Buying an outdoor gas griddle is such a great investment. After all, you love pancakes and French toast at home, so why not take it outdoors? There’s a great big world out there for you to enjoy, and you’re going to need some good food to do it.
These griddles are a real treat to take with you if you are camping, hanging out with the family, or just looking to have some yummy Hibachi inspired meals right at home.
There’s tons of great things you can do with your outdoor gas griddle. We are going to cover all the amazing stuff you can do, tell you about the best outdoor gas griddles, and have some fun while doing it. We tried out some of the top-rated outdoor flat top gas griddle so we can share our experience with you. Stay with us!
What Can I Do with An Outdoor Propane Griddle?
The better question is, what can’t you do with it? These things are just wonderful to have if you’ve got a big family or a big group of people to feed. All the foods you love, like burgers, eggs, bacon, hash browns, fish and so much more can be cooked up with ease. And some of these make a great gas griddle for camping, so if you are an avid outdoors person, you simply have to have one to make sure your family’s adventures are fueled with the best food ever.
You will find that many of these lovely griddles are on wheels, so you can take them all over the place. My family has a deck, so we just wheel it around wherever it needs to go. Some have folding legs, so you can fold it up and transport it to the local park or even another family member’s house.
What Do I Look for In an Outdoor Griddle?
The best outdoor natural gas griddles feature a big area for food to be cooked and served. They also might have different heating zones, so you can prepare foods at different temperatures at the same time. If, for example, you are making steaks and some like theirs medium-rare while others want them medium, well, you can easily do that and it won’t ruin your cuts of meat.
You might also look for a griddle that has been pre-seasoned, although this is not necessary. What does that mean? It means there is a black layer upon the griddle surface that protects it and helps it stand the test of time. Some prefer to do this themselves, others like to buy one that is pre-seasoned. Doing it yourself is not hard, just an extra step in enjoying your griddle.
Lastly, if you do a lot of traveling, it might benefit you to look for a model that is portable. Some griddles can be taken off their bases and go with you on your next camping trip or day at the beach. Be sure to think about if this is something you want.
The Products
Now comes the fun part; here are all the large gas griddle we tested out. Have a look and decide!
* Camp Chef FTG900
At first glance, I liked what I saw. This flat top griddle was a pretty good cookie as far as I was concerned. It was sturdy and tough in its construction. The propane tank was off to the side and out of the way, freeing me up to put the tools for cooking underneath on the handy shelf. The two shelves on either side of the grill were a nice place for me to put my spices and vegetables.
I tested this griddle by making some stir fry for the family. This was a good testing dish because I had veggies that needed to be cooked to a nice tender texture and steak tips that had to be nice and thoroughly cooked as well. Lastly, the fried rice needed to be on point, too.
Starting up the griddle was easy. I began by turning on the gas and then used the knobs to get it all heated up. Everything heated up rather fast, which was a big plus in my book.
I liked that the griddle was pre-seasoned.
Certainly, there is no problem with seasoning it myself, but that’s one step I don’t have to take. The surface is non-stick, but I still used oil anyways to get my veggies nice and soft for the stir fry. I even used a little when making the meat, although it would have been fine without the oil.
Setting up the burners was easy. I put the steak tips on high, letting them get well-done and turning them so as to not get burned. The veggies were good just sitting there and getting cooked up. Meanwhile, I saved the rice for last. I put that on medium and cracked an egg over the rice, stirring it up and adding soy sauce. The rice gained a nice color, and the egg was fully cooked within the rice.
No danger of undercooked food here!
Indeed, everything turned out well. The meal went off without a hitch and the stir fry was a great success. I think part of this is due to the fact that the griddle was just so easy to use. I had all my oil, seasoning, and ingredients right on the shelving units next to me.
The surface area was not hard to use. It’s even got screws underneath you can adjust to make your cooking experience your own. It was fine for me the way it was, but if my wife who is a foot shorter than me wanted to use it, this might be a value add.
The grease management in this griddle is pretty good, too. The grease collects into a rather large cup that you just pull out and dispose of later on after the meal is done. It is out of sight so the little ones won’t touch it, and neither will you.
Another small but wonderful thing about this griddle is the wind deflection feature. The griddle is built to be right next to the burner box, so you get almost zero wind deflection. If you’ve ever cooked with one of these, you know as well as I do that wind takes away some heat. Not so with this beauty!
