Tuesday, January 7th 2020, 7:48 am
One of my favorite pieces of cooking equipment in the world is the flat top grill. They’re perfect for making burgers, sautéing veggies, or making a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hash browns outdoors.
While it might not be the first thing you’d think of buy for your back patio, I can assure you it’s a fantastic, versatile addition to your outdoor cooking repertoire.
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of our picks for the best flat top grill. We’ll also go over some things to look out for to help make the right decision on which is the best flat top grill for your needs. Without further ado, let’s get into the reviews!
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Camp Chef Flat Top Grill
Blackstone 1554 Station-4-burner-Propane Fueled-Restaurant Grade-Professional 36 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station-4-bur, 36″ – 4 Burner
EVO Professional Series Gas Grill on Cart (10-0002-LP), Seasoned Steel Cooktop, Propane
Blackstone 36 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station – 4-burner – Propane Fueled – Restaurant Grade – Professional Quality – With NEW Accessory Side Shelf and Rear Grease Management System
Cuisinart CGG-888 Grill Stainless Steel Lid 22-Inch Round Outdoor Flat Top Gas, 360° Griddle Cooking Center
Royal Gourmet 8-Burner Liquid Propane Event Gas Grill, BBQ, Picnic, or Camping Outdoor, Black
Blackstone 28 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station – 2-burner – Propane Fueled – Restaurant Grade – Professional Quality
Check PriceAmazon.com prices as of 1/6/2020, 10:06:58 AM – details
Our top pick for best flat top grill goes to the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill. Camp Chef is a brand name that’s made quite a few appearances on this website. They’re a reputable brand in the cooking community and they knocked it out of the park with their flat top grill.
No stone was left unturned in the design of this grill. It’s fueled by a standard propane connection, and features 4 stainless steel burners that are ignited with a matchless ignition system. Each burner has an output of 12,000 BTUs for a total of 48,000. The burners do an outstanding job in distributing heat evenly so there aren’t any hot spots.
Where this product really gets great is the interchangeable griddle and grill tops. The griddle top has 604 square inches of cooking space and is perfect for breakfast, burgers, veggies, or even boiling water or making side sauces.
You can also remove the griddle to reveal 501 square inches of grill grates that are perfect for steaks, chicken, burgers, and other traditional foods that you’d put on a grill. That sort of versatility adds a ton of value to your backyard.
The best part of all of this too is that the price is super competitive! You won’t have to break the bank for the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill, which is why it’s our choice for overall best flat top grill.
Things We Like:
Things We Don’t:
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SALEBlackstone 1554 Station-4-burner-Propane Fueled-Restaurant Grade-Professional 36 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station-4-bur, 36″ – 4 Burner
Blackstone is a premier brand when it comes to flat top grills, and to us, the Blackstone 1554 Station 4 Burner Restaurant Grade 36 Inch Flat Top Grill is their best all around product.
As the name suggests, it’s a professional grade flat top grill that comes at an affordable, at home price. 4 burners with 60,000 BTU output, adjustable temperature knobs and a quick ignition system do an excellent job at heat distribution, which makes a perfect grilling surface for you to work on.
As the name also suggests, the cooking surface is 36 inches wide and provides 720 square inches of cooking area, which is more than enough to keep an entire party or gathering fed.
4 industrial grade caster wheels are included for easy transport, 2 of which lock into place for secure anchoring. It’s fueled by propane and could not be more user friendly or straightforward to use.
Things We Like:
Things We Don’t:
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evo Professional Series Gas Grill on Cart (10-0002-LP), Seasoned Steel Cooktop, Propane
So the EVO Professional Series Gas Grill would be our absolute top pick for best flat top grill if not for its astronomical price. It’s one I’m quite familiar with as it makes almost daily appearances on one of my favorite cooking YouTube channels – Sam The Cooking Guy.
(You should check out Sam’s channel for ideas for great food and to see how a flat top grill can be utilized!)
Not a single proverbial stone was left unturned in the design of this grill. Heavy duty 304 stainless steel was used as the primary material in construction. The cooking stone itself is 30 inches in diameter and pre seasoned for outstanding, restaurant grade results right out of the box.
