royal Gourmet PD1301S.

Royal Gourmet PD1301S specs

Dimensions	about 25 x 16 x 8 in
Cooking surface	304 sq in
BTUs	25,500
Burners	3, independently controlled
Material	3.5 mm porcelain-coated steel

Every pick so far juggles heat by hand. The Traeger Flatrock 33-Inch 3-Zone is the griddle for buyers who want insulation and true temperature zones instead. We saw no hot spots: heat stayed even edge to edge, and the cool zone stayed cool enough to toast buns while steak seared. The 5-year warranty is the best here, but 189 lb and an igniter that needs power are the price of admission. See the Traeger Flatrock 33-Inch 3-Zone for the current price.

Traeger Flatrock 33-Inch 3-Zone specs

Dimensions	74 x 37 x 42 in (42 in down)
Cooking surface	594 sq in
BTUs	43,500 to 47,000
Burners	3 U-shaped, in 3 TruZone zones
Weight	189 lb
Material	recessed carbon steel, FlameLock construction

The Flatrock costs nearly $900, which is why the Pit Boss 4-Burner with Folding Shelves takes the tailgate slot: 62,000 BTU across four stainless burners on a 753 sq in top, and it felt solid and stable through long cooks. At about 143 lb it is still a two-person job. It ships pre-seasoned, so first light-off is a burn-off. See the Pit Boss 4-Burner Griddle with Folding Shelves for the current price.

Pit Boss 4-Burner with Folding Shelves specs

Dimensions	62.7 x 28.5 x 36.8 in
Cooking surface	753 sq in
BTUs	62,000
Burners	4 stainless, separately controlled
Weight	about 143 lb
Material	4.7 mm steel cooktop

Where the Pit Boss folds for the truck bed, the Blackstone 17-Inch Tabletop Griddle shrinks to the smallest real griddle we recommend: 267 sq in on a single H-shaped burner. It heats thoroughly within minutes, but the single burner leaves the far edges noticeably cooler. The Blackstone 17-Inch Tabletop Griddle is the most affordable way onto Blackstone's rear grease system.

Blackstone 17-Inch Tabletop Griddle specs

Dimensions	17.5 x 18 x 8.5 in
Cooking surface	267 sq in
BTUs	12,000
Burners	1 H-shaped
Weight	about 35 lb
Material	carbon steel cooktop, stainless frame

Every pick so far needs its own propane tank and its own parking spot. The Little Griddle Sizzle-Q SQ180 is the pick for grill owners: a 9 lb, 14-gauge stainless plate that spans your existing grates and cooks on the host grill's heat. The cross bracing spreads heat evenly. Owners report three-plus years of heavy use with the stainless still releasing food without sticking. The Little Griddle Sizzle-Q SQ180 is the cheapest honest griddle upgrade in this guide.

Little Griddle Sizzle-Q SQ180 specs

Dimensions	18 x 13 x 3 in
Cooking surface	234 sq in
BTUs	n/a (host grill's heat)
Burners	n/a
Weight	9 lb
Material	100% 14-gauge stainless steel, rated to 600 F

Outdoor griddles come in four shapes: full-size carts handle the big cook, tabletops travel, inserts convert a grill you already own, and combos split the difference.

Full-Size (3-4 Burner) Flat-Top Griddles

The cart-mounted workhorses run 3 to 4 burners, roughly 44,000 to 62,000 BTU, roughly 600 to 770 sq in of steel, and 130 to 190 lb. Five of our nine picks live here.

Tabletop and Portable Griddles

Tabletop griddles sit on any stable surface, run 1 to 3 burners, and range from 267 to 361 sq in. Surface finishes split the class: ceramic and porcelain tops, like the Pit Boss 2-Burner Griddle, wipe clean fastest but chip under metal tools.

Griddle Inserts and Pans

An insert is a stainless plate that spans the grates of a grill you already own. The Sizzle-Q is the standout: about $50, and it seasons up over years of use.

Grill-Griddle Combos

Combo units pair a grate section and a flat-top on one cart. None of our nine picks is a combo; if you already own a grill, an insert covers the need for $50. Indoor electric and stovetop griddles exist but are outside this guide's scope.

The right griddle comes down to four decisions: size, surface, heat, and grease.

Size and Cooking Surface

Cooking surfaces run from 234 to 768 sq in: a 267 sq in top covers one or two cooks, 361 to 594 sq in handles a family of four, and 634 to 768 sq in earns its space at parties. Torn between the two common Blackstone sizes? Our Blackstone 28 vs 36 comparison walks through both.

Material and Seasoning

The cooktop steel is the griddle. Cold-rolled steel, on the Blackstone and Camp Chef, holds seasoning and responds quickly; hot-rolled steel, on the Nexgrill, is softer with a real warping risk; stainless, on the Sizzle-Q, never rusts but takes patience to season; porcelain and ceramic clean fastest and chip under metal tools.

Burners, BTUs, and Heat Zones

BTU totals here span 12,000 to 62,000, but the total matters less than burner shape and independent control. H-shaped burners spread heat further than straight tubes, and independent burners create real zones: the Traeger Flatrock seared steak while buns toasted on a cool zone.

Fuel Type: Gas vs. Electric

Nearly every outdoor griddle runs on propane, so the fuel choice is really a tank choice. Full-size carts draw from a 20 lb tank; tabletops run 1 lb bottles or a 20 lb tank with an adapter hose. Electric flat-tops are plug-in appliances, not backyard gear.

Grease Management and Cleanup

Cleanup decides whether a griddle gets used or becomes lawn furniture. Blackstone runs grease to a rear trough, Camp Chef catches it in a front bucket, Nexgrill drains into side cups, and Traeger collects everything in an EZ-Clean keg.

Portability, Storage, and Lids

The nine picks span 9 to 189 lb: a 20 lb tabletop rides in a trunk, a 143 lb fold-and-go still needs two people. Lids double as windscreens on tabletops, but a lid is not always a cover, so plan for a waterproof one.

Price and Value

Prices run from about $50 for the Sizzle-Q insert to about $899 for the Traeger Flatrock, with the sensible middle at $299 to $550; the tier differences show up in heat zones, weight, and grease systems.

The surface is the griddle: steel gauge, seasoning, and heat control matter more than any feature list.

Once the right griddle is home, the work starts before the first cook. Bare steel tops rust if you skip the seasoning pass: roughly an hour of thin oil layers, heated, cooled, and repeated until the top looks like dark chocolate. Pre-seasoned units, like the Camp Chef's palm-oil finish and the Pit Boss's factory top, skip the full pass and just need a burn-off. After every cook, scrape the surface while warm, wipe it down, and finish with a thin film of oil. Rust is fixable: scrub, re-season, and resume the routine. Accessory rails like the Flatrock's Pop-and-Lock keep griddle tools within reach.

The Blackstone 36-Inch Omnivore is the griddle to buy for most households, but the money advice points three other ways. Near $550, the Camp Chef Gridiron 36 is the value play for full-size capability. Near $120, the Royal Gourmet PD1301S covers a couple of burgers. Grill owners should spend $50 on the Sizzle-Q before $500 on a second machine, and the Traeger Flatrock remains our upgrade pick for zone cooks who will trade weight for control.

Why trust Mr. Kitchen Adviser: our reviews come from a working test kitchen, not from spec sheets. We bought every griddle in this guide, cooked the same battery of dishes on each one, and we report what wears well and what does not. If we would not buy it twice, we do not recommend it once.