Catchweight
Grills, Smokers, and Pizza showdown
Flat-Top Griddle Showdown 2026: Blackstone vs Weber Slate vs Traeger, and What a '5-Year' Warranty Pays For
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- contenders compared
- 9
- owner ratings · Amazon + Weber
- 23,804
- verified pull-quotes
- 9
- data last verified
- 2026-11-05
Failure records judged against other flat-top griddles (typical: about 4% of ratings at one to three stars, weighted). How we compare
Tale of the tape
Showdown Scores, read as late as 2026-10-30. Each pick wins a different job; the score says how well it holds up.
Blackstone 1883 28" Griddle with HoodThe hood at the same money as a bare 368.4Excellent
Blackstone 1554 36" GriddleThe most griddle for the money, while Amazon has it · our crown8.3Excellent
Traeger Flatrock 3 Zone GriddleThe evenest heat, on a one-year cooktop8.0Excellent
Royal Gourmet PD1301S 24" Tabletop GriddleThe cheap way to find out whether you like griddling7.8Excellent
Blackstone 1813 22" Tabletop Griddle with HoodThe tabletop with the deep record and a hood7.6Excellent
Cuisinart CGG-0036 36" GriddleThree years in writing, at Blackstone money7.5Excellent
Pit Boss 10782 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off GriddlePays a premium for a coating you have to baby4.3Fair
Weber Slate 30" Rust-Resistant GriddleFive years on the cooktop, with a rust line beside it?Not scored yet
Weber Slate 36" Rust-Resistant Griddle with Flip-Up Side TableThe tested 36, and the deepest Slate record?Not scored yet
How to read a Showdown Score™
The only score that counts how often a product breaks, not just how owners feel about it.
- Three parts add up to the score: what owners rate it, how often it fails them, and whether a credentialed tester backed it.
- Bands: Exceptional 8.5 and up, Excellent 7.5, Very good 6.5, Good 5.5, Fair 4, Poor below 4. Every score is dated.
- Price, the warranty and what a link pays us stay out of it.
Two griddles on this page are sold on a warranty headed 5 years. On both, the cooktop gets one.
We read the warranty behind the griddles people are comparing right now, part by part, then the owner reviews, starting with the bad ones. The headline term on a griddle often stops at the legs. The clause that matters to a Florida pool owner sits in the list of what lapses the warranty. And after all that paper, the griddle we would send most people to is the one with the shortest term and the longest record.
We did not test these griddles. What follows is warranty documents, listings, tester reports and owner reviews, labelled as such. We found no credentialed test of rust or warp across several seasons, and we found no failure rate from any maker.
The short version:
🏆 Best overall — Blackstone 1554 36” Griddle: the deepest owner record of these nine, 4.7★ across 10,730 ratings, Food & Wine’s Best Overall, about $399 from Amazon.com.
Not for you if: you want it to last on a pool deck without looking after it. It has no hood and one year of paper, rust leads its newest critical reviews, and Blackstone’s own store has stopped selling it.
Hood pick — Blackstone 1883 28”: the same money with a hood, about $399. Longest cooktop term — Weber Slate 30”: 5 years on the griddle itself, excluding rust, about $649. Big-crowd pick — Weber Slate 36” with Flip-Up Side Table: about $999. Even-heat pick — Traeger Flatrock 3 Zone: the testers’ favorite cook, on a one-year cooktop, about $1,000.
Three-year pick — Cuisinart CGG-0036: about $400. Tabletop pick — Blackstone 1813 22”: about $219. Cheap experiment — Royal Gourmet PD1301S: about $112.
SKIP — the Pit Boss 10782 Ultimate: about $800 for a coated top that five of the ten newest critical reviews on its listing complain about, three of them on this 4-burner size, and its manual names wood, silicone or nylon as the best utensils.
Billed Catchweight — compared by what you are really buying, not by price. Ratings, prices and sellers read on 30 October 2026.
