No outdoor experience is complete without campfires and gas griddles. Surrounded by nature or just in your backyard, you can change the atmosphere with a good gas griddle.
Now that we’re immersed in the grilling season, using the usual gas grill doesn’t encompass the sweet new options of the grilling experience. That’s where the best outdoor gas griddles come into play. Griddles give you a much more even cooking experience, and the fact that the heat source never touches the meat makes it safer to cook, as well.
To enhance your outdoor experience, this article outlines the best options for gas griddles available on the market today.
In a hurry? We put together a condensed guide of the best options we came across.
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Best Outdoor Gas Griddles
🥇 Our Top Pick – Blackstone 36-inch Station Gas Grill Griddle
If you’re looking to entertain a large gathering, this 720 square inches flat top griddle is the best for you. It features four stainless steel burners that are all independently controlled and emit 15,000 BTUs each, which makes it a total of 60,000 BTUs.
It allows you to pick between low and high cooking options. It also needs a 20lb propane tank, and the griddle makes room for the tank with tank storage on the left side.
Apart from the propane storage shelf, there are two side shelves and a bottom shelf that would be useful for prep and food storage. The Blackstone griddle is also easy to use and assemble.
It makes use of a battery-powered push-button ignition, and so just by pushing the button, you’re ready to start cooking. Another friendly feature about this gas griddle is that it is easy to transport from place to place, making it ideal for camping trips.
It is also made of long-lasting stainless steel, and it is easy to clean. This is the best outdoor gas griddle for parties, entertaining guests, or just going on a camping trip with your friends and family. If you’re a very social person and your house is a weekend afternoon getaway for your pals and family, then the large size, excellent heating capacity, and convenient features of this grill would be an excellent fit for your needs.
2. Runner Up – Camp Chef Flat Top Grill
At 48,000 BTUs, this flat top grill and griddle are not as large as our first option, but it can serve 50-100 people with its 600 square inches surface area. It also has four stainless steel burners, each giving off 12,000 BTUs each.
A unique feature of this griddle is its heat dispersing grill design. Instead of having hot spots like most propane grills, it heats your food evenly. This model is also versatile, as it can be used as a griddle, grill, and even a water pot heat source.
This grill and griddle can make breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you can stay outdoors for how long you want! The griddle is also convenient with its matchless ignition system, saving time and energy.
It has two large folding side shelves for easy food storage, and a propane tank holder. For easy transport, this griddle also has roller wheels and adjustable leg levelers.
It is also durable and very easy to clean with its grease management system that includes a grease tray and a catch bucket. This griddle might be a bit small, but it does way more than bigger griddles. The temperatures get pretty high, letting you cook your food properly, and the even distribution of heat ensures that the meat gets prepared evenly from all sides.
3. Royal Gourmet Portable Propane Gas Grill And Griddle Combo
This grill and griddle combo is the definition of convenience. It is super easy to assemble, and its dual cooking surface makes it one of a kind.
It has one grate and one flat griddle that you can simply interchange depending on what you want to use at that moment. The grate and griddle combined a cooking area of 584 square inches.
It gives off a total of 48,000 BTUs, with four stainless steel burners giving off 12,000 BTUs each. Another unique feature is its 2 side table that gives you additional working space.
It also features carts with hooks for placing your cooking tools and a bottle opener. With this grill and griddle, you can simply get the party started. To turn your griddle or grill on, all you need is to make use of the electronic ignition with a push of the button, providing ease of use.
It also has a grease channel that makes it easy to clean and removable drip pans. For transportation, this griddle has four caster wheels and a folding frame of the cart. This is the best outdoor gas griddle if you’re looking for portability and versatility.
4. Blackstone Table Top Grill- 17-inch Portable Gas Griddle
As the name implies, this portable gas griddle is best for family use, with a cooking area of 260 square inches. Even with its small size, this griddle heats up so fast, and it makes it easy to make lunch or dinner quickly for your family.
It emits 12,000 BTUs and heats up the ‘H’ shaped stainless steel burner evenly, allowing no hot spots. The portability of the griddle is because it is easy to transport and store.
It makes use of an electric igniter and a one-pound propane bottle to match its small size. The griddle is also easy to clean; all you need is to wipe it down with paper towels once it has cooled down, and it has a grease catcher which makes cleaning easier.
For camping trips with your or just a nice meal in your backyard, this is the best outdoor gas griddle.
5. Cuisinart CGG-501 Gourmet Gas Griddle, Two-Burner
This griddle functions as a restaurant griddle, except it’s portable so it is used at home instead. This griddle brings the restaurant to your home, and it features two burners that emit 20,000 BTUs of heat.
It makes use of a twist ignition that makes it easy to turn on. It also provides the flexibility that a professional-grade griddle provides. It has a 285 square inches cooking surface that is able to cook a steak meal for family and friends.