Dual circular burners with inner and outer control give the grill master absolute control over the grill. A heavy duty stainless steel lid lets you roast, steam, warm, or smoke foods and also features an adjustable vent that exhausts steam and vapors while cooking.
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Blackstone 36 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station – 4-burner – Propane Fueled – Restaurant Grade – Professional Quality – With NEW Accessory Side Shelf and Rear Grease Management System
The Blackstone 36 Inch Flat Top Grill with New Accessory Side Shelf and Grease Management System is a very similar unit to the previous review we just did, with the added features of an advanced side shelf design and an upgraded grease management system.
For side shelf, a removable cutting board, paper towel holder, and conveniently placed trash bag hooks all make life super easy for the grill master. The grease management system funnels grease and drippings into a pan, streamlining the clean up process and saving lots of time long term.
As you can imagine, these upgraded features come at a slightly higher cost. If you plan on using your flat top grill frequently, these features will probably be well worth the extra investment.
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SALECuisinart CGG-888 Grill Stainless Steel Lid 22-Inch Round Outdoor Flat Top Gas, 360° Griddle Cooking Center
Depending on how your outdoor cooking space is set up, the Cuisinatr CGC-888 22-Inch Round Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill could be a perfect fit. Most notably, it’s different from the other products on this list in that the cooking surface is a 22 inch circle, as opposed to a rectangle.
What I like most about this unit is that it’s maybe a couple of inches wider than the 22 inch cooking circle when the foldable side table is down. That makes it a great flat top grill for tight spaces, and I’ve seen people use it in tandem next to a traditional grill. Imagine the possibilities of having your traditional gas, charcoal, or pellet grill and right next to your flat top where you can cook crab cakes, sauté veggies, or make a side sauce.
Two burners fuel the CGC-888, and a lid with a built in vent comes included so you can actually steam, smoke, or roast too. For easy clean up, there’s a built in 360 degree grease pan that catches drippings and grease then funnels everything to an easy-to-remove pan.
Logistically, everything is pretty easy with this product too. Set up and assembly takes less than 30 minutes, and the price point is extremely reasonable considering what you get.
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SALEBlackstone 1819 Griddle and Charcoal Combo, Black
One of the things that can be a drawback when it comes to even the best flat top grill is that you might have to sacrifice some functionality that comes with having grilling grates on your grill. Blackstone aimed to design a product that gives you the best of both worlds with the Blackstone 1819 Griddle and Charcoal Combo.
On one side, you have a gas burner griddle. On the other, you have a charcoal grill with grates – so you can achieve steaks, or burgers with that delicious traditional BBQ flavor. I love the versatility here, and if you are on the fence about buying a flat top grill this is a perfect way to get started.
The powder coated black steel frame, stainless steel burners and thick cold rolled steel cooktop are incredibly durable and give a sleek aesthetic to this grill.
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SALEBlackstone Tabletop Grill – 22 Inch Portable Gas Griddle – Propane Fueled – 2 Adjustable Burners – Rear Grease Trap – For Outdoor Cooking While Camping, Tailgating or Picnicking – Black
If you’re the type of person who likes to grill on the go, the Blackstone Table Top 22 Inch Portable Gas Griddle is the best flat top grill for camping, tailgating, and any other on the go activity.
With 330 square inches of cooking surface, you actually have a surprising amount of room to work for how compact the griddle is. It’s fueled by 1 lb propane tanks and at only 25 pounds, it’s really easy to put in the backseat or trunk of your vehicle to take with you.
One of the things that always makes me nervous about portable grills is the clean up process. If a portable grill is hard to clean, you run the risk of leftover residue or grease transferring into your vehicle, which is a giant mess.
With the Blackstone Table Top Grill, thankfully clean up is not much of an issue. There’s a built in grease channel and rear grease management system that makes the clean up process incredibly easy after you cook.