Quick comparison
| Model | Best for | Cooktop warranty | Rust on the cooktop | Cooking area | BTU | Hood | Owner rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The most griddle for the money, while Amazon has it | 8.3 Excellent | 1 year, all parts | Documents differ: no line on the live page; the 2024 2322 manual excludes "Corrosion/ rust" | 720 sq in | 60,000 | None | 4.7★ / 10,730 | ~$399typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| The hood at the same money as a bare 36 | 8.4 Excellent | 1 year, all parts | Documents differ: no line on the live page; the 2024 2322 manual excludes "Corrosion/ rust" | 524 sq in | Not printed by Blackstone | Integrated hood | 4.7★ / 2,063 | ~$399typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Five years on the cooktop, with a rust line beside it | Not scored yet | 5 years (excluding rust) | Excluded; surface rust is "normal wear and tear" | 540 sq in | 36,000 | Hinged hard cover | 4.6★ / 334 | ~$649typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| The tested 36, and the deepest Slate record | Not scored yet | 5 years (excluding rust) | Excluded; surface rust is "normal wear and tear" | 756 sq in | 48,000 | Hinged hard cover | 4.7★ / 532 | ~$999typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| The evenest heat, on a one-year cooktop | 8.0 Excellent | 1 year, material and manufacturing defects | Not named; the cooktop term is defects only | 594 sq in | 47,000 | Hinged lid | 4.5★ / 91 | ~$999.99typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Three years in writing, at Blackstone money | 7.5 Excellent | Not read; the listing says 3-year limited warranty | Not read | 760 sq in | 60,000 | None | 4.5★ / 279 | ~$399.99typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| The tabletop with the deep record and a hood | 7.6 Excellent | 1 year, all parts | Documents differ: no line on the live page; the 2024 2322 manual excludes "Corrosion/ rust" | 361 sq in | Not printed for this model (21,000 to 24,000 on sibling pages) | Integrated hood | 4.7★ / 2,832 | ~$219typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| The cheap way to find out whether you like griddling | 7.8 Excellent | 1 year, full warranty on the griddle | Excluded: "RUST is not considered a manufacturing or materials defect." | 304 sq in | 25,500 | None | 4.5★ / 6,741 | ~$111.99typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Pays a premium for a coating you have to baby | 4.3 Fair | 2 years | Excluded unless there is loss of structural integrity, in the 10782 manual | 647 sq in | 46,000 | Cover sold separately; griddle lifts off its stand | 4.2★ / 202 | ~$799.99typical at AmazonCheck price → |
Prices move constantly — any Amazon price shown is as of the date noted and subject to change; tap through for today's number.
How to read the ratings. The two Slates rate on Weber’s own website, because Amazon shows 4 ratings pooled across the whole Slate line. That is a brand-hosted base, so their Showdown Score holds back the owner number until we can read an independent one. The Flatrock rates on Amazon, and Traeger’s own page says less of it: 3.97 across 119 reviews.
BTU is a spec, not a ranking. We print it because makers do, and it does not tell you which griddle heats faster. Solo Stove’s 30-inch has about 49 BTU per square inch and WIRED had it near searing in about 12 minutes, while the Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner, on paper far stronger, took WIRED well over half an hour. Blackstone prints no BTU at all on most of its griddles, so the cells say so.
The 5 on the box, and the 1 on the cooktop
Here is what each maker’s document says, part by part. Where a cell is in quotes, it is the maker’s wording.
| Griddle | The headline | The cooktop | Rust on the cooktop | Warping | The rest of it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber Slate | 5 years, by part | “5 years (excluding rust)” | Surface rust is “normal wear and tear” | Guide warns cold water or cold food may warp it; not in its warranty terms | Cookbox and hard cover 5 years no rust-through; remaining parts 2 years in the guide, 5 on Weber’s web page |
| Traeger Flatrock | “5-Year Limited Warranty” | 1 year, “Material and Manufacturing Defects” | Not named | Excluded: “warping of the Flat Top Grill surface” | Body and legs 5 years, “Will not rust through” |
| Solo Stove Steelfire | “5-Year Limited Warranty” | 1 year | “Rust/corrosion” excluded, unless it “compromises the structural integrity” | “warping” not covered | Body and legs 5 years; burners 1 year |
| Cuisinart CGG-0036 | “3-year limited warranty”, on the Amazon listing | Not read: we kept no Cuisinart warranty text | Not read | Not read | Not read |
| Pit Boss griddles | 2 years | 2 years | Not covered “unless there is loss of structural integrity”, in the manuals for the 10782, 10962 and 10963 | Not named | 2 years |
| Blackstone | 1 year | 1 year, “all parts, finish, and workmanship” | Documents differ, see below | Not named on the warranty page | 1 year |
| Royal Gourmet | 1 year | 1 year | “RUST is not considered a manufacturing or materials defect.” | Not named | Its general warranty page adds 5 years on a stainless burner that rusts through and defers to your manual. The PD1301S manual was not read |
| Camp Chef flat tops | 1 year | 1 year, all parts | “the limited warranties do not cover rust or oxidation” | Not named for the cooktop | 1 year |
Four things stand out.