It is also ideal for use in Recreational Vehicles (RVs), patios, decks, balconies, backyards, and any other outdoor space. The griddle uses a 20lb propane tank that is connected by a hose to the grill and griddle.
If you’re looking for something bigger than the Blackstone Table Top Grill, then this is the griddle you need.
6. Little Griddle GQ230
This is another small yet mighty griddle, made of a hundred per cent stainless steel and is a professional grade griddle. It provides even distribution of heat with its underside cross-bracing and can be used to cook almost everything from cheeseburger sliders, griddle roasted coffee to baked Alaska.
It is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is also very safe to use and transport from one place to another with its removable handles. It also has two-inch sidewalls that prevent food from sliding down from the griddle.
For easy cleaning, it has a full-width grease well, and so all you need is a paper towel. This is also the best outdoor gas griddle for Mexican or Japanese style parties.
7. Camp Chef Professional 16” x 37” Fry Griddle
This griddle is just what you need to host large parties, gatherings or reunions; with its 608 square inches cooking area, the long rectangular shape makes it easy for you to cook more than one type of food at once.
The griddle also includes a heat diffuser that distributes its heat evenly, disallowing any hot spots. It is also easy to clean as it features a grease drain and a grease cup holder. It also has a restaurant-style design, and this is big enough to cook for any number of people.
It has high sides at both sides to prevent food from sliding off, and heavy-duty steel construction making it durable. It can fit over three and has a convenient carry handle.
So if you usually have a party around the corner, or you have a large family, then this is the right griddle for you.
8. Lodge LPG13 Pro-Grid Cast Iron Reversible 20” x 10” Grill
What makes this griddle unique is not just its versatility, but its reversible feature. The griddle has two sides, the smooth side for cooking eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, flapjacks and more; and the ridged grill side is for hamburgers, sausages and steaks.
It has a slight slope for getting rid of grease into the grease gutter while you cook, and a cooking area of about 200 square inches, which is enough for two burners or a nice camping trip. It has a loop style handle that makes it easy to carry from one place to another.
This griddle also retains heat for a long time, so even after turning it off, you can still leave your food on it to keep it warm. This griddle is so long-lasting that it can be used for generations. The grill is also and does not require any assembling. It’s easy to use, clean, and ideal for either parties or family use.
What is an Outdoor Gas Griddle?
A griddle is a flat metal plate that is used for cooking, and so an outdoor gas griddle is powered by natural gas or propane and can be used outdoors. A gas griddle is very efficient and fast when it comes to cooking outdoors and it would help you cook food completely and retain the flavor of the food that you’re cooking.
You can liken the griddle to a hotplate, but this is rectangular. One thing about the griddle is that it is because the grease or food can slide to the sides if it is not. Some griddles have elevated sides to prevent this. When the metal of a griddle is very thick, it retains heat longer. When you have the best outdoor gas griddle, cooking becomes more enjoyable for the whole family.
Grill or Griddle?
The main difference between a grill and a griddle is pretty clear: grills have raised ridges or bars with small separations between them while griddles have flat and smooth surfaces. When using a grill, the food cooks directly over the heat source, but this isn’t the case with a griddle.
The heat source does not touch the food when using a griddle, and so you would have to use higher temperatures than that you use in a grill. They both can use gas, electricity or charcoal as a power source.
Most grills nowadays come with a griddle. In some cases, you just have to interchange both depending on what you need at that moment.
Griddles cook food evenly, and the heat transfers from the source through the metal before it cooks the food. Grills cook at temperatures around 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 degrees Celsius. For the griddle, it is around 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
Griddles are also way easier to clean than grills , thanks to their flat surfaces. For grills, you’ll need a brush and soapy water to get into the corners and to clean the ridges or the bars. For griddles, a flat scraper is ideal in intense cases, but usually, paper towels would be fine if it has a grease management system.
There’s no way to decide which is better in a grill or a griddle. Each of them has different uses and different types of food that they cook best. If you plan on cooking outside regularly, then you would definitely use both.
Most of the griddles on the list above also include a grill, and so you can use either one depending on what you want to cook.
Benefits of Cooking on the Best Outdoor Gas Griddle
- The best outdoor gas griddles benefit your health. This is because of the usual grease management system that it has that usually includes grease stains or grease cups. This removes excess oil from your food and leaves you with healthy meals.
- It is also environmentally friendly. It does not emit any smoke to the environment, unlike stoves, which makes it very safe for the environment.
- With a griddle, you can cook anything that you would usually need a frying pan for like eggs or pancakes.
- It also retains the flavor of food. Because it does not have any gaps beneath it like grills, it keeps the moisture in your food, especially if you’re making burgers.