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Royal Gourmet 8-Burner Liquid Propane Event Gas Grill, BBQ, Picnic, or Camping Outdoor, Black
Boy, where to begin with the Royal Gourmet 8-Burner Event Gas Grill. The thing that stands out most obviously is the sheer size of this grill. It is powered by 8 burners capable of 104,000 BTUs of output and a whopping 950 square inches of cooking area.
That’s enough space to handle 60 burgers or 120 hot dogs at once, so this is the best flat top grill for large gatherings or events. And just because you have a ton of space doesn’t mean you have to use it all the time! It’s still a great grill for family use, and the 8 burners give you the flexibility to set up 8 cooking zones to help you get the job done.
Lockable caster wheels make transporting the grill around easy enough, and a proper grease management system minimizes the time you have to spend cleaning up after you cook.
All in all, this is the ultimate flat top grill for events.
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Things We Don’t:
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SALEBlackstone 28 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station – 2-burner – Propane Fueled – Restaurant Grade – Professional Quality
Frankly, I personally wouldn’t choose the Blackstone 28 inch Outdoor Flat Top Grill simply because I prefer the features of the other Blackstone grills on this list a little more. Their 28 inch iteration is still very much worth your consideration though.
It’s basically an in between of Blackstone’s full size and portable units. At 28 inches wide and 470 square inches of cooking area, it’s slim enough to fit into just about any space in your backyard or patio, but it has the appearance and features that come equipped on their full size units.
It’s also a 2 burner grill with 30,000 BTUs output which is more than enough to get the job done, but it’s considerably less than some of the 4 burner Blackstone grills.
The 28 inch unit is also pretty easy to transport around and weighs about 75 pounds without the propane tank.
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There are a few things that are good to keep in mind when shopping around for the best flat top grill. Here are a few of the things we like to tell folks to look out for:
As with any grill, you need to consider how much cooking space you’re going to need on a regular basis. If you’re grilling for yourself or a small family, you can for sure get away with a flat top grill that has 400 square inches or less of cooking area.
If you’re looking to feed a family reunion or large tailgating party, you’ll probably want something that can handle a little more food at once.
While the flat top grill is a fantastic way to cook food, it does have some drawbacks. Namely, it’s really hard to achieve that smoky traditional BBQ flavor with your food because the drippings don’t fall down into the fire and smoke back up into your food like what would happen on a traditional grill.
With that in mind, it’s important to think about the kind of food you’ll be making and the results you want to achieve. I personally view the flat top grill as a piece of equipment that’s a piece of the larger puzzle and wouldn’t want to rely on it solely for all of my grilling needs.
You can also achieve both types of results with a combination grill. Some of the grills on the best flat top grill list above featured both a flat top and traditional grilling surface all in one unit.
The seasoning process is crucial for a new grill as it will make your food results taste better and also prevent the possibility of rust and damage happening to your grill surface. It will also eliminate any leftover residue or chemicals from the manufacturing process. Seasoning a flat top grill is actually quite simple, you just apply a light coat of cooking oil to your surface and bake it in at a high heat for about 30 minutes.
A pre-seasoned cooking surface means that a layer of oil has been baked in already by the manufacturer. This is a great way to save time for you and leave this part of the process to somebody who does it all the time. Either way, you should pay attention to whether or not your unit is pre seasoned so you know whether you need to do it yourself.
Obviously, price is a big factor in any purchase decision. For flat top grills as a whole, prices are actually quite reasonable compared to other types of grills. Tabletop versions can start lower than $100 with full size, quality flat tops going in the $400 range.
Of course, if you want a professional grade flat top grill (like an EVO), you could be looking in the $4,000 range.
It’s also important to consider the setting you plan to use your flat top grill in. Is it just for cooking at home? Or do you plan to bust it out on the go for camping trips or tailgating outings?
Flat top grills are one of the best classes of portable grills, and there are a ton of options for on the go grilling. Just make sure the one you buy has a manageable weight and profile for the way you plan to use it.
I hope our best flat top grill list was a great starting point for you in your journey! Did you end up getting one? Let us know which flat top you ended up with in the comments section below.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our grill reviews archives right here to compare some of the different products out there.
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