The word “griddle” in a warranty can mean the griddle and not the cooktop. Traeger’s page is headed “Traeger’s 5-Year Limited Warranty (Griddles)”, and its table gives the cooktop one year. Solo Stove’s is headed “5-Year Limited Warranty Coverage”, and its table gives the cooking surface one year. Neither is hiding it. The table is right there. It just is not the number that gets repeated. AmazingRibs is one of the few testers we read that prints the split.
Traeger’s two pages disagree on warping. Its support page says “Yes, Cooktop warping is completely normal.”, that a warped top will typically warp one to five times, and that more than that is a reason to call. Its warranty says warping is not covered. So past the fifth warp you are asking for goodwill, not claiming a right. One Flatrock owner reports where that goes: “Support said it would only happen 3-5 times and then it would stop. I’m on cook maybe 35 and it happens every time.”, and that Traeger “won’t send a replacement top.”
Blackstone’s documents do not match each other. Its live warranty page and its 2023 manual for the 28-inch 2287 cover “all parts, finish, and workmanship” and print no rust line. Its February 2024 manual for the 36-inch 2322 lists “Corrosion/ rust” under what the warranty does not cover. Blackstone does not say which governs a new griddle. Assume the stricter one, and ask before you need it.
Weber’s two documents disagree too, in your favor or not. Its US warranties page prints 5 years on remaining parts. Its Owner’s Guide prints 2, and that page tells you to refer to the guide. Assume 2.
What owners actually report
We read the newest critical reviews on every card, up to ten on each Amazon listing plus the first shown at each star level on Weber’s site, and we searched forums for owners past the first year. Critical reviews overstate a problem by their nature, forum threads more so, and none of this is a failure rate.
Rust is two different problems. The one on the cooktop is usually a seasoning problem, and Blackstone tells owners to rub it off with steel wool and re-season. The one on the cart is paint, and no cooktop warranty speaks to it. One 1554 owner: “the painted metal on the frame, trays, and the cover I bought for it have rusted and flaked HORRIBLY in just a couple of seasons on a COVERED porch”. Another bought in 2023 and by February 2026 calls it “rusted beyond use”. Traeger’s 5 years on the body and legs, and Weber’s on the cookbox and hard cover, are the terms that address this.
Warping happens on the expensive griddles too. Weber’s page carries a Slate 30 owner reporting “griddle completely warped when temperature reaches 350 or higher” and that service “will not replace my main concern of a warped griddle”, and another whose top “flexes on it every time I use it”. We cannot rank brands on warp: too many of the forums we wanted refused our read. What we can say is that warp is not the leading complaint on the Blackstone listings we read, where rust, igniters and shipping damage come up more.
The hood is a cover. Weber told one owner on its page that the lid “is designed primarily as a protective cover and should not be closed while cooking”, because it “can trap excessive heat, which may lead to warping of the cooktop and corrosion of the lid.” AmazingRibs says the same of the Flatrock: leave the lid up whenever the burners are on.
A cover is not a cure. Owners report it both ways, including rust under a cover, and we found no pattern we would stand behind. Dry the top, oil it, and do not trap a wet griddle under one.
Igniters come up on five of these nine griddles in the critical reviews we read: the Blackstone 1883 and 1813, the Royal Gourmet and both Slates, including a Slate 36 where an owner’s new manifold still took two or three tries. Keep a long lighter. One 1883 owner waited 2.5 months for a part.
Check your height on a 28. Owners of Blackstone’s 28-inch griddles keep reporting that they stoop. No maker we read prints a cooking height, so measure one in a store if you are tall.
