Best Outdoor Gas Griddles

Blackstone 1814 Griddle Station

The Blackstone 1814 is a portable & budget-friendly griddle station that offers a quick heat-up of 267 sq. inches of cooking surface. It comes in a neat and compact design while an electric igniter backs its operation.

Overall, it’s a very low-maintenance griddle with significant usage and portability, making it a killer griddle station for any outdoor event.

What we like:

Spacious Cooking: Despite running on a smaller size due to its portability, the Blackstone 1814 is still spacious enough during large gatherings, thanks to its 17-inch flat surface.

Easy cleaning: This one is designed keeping in mind a mess-free cleaning process. As such, it doesn’t require a hefty cleanup process, and users can take care of the cooking area through a paper towel.

How many types of outdoor Gas Griddles are available?

There are three varieties of gas griddles currently available on the market. Here’s a detailed rundown on it – 

• Dedicated: These are typically considered the largest among the three and can cook more food simultaneously than smaller griddle due to their large cooking surface. They often feature wheels for easy portability & storage. These also tend to be higher in terms of pricing. However, they provide great value, especially for individuals who run small restaurants or frequently host large cookouts.
• Tabletop/Portable: These are usually intended to be portable, which means they come in a more compact sizing. The reduced sizing also means they come with a smaller cooking surface at a more affordable price. These are designed to suit placement on counters or tabletops, hence, the name. Although, you can find smaller standing versions as well. The standing versions tend to be more portable and easily relocated around the house. These griddles typically run on 1-lb disposable propane tanks/canisters. They make an excellent camping griddle due to their sizing. 
• Placed on Existing Grill: This is a newer, innovative type of skillet. It deviates from the traditional grill as it only comes with a plate placed atop an existing grill. The griddle is operated via the heat from the grill, which makes the griddle retain a quicker heat-up when compared to the other types. Due to the plates being small & compact, they’re more lightweight, affordable, and serve as a great alternative to a traditional griddle station. 

What’s the difference between Flat Top Griddle & Standard Gas Grill?

These cooking stations have more differences than just their look, such as taste and texture. Grills add a slightly charred texture and smoky flavor to the food. Meanwhile, food prepared in a griddle gives out more fried flavor due to its smooth and flat cooking surface.  

The cooking duo also deviates quite a bit in terms of cooking time. Grills tend to cook faster as they provide higher cooking temperatures. However, griddles are not that far behind grills and can still cook fast enough. 

Lastly, one significant noticeable difference between the two is convenience. Grills are more difficult to transport or move around. Griddles, however, are more portable owing to their smaller size.

What Makes Gas Griddles Different?

Griddles operate on a flat and open cooking surface commonly constructed from heavy-duty steel. The flat surface is usually heated through gas burners positioned directly beneath its cooking surface. Hence, they are often called “flattop” grills. 

Griddle surfaces are typically known for their uniform cooking area, which neither leaves marks on the food nor a heavy cleanup after cooling as traditional grills do. Moreover, there are no flare-up concerns in a griddle due to lack of direct flame contact. 

Plus, griddles can cook various breakfast items like pancakes, eggs, etc. A griddle can pretty much make anything a grill can, except you benefit from more food options with a griddle. 

How to cook on an outdoor gas griddle?

Here are 5 easy gas griddle cooking steps you can follow: 

1. First, make sure to season the grill top (no need if it came pre-seasoned). This allows the oil to bind with the surface to create a non-stick surface. To further ensure a good seasoning, follow the recommendation of your griddle’s manufacturer. 
2. Set/preheat the griddle to the preferred temp. Typically, griddles perform best below a smoke point temp like 350° F.
3. Use stainless-steel spatulas when cooking to flip, control, and mix your food items easily.
4. As griddles can cook food quite fast, ensure that all your food is prepped and ready to go beforehand. This will help prevent overcooking or burning. 
5. Always cover your griddle top with a lid (most companies provide their lid). If your griddle does not have a top lid, you can invest in a quality grill cover.

How to clean a gas griddle?

Like every other cooking appliance, it’s essential to regularly clean your griddle to maintain its functionality and extend longevity. Make sure to remove any food remains and bits after cooking. Follow this up by wiping your griddle clean through a damp cloth. Finally, spray over the surface some cooking oil and wipe it clean one last time. 

Remember, just because gas griddles are easy to clean doesn’t mean you should skip on their maintenance. And always use protective gloves when cleaning griddles, especially after cooking, to secure yourself from the hot surface.

How long do gas griddles usually take to heat up fully?

Gas grills usually take about 10-15 minutes to heat up as it typically requires the user to preheat it in a high setting of at least 500° F. However, an indirect grilling would require a preheat at around 350° F.

Are outdoor gas griddles worth the investment?

Yes! An outdoor gas griddle is definitely worth the purchase. From even heat distribution to versatile food options, investing in an outdoor gas griddle is worth the time and money as the product deliver excellent value.

How to Pick the Best Outdoor Gas Griddles?

Before you draft the final decision on an outdoor gas griddle, here are some key aspects to consider so that you get the best griddle to fulfill your outdoor cooking needs.

Size

Since griddles come in various sizing, it’s essential to look into the size before initiating any purchase. Your potential griddle size will determine the number of people you can feed on an average and where the product can be placed as well. Large means more food capacity, but it will need a dedicated space, and small means lower food capacity but with excellent portability. 

The choice is yours to make. So, before purchasing, ask yourself if you’re looking for something that can accommodate large groups or small family use. 

Material

As gas griddle surfaces are produced in various materials, you may want to consider the material you’re investing your money on. Stainless steel or chrome griddles are great options as they top the list for rust resistance, and there are also cheaper options like regular steel or aluminum. 

Thick metal surfaces tend to be the better option in terms of thickness due to better heat distribution. However, make sure to look for additional coating for heat resistance. This can go a long way in extending the longevity of the griddle. 

Portability

The easy portability factor is always a huge bonus, whether it’s a large or a small product. After all, you won’t just buy a griddle for it to serve as outdoor décor. So, if the general purpose is to move it wherever the party is, we suggest looking for griddles with handles & wheels attached to them. 

Easy Clean-up

After an excellent cookout session, no one is interested in putting a huge amount of time just cleaning their griddle. So, if you’re planning on avoiding a hectic cleanup duty, consider looking for griddles that provide features like removable grease cup/pan along with detachable and non-stick surfaces.

Number of Burners

A gas griddle will contain either hot or cold zones because of the burners. Hence, having additional burners under the cooking area can allow much faster and thorough heating. Moreover, more burners mean you get increased temp control and tons of cooking options. This is something you wouldn’t want to miss out on if the goal is to cook large sets of food at once.

Budget

Lastly, maintain an ideal budget when looking for a gas griddle. You can estimate your budget by considering certain factors like size, portability, etc. – all of which we have mentioned above.