Pros:
- Wonderful wind deflection thanks to great engineering on Camp Chef’s part.
- Grease management system is out of sight and collects it all for you.
- Pre-seasoned griddle means you can set this baby up, fire it up, and get cooking right away.
Cons:
- Must use extra oil to make sure the surface stays seasoned and does not rust
- Flat top can get a little warped, causing the grease runoff to pool in some places.
- Knob can be hard at times to start; you may have to turn it back and try it multiple times.
* Blackstone 28 Inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Griddle
Here is a nice little griddle great for those of you who might be low on space. This thing still gets the job done, though. Don’t let it fool you!
My first impression was a favorable one. Coming off the last griddle our family tested, this seemed a little… slim, if you will. I say that because it did not have four knobs, only 2, and the last one was considerably bigger. Then again, I went into it with an open mind, and I am so glad I did.
Our test meal today was going to be breakfast: eggs, bacon, pancakes, and also some grilled pineapple as it is one of the only fruits my picky son will eat.
Before we got here, we did have to assemble the grill, but it was super easy. It took me under an hour to set it up. The griddle fires up with the simple push of the ignition, and then you can adjust the knobs to the amount of heat you need.
There are two heat zones here on this lovely griddle. This served the three of us with ease. On one side, I had the pancakes going on medium heat and the bacon cooking right above them. The eggs, on the other hand, were put to the other side for food safety and an overall difference in cooking temp.
I made the first batch of food, then the second, and put everything on a platter, held easily by the shelf on the side of the grill. The burner style used in the construction of the machine is known as an H burner, which is exactly what it sounds like.
It heats everything up evenly for a nice, smooth cooking experience.
That being said, I did not like the lack of shelving on either side; this grill has only one shelf. My patio table was close, so I could put my tools there, but it was an inconvenience.
This Blackstone griddle is on wheels, so you don’t have to keep it in one place. It can easily be moved around. The top of this griddle is not seasoned, so do keep that in mind.
The grease catch on this system is okay at best. It is not bad by any means, but it could be better. Some users indicated that the construction of the grease trap made it so grease gets caught in the drip channel on the way to the catch, so you have to put some paper towels on tongs or other kitchen utensil and push it down there.
Another thing I noticed was that other users had invested in a drip extension to save themselves from the greasy splatters they’d experienced. Some grill accessories are fun and necessary, like a cover or griddle tools. But the grease, in my opinion, should not need an extra accessory to be caught correctly.
All in all, I think this is a fine griddle, although it does have its shortcomings. The pricing on this model will suit most consumers and provide a wonderful cooking experience. After all, there are plenty of favorable ratings on popular online retail sites, and anyways, our breakfast tasted just fine that morning. It’s a great buy for sure.
Pros:
- 28-inch cooking area is the right size for most families and users; fits well on most decks, patios and garages.
- It’s very easy to start and heats up super fast to feed those hungry dinner guests.
- It’s got wheels, a fair price, and plenty of other happy users.
Cons:
- Grease tends to run down the leg unless you buy the drip extension.
- The grill is not pre-seasoned.
- Customer service can be hard to reach if you have a problem, some users stated.
* Cuisinart CGG-501
This is a fun little tool that’s great for small groups, or even just two people. This would make a great little griddle to take with you camping. It’s nice and small and will fit on any picnic tabletop. It’s got a hose that is easily connected to a 20 lb. propane tank, the kind you can buy at any grocery or convenience store. I could definitely see my family using this if we were to go camping. It was easy to carry around, too; not as heavy as one might expect from a griddle like this.
Two independent burners produce a lot of heat — 20,000 BTUs to be exact. The twist ignition is an easy mechanism to work in getting this thing to light up, and the dials let you adjust the heat as needed.
Our test meal today was burgers and onions. The three of us just wanted a small lunch so we opted for turkey burgers and some salad on the side. Add in some whole-grain buns and it ended up pretty healthy!
I fired up the grill, but found out minutes later that it was unseasoned. I seasoned it quickly and then set to work. It was just as you would expect: I ignited it with ease and cooked up the burgers on one side and got the onions ready on the other. A little oil made everything easy to maneuver and cook.