- You can also easily cook foods like vegetables or fish steaks on a because its flat surface is great for delicate foods.
- It is very easy to clean and gets rid of excess grease for you.
Other Things You Should Know About Using an Outdoor Gas Griddle
- Seasoning matters. The more you season your griddle, the better your food would be. Seasoning basically means spreading the oil around the surface, but not too much oil. When you use your griddle regularly, it would be more seasoned and easier for you. Seasoning would also prevent the top of your griddle from getting rusted. When you use the best outdoor gas griddle, the possibility of it getting rusted quickly is low.
- Wash your griddle before using it for the first time.
- Ensure you have the right cooking utensils and cleaning tools. You would need a spatula, or two for cooking, especially those that have holes in them that allow the oil to pass through them. You also need a scraper to scrap anything stuck on your griddle after cooking.
- You’ll need choppers because you might want to cut things up while cooking on the griddle. You might also need metal tongs, just in case, as they are very handy in making steaks or sausages.
- You should get small squeezable oil bottles for your seasoning. They’ll come in handy and make your cooking experience easier.
- Wear protective gloves when cleaning your griddle after using it, and cooking gloves when using it. You can easily clean your griddle with a rag or a cloth. Always empty your grease cup immediately and turn the propane tank off to prevent accidents.
Factors to Consider When Buying the Best Outdoor Gas Griddle
1. The Number of Burners:
This depends on how much food you plan to actually cook. You would have to know how to balance using more than one burner to cook if you plan on getting a two, three or four-burner griddle.
Having more than one burner makes the griddle to get hot because it is cooking more than one food. With more than one griddle, you have a lot of options and the opportunity to multitask.
2. The Size:
From the list of the best eight outdoor gas griddles above, you can see that some griddles have a small cooking area that is ideal for family use while others are so large they can accommodate food for up to a hundred people.
Portable griddles are usually square-shaped, and this makes it easy to store them away when you’re not using them. They are great for camping trips because they are easy to carry around. The rectangular ones belong in your backyard when you’re holding a barbecue or a party.
If you’re looking for a griddle for party use, something with a cooking surface area of over 500 square inches would do, but for family use, it’s best to go for around 300 square inches of a cooking area.
3. Movability
Whether you have a large griddle or a small one, there would always need to move it from one place to another. You might want to take it in during the winter months, or just take it out for a camping trip.
Some of them have wheels that make it easy to take it from one place to another. You should also look out for those with handles.
4. The Metal of the Cooking Plate
Thick metals are much better than thin ones. Also make sure you’re not getting anything with cheap metal, because then it wouldn’t conduct heat properly, and it would rust quickly or even fall apart.
It is much better to get those made with a hundred percent stainless steel, as normal steel or cast iron would also rust.
If you’re going to use it for commercial use, those made with stainless steel or chrome is better. Griddles with thick metal retain heat and maintain constant heat.
5. Temperature Control and Ease of Use
Griddles need regular monitoring of them because you might end up with burnt food if you don’t constantly check on the temperature. You should get a thermostatic griddle, although these types are more expensive and are for those that like to pre-set the temperature before cooking.
You should also look out for those that are easy to use, like those that use a piezo ignition system or dials to control the heat level.
6. Easy to Clean
You would not want to spend your time cleaning and scrubbing your griddle after having a nice meal, and so you should look out for those that are easy to clean. These include those that have a good grease management system that may include a grease cup, grease pan or grease strain.
You should not get one that does not have this. With models that are made of stainless steel and have a grease management system, all you have to do is wipe it down with a cloth or sponge when it’s cooled down, and empty the grease cup or pan.
A good grease management system ensures that your grease is collected in a dedicated container and doesn’t build up as residue on the cooking surface. Cleaning residue from a griddle can be a time consuming and exhausting process and might not even be completely effective if the griddle has been left dirty for too long.
7. Budget
You can get a decent griddle between the prices of $300 and $500, which is the price range of most of the griddles listed above. To make sure that you stick to your budget and don’t end up buying either something too expensive that you don’t need or something that doesn’t fit your needs, think about how much and how often you’re going to use your device.
🥇 Our Top Pick – Blackstone 36-inch Station Gas Grill Griddle
Conclusion
You can cook a large variety of foods on your griddle, and it is much more interesting to cook on it than be boxed up in the kitchen. Ensure you purchase the griddle that is ideal for your family or the number of people you need to cook for.
Also try to purchase a grill and griddle combo, to be on the safe side.With the best outdoor gas griddle, your cooking experience will be so much better. We hope that this article has helped you make an informed decision about which of these grills would be the right fit for you. If you’re interested in similar topics about barbecuing and grilling, feel free to check out our other articles, as well!
Last Updated on July 24, 2021 by Judith Fertig
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