Exploring
The Blackstone 36-inch 4-Burner is the best outdoor griddle for most backyards — the category-defining flat top with four independent heat zones. The Blackstone 28-inch Omnivore fits smaller patios with a 12,000-owner record, and the Blackstone 22-inch Portable takes the flat top to camp.
How We Picked
We compared cooking area, burner count and zone control, BTU output, cart and shelf design, portability, and owner reports in the tens of thousands. One brand built this category and still owns it — Blackstone's model range is the honest comparison set, the way Victron is in DC charging. For adjacent outdoor cooking, see our pellet grill guide and propane camp stove picks.
1. Best Overall: Blackstone 36-Inch 4-Burner 60,000 BTU Griddle Cooking Station
Blackstone 36-Inch 4-Burner 60,000 BTU Griddle Cooking Station
Blackstone
- 756 sq in of flat top — a full family meal at once
- Four independent burners create true heat zones
- 60,000 BTU recovers fast after a cold load of food
- Side shelves and cart make it an outdoor kitchen
- Amazon #1 Top Rated in the category
- 4.7★ from thousands of owners
Why we picked it: This is the machine that made flat-top cooking a backyard movement. Four independent burners are the feature that matters: sear smash burgers over the hot zone while buns toast on low and onions hold in the middle — restaurant-line cooking in a backyard. Sixty thousand BTU means dropping two pounds of cold potatoes barely dents the surface temperature. Amazon's #1 Top Rated in the category, and the default answer for a family that cooks outside weekly.
2. Best for Smaller Patios: Blackstone 1517 Original 28-Inch Omnivore Griddle
Blackstone 1517 Original 28-Inch Omnivore Griddle
Blackstone
- Two-burner, 470 sq in — the right size for most households
- Twelve thousand owners deep on this exact model
- Two zones still let you sear and hold simultaneously
- Smaller footprint stores under a standard cover
- The best-selling outdoor griddle format ever
- 4.7★ from 12,100+ owners
Why we picked it: The 36 gets the glory, but the 28 is what most households actually need: two burners still give you a hot side and a warm side, 470 square inches feeds a family of four with room to spare, and the smaller cart fits patios where the big unit dominates. Twelve thousand reviews at 4.7 stars make it among the most-proven outdoor cooking products anywhere. Buy the 36 for crowds; buy this for Tuesday dinner.
3. Best Portable: Blackstone Original Portable Griddle with Built-In Hood, 22-Inch
Blackstone Original Portable Griddle with Built-In Hood, 22-Inch
Blackstone
- Tabletop format travels to camp, tailgate, and cabin
- Built-in hood doubles as wind guard and warming cover
- Runs on the 1-lb bottles or a bulk tank with adapter
- Same cold-rolled steel surface as the big units
- The camp-breakfast machine
- 4.5★ from verified owners
Why we picked it: The 22 takes everything the flat top does well and puts it on a tailgate: pancakes, bacon, and eggs for a campsite in one go, with the built-in hood blocking the morning wind that torments camp stoves. It runs on the green 1-pound bottles or a bulk tank with a cheap adapter hose, and the cooking surface seasons and performs exactly like its full-size siblings. For RVers and cabin owners, this is the one that actually leaves home.
Comparison Table
| Pick | Griddle | Surface | Burners | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | Blackstone 36" 4-Burner | 36" / 756 sq in | 4 burners / 60K BTU | Family and crowd cooking |
| Best for Smaller Patios | Blackstone 28" Omnivore | 28" / 470 sq in | 2 burners | Everyday household cooking |
| Best Portable | Blackstone 22" Portable | 22" tabletop | Built-in hood | Camping and tailgates |
What to Look For in an Outdoor Griddle
Griddle vs. grill is a real distinction. A grill's open grates excel at steaks and anything that benefits from flame contact and drainage. A griddle's solid flat top excels at everything else: breakfast, smash burgers, stir fry, quesadillas, vegetables that would fall through grates, and sauces impossible over open flame. Most outdoor cooks who add a flat top find it handling two-thirds of their cooking within a season.
Burner count buys control, not just heat. Independent burners create zones — the technique that separates flat-top cooking from one-temperature frying. Two burners (28-inch class) give a working hot/medium split; four burners (36-inch) run a full line: sear, cook, hold, toast. Single-burner portables trade that control for packability, which is the right trade at a campsite.
Seasoning is the surface. A steel griddle arrives raw and becomes non-stick through seasoning — thin coats of high-smoke-point oil cooked past their smoke point, building the same polymerized surface as cast iron. The first hour of ownership is seasoning, and every cook afterward maintains it: scrape, thin oil wipe, done. Treated this way the surface improves for years; left wet it rusts in a week.
Wind is the flat top's enemy. An open burner deck in crosswind loses shocking amounts of heat and cooks unevenly. Site the griddle out of prevailing wind, use the hood or wind guards where fitted, and expect camp models to need sheltered placement. This one factor explains most "won't get hot" complaints in reviews.
Plan the grease and the cover. Flat-top cooking generates real grease volume, and the rear-trap systems only work if emptied before overflow. Line the trap with foil for ten-second cleanup. And buy the fitted cover on day one — a griddle surface is the one part of the machine that genuinely suffers from a rainy week uncovered.
Bottom Line: Which Should You Buy?
For most backyards: the Blackstone 36" 4-Burner. Four true heat zones and the category's defining track record.
For everyday cooking: the Blackstone 28" Omnivore. The best-selling flat top ever, sized for real patios.
For camp and cabin: the Blackstone 22" Portable. The full flat-top experience in a format that travels.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is better, a griddle or a grill?
Different tools: a grill's grates and open flame suit steaks, chops, and anything that likes char and drainage; a griddle's flat steel handles breakfast, smash burgers, stir fry, and small or saucy foods that a grill can't. Households that cook outside often end up with both — and use the griddle more.
How do you season a new outdoor griddle?
Wash off the factory oil, heat the surface until it darkens, then apply several very thin coats of high-smoke-point oil (flax, canola, or a seasoning blend), letting each smoke and darken before the next. The steel turns black and increasingly non-stick. After every cook: scrape while warm, wipe, and film with oil — that minute of care is the whole maintenance program.
Can you use an outdoor griddle in the rain or winter?
Griddles cook fine in cold weather — they just take longer to heat and burn more propane, and wind protection matters even more. Rain is the enemy of the seasoned surface, not the cooking: don't let the flat top sit wet, and towel-dry plus oil-wipe if weather catches you mid-cook. Store covered, always.
Why is my griddle not getting hot enough?
Wind is the usual culprit — an exposed burner deck sheds heat faster than the burners add it. Second most common: the propane regulator's safety mode, triggered by opening the tank valve too fast; reset by closing everything, waiting a minute, and opening the tank valve slowly. Third: a surface overdue for cleaning, insulating itself in carbon.
Can you cook on a griddle at a campsite during a fire ban?
Usually yes — most fire restrictions distinguish open flames and wood fires from enclosed propane appliances with shutoff valves, which griddles are. Rules vary by jurisdiction and severity stage, so check the specific ban's language; under extreme (Stage 3-type) restrictions even propane may be barred.
Related Guides
How We Research
Picks are based on manufacturer specifications, current Amazon availability, and patterns across verified owner reviews. Blackstone's dominance of this category makes its model range the honest comparison set — sizes, not brands, are the real decision here.
Safety note: Propane griddles are outdoor-only appliances — never cook under an enclosed canopy or indoors. Open tank valves slowly to avoid tripping the regulator, keep the grease trap emptied (grease fires are the flat top's real hazard), and let the surface cool fully before covering.