Pellet grills are large and heavy, making them difficult to take with you on a camping trip. Compared to traditional grills, pellet grills offer a subtle smoky flavor instead of a rich smoky flavor. Cleaning Charcoal Grills Combo Grills a pellet grill is much like cleaning other grills with a grate, and it’s more of a tedious process than cleaning a flat top. If you’re not ready to go all in on a griddle, this hybrid model is for you.
Most flat-top grills also have locking castors and powder-coating to prevent rust—these ones can be stored outside. Some flat-top grills feature folding legs for storage or portability. Sal Vaglica is a gear tester and food writer with nearly 15 years of experience working with and covering outdoor cooking equipment. For this story, he interviewed experts who have written books specifically about griddling, including George Motz and Paul Sidoriak.
Rachel Klein is a Senior Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, where she writes about everything from garden hose reels and patio furniture to mesh wifi systems and robot vacuums. Fast-forward another five years and her area of expertise includes home decor, appliances, tech, and outdoor adventure gear. In her spare time, you’ll find her planning her next trip, reading historical fiction, and seeing as much art as she can squeeze into a weekend. Overall, its design is simple and modern, though while it folds down flat for storage, it isn’t exactly portable, weighing in at a hefty 96 pounds. More versatile than a grill, these griddles allow you to make diner-worthy brunch spreads and hibachi-style meat and vegetables. “That means you should keep your eyes peeled the weekend prior (starting Friday, May 19 this year), but expect the biggest savings during Memorial Day weekend itself.”
We’ll also compare a range of the best flat top gas griddles for a variety of different needs and situations. Whether you’re preparing breakfast for a small group or lunch for a large group, invest in a portable flat-top grill with an ideal cooking surface like the Pit Boss 4-Burner Deluxe Griddle. Outdoor griddles are becoming a trendy buy that Charcoal Grills Combo Grills many people want. They are incredibly adaptable, with a flat cooking surface that allows you to prepare various dishes with sizzling results. Most flat-top griddles are constructed with stainless steel, cast iron, or carbon steel. You’ll need a flat-top grill that can keep up if you intend to cook full-course meals on your simultaneously.
In our lab, we wire the surface of each flat-top grill with thermocouples and perform four temperature tests. For preheat performance, we measure how hot the surface gets at the 10-minute mark because that’s when our data says most folks like to start cooking. Popular for the taste they impart to the food they cook, charcoal grills are the favored choice of many cooks. A charcoal, or BBQ, grill helps maintain and add to the flavor of your favorite foods. The distinct, smoke flavor is championed by many of those who enjoy barbeques.
Two-burner grills work for most small families, while four-burner grills are better for larger families or cookouts with friends. If you plan on entertaining larger parties, five or more burners may be in order. Your must-have camping companion, this two-burner Coleman Grill folds down to rollable suitcase size for easy transport and even has a side tray for your plates when space is limited.
Stainless steel construction and a removable grease tray make clean up the easiest out of all griddles tested. You won’t need to season the cooktop as you would carbon steel, and the grease is fully contained, so you won’t have to deal with fat running down the side or leg of your griddle. If you Expert Grill Combo Grills don’t need quite as much space there’s also a 28″ model with two burners that will cost a bit less. For breakfast aficionados, you can easily cook a large volume of pancakes, bacon, hash browns, and eggs at the same time. The point of a flat-top grill is its ability to cook various items at once.
We also assess how evenly each model heats—if you’re cooking a giant batch of pancakes, you want them to finish at the same time. That’s a test we perform on both high- and low-temperature settings. Pit Boss is more well known for their range of affordable pellet grills, but with their 4 burner gas griddle, you get similar or better specs than industry leader Blackstone. Blackstone’s 4-Burner 36″ Griddle offers a whopping 720 square inches of cooking space. The regular PIT BOSS flat-top grill with 4 burners has been updated and now includes a griddle which makes this deluxe grill superb. Propane tank powers it, and the cooktop is an amazing 748 square inches in size.
And you have a clear view to the 670 square inches of cast-iron grilling space made specifically for even cooking across the entire grill. Good thing the stainless-steel side burner is ready for any family faves you’re cooking, from a simple green bean side to a culinary masterpiece like ratatouille. No matter what, Even Embers can handle it, so get ready to feed your family. In recent years I’ve started to notice more of the most popular pellet grill brands coming out with pellet/gas combination grills, commonly known as combo grills. As there are both pros and cons to both pellet and gas grills producing a grill with both fuel options does appeal to some people. The eight-burner “event grill” is designed to feed a lot of people.