Coming off the other griddles, this one did feel small, but it still got the job done. For the three of us, it was a perfect item. If you live in a place such as an apartment or development with tight rules on grills, this might be the greatest thing to come your way.
Personally, we like to have friends and family come over and we do have the luxury of a patio, so I like the idea of a bigger griddle better, but this great and high-quality tool has its place.
Hooking up the propane tank was easy. I tucked it under my patio table, so nobody bumped it as they walked by. I simply attached the hose and it was ready to go. The other great advantage of this guy is that it is fully assembled save for the support legs, so no need to mess around with any tools to get this up and running.
It’s important to note that heat comes out of the back.
Of course, you would not let your kids play near the grill or even touch it while in operation, but what I am saying is don’t put any cold foods or plastic bags next to the back. The cold food could spoil, and the plastic could melt.
My bottom line: Go for it. If you live in a super small space, it’s going to serve you well. Cuisinart is a top-quality brand.
Pros:
- Small and easy to carry around
- Great for camping, apartments, and housing developments with strict rules
- Gas is super easy to hook up
Cons:
- Heat comes out the back of the griddle
- Some users reported struggling to attach the support legs
- Surface is angled for runoff, which may not be ideal for those that want to cook food in oils.
* Royal Gourmet PD1300
Here’s another great little tabletop portable gas griddle that our family got a big kick out of. We cooked up some scallops and my wife made baked potatoes to go with it. A nice pinch of lemon on the perfectly-cooked scallops and some butter made these great. However, I think it was the griddle that really did the work here.
This makes it easy to show the neighborhood that you are the ultimate grill master. The three burners have a total of 27,000 BTUs. The griddle is pre-seasoned and features a nice porcelain enamel coated griddle top. This one was a little bigger than the Cuisinart at 316 square inches compared to 278.
Therefore, you can definitely make an impact next time you’ve got friends and family over, or even on the next camping trip. It would be easy to cook up a bulk of food on this griddle. As a matter of fact, the product description on a popular retail site boasts the ability to cook up 15 pancakes all at once.
The grease collection system here is effective and helpful in keeping messes to a minimum. It is removed easily from the side, so you can dispose of it properly. You can watch it collect easily with its position on the side, so you can dump it out before things get out of hand. I also liked the portability of this Royal Gourmet grill, and the fact that it came with a cover for easy storage.
After all, a cover is the only way your griddle will avoid rust.
This griddle is also very affordable and boasts a lot of favorable reviews from consumers who have purchased it. Customer service has also been a godsend to customers who experienced issues with their purchase.
My bottom line: Go for it. It’s easy to hook up and use and is great to take with you camping or even just for a quick meal in the backyard.
Pros:
- Very easy to clean, even after food has been left on it for a while
- Customer service is quick to resolve issues that arose for customers
- The griddle surface is porcelain coated and will not rust easily, plus you get a cover with this griddle.
Cons:
- Food sticks to the griddle if you do not use oil or spray.
- You have to let it heat up a bit before using.
- Cover tends to trap some water if you leave it out in the rain.
Conclusion
Having one of these great outdoor gas griddles is a necessity for the modern family. After all, it’s very important to eat meals at home, something we don’t always get to do with how busy life can get. Plus, having one of these griddles gives you and your family the chance to get outside and enjoy a meal on the good weather days.
To sum it up, you should choose a griddle based upon your own needs. If you are the type that likes to travel a lot, or if you own an RV or camper, consider getting one of those smaller tabletop models. You can buy a propane tank at the camp store or in a nearby town to power the griddle. It’s also easy to use in a place where grills may not always be allowed.
You should also think about how much food you have to make every time you cook. If you have a big family, the smaller ones just won’t cut it for everyday use. Opt for the larger one — you will be so glad you did.
Another thing to think about is the seasoning of the grill. Do you care about having to season it, or can you deal with it? It’s not hard to do, but it can be inconvenient for some.
What about the placement of the propane tank? Does it need to be held, or can you deal with it sitting on the ground? These are the questions you must consider. In the end, you will surely make the right choice on the best outdoor gas griddle for you. Weigh all of your options carefully, decide what your family needs, and go for it. You will enjoy hundreds of nutritious and tasty meals made right in your own backyard. Happy grilling!