The pool, the coast and the lanai
This is where most griddle advice stops being useful to us.
Pool air can lapse the warranty. Weber’s guide says the warranty lapses for damage or rust caused by “Exposure to salt air and/or chlorine sources such as swimming pools and hot tubs/spas”. Blackstone’s 2322 manual excludes finish fading from “pool or salt water”. Blackstone also tells owners in humid or coastal climates to season more often. So the griddle with the longest cooktop term we read has the clause most likely to bite a Florida pool owner, and it is right there in the guide.
A screen enclosure is not an opening. Blackstone’s manual allows shelter with an overhead cover and three walls as long as 30 percent of the sides is permanently open, and then says “screened openings are not considered as permanent openings”. Solo Stove prints the same line. Read that as a pool cage counting as closed, unless your inspector says otherwise.
Under a roof, most makers say no. Weber bars use “beneath overhead combustible construction” and in a garage. Traeger bars “a combustible ceiling or overhang”. Solo Stove says “outside any enclosure”. Member’s Mark names it outright: “DO NOT use in enclosed spaces such as carport, garage, porch or covered patio.” We keep the exact wording for griddles, heaters, fire pits and grills on our lanai and covered-patio clearance page. Your local fire code and your homeowners insurer sit above all of it. Why an open garage door does not change that.
Where you buy it changes what you own
Blackstone’s warranty is not valid from unlicensed resellers. Its page says so in those words. On Amazon, the 1554, 1883 and 1813 are sold by Amazon.com. Two others we read were not: the 2311 was sold by MaxWarehouse and the 2287 by Homegoods Shop. We could not establish whether those sellers are licensed, and one 2311 owner reports being told the return would cost $545. Buy from Amazon.com or a store.
Traeger’s griddle warranty has the same condition. It is void if the griddle is “not purchased from an Authorized Seller”, which it defines as traeger.com or a dealer on its dealer page, and void if the griddle is resold or traded to another owner. That dealer page shows Amazon among its national retailers, and the Flatrock listing we read is sold by Amazon.com. It does not say whether a third-party seller on Amazon counts, so check the buy box and keep the receipt.
Wirecutter’s top pick is sold the same way. Its Blackstone 28” XL Omnivore with Hood, at $440 on Amazon, matches a listing with a single rating sold by Homegoods Shop. Blackstone sells the current 28” XL direct as the 2516.
The real 36-inch deal may be at a warehouse. Costco had Blackstone’s 36” Omnivore with hinged hood and a soft cover at $429.99 after $100 off through 22 November, with 4.5 across 195 member reviews. Walmart’s page for the Original 36” with hard cover shows 4.7 across 1,555 ratings, and that exact listing read out of stock at $558.79 beside a sibling at $264. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark 36” reads 4.2 across 127 at $349, 48,000 BTU and 720 sq in. Lowe’s and Home Depot refused our read, so we are not ranking their exclusives.
One Good Housekeeping warning. Its Best Overall, a Pit Boss 4-Burner at about $594, is a griddle it says it did not test, a replacement for the one it did. The Amazon listing we matched to it reads 3.7 across 24 ratings, 23 percent at one star.
Best overall: Blackstone 1554 36” Griddle
Why it takes the top spot. This is the most griddle for the money with the deepest record of these nine behind it: four burners, 60,000 BTU, 720 sq in, 4.7★ across 10,730 ratings, and only 4 percent of those ratings at one or two stars. Food & Wine calls it “the only model that earned perfect scores”, and Serious Eats says it “got ripping, blazing, sweat-on-your-eyelids hot”. Reliability outweighs paper here. A griddle that thousands of owners keep cooking on for about $399 beats a longer term that excludes the likely failure.
Not for you if it has to live outside by a pool on its own. Four of its ten newest critical reviews report rust, on the frame and shelves as well as the top. It has no hood, so add a cover. That base also runs back to 2015 under one “2024 Model” label, so it speaks for the model line more than this year’s build.
And know what you are buying. Blackstone’s own store shows the 1554 as “NOTIFY ME WHEN AVAILABLE”, at 4.5 across 417 of its own reviews, and its dealer catalogue omits it. Amazon.com still sold it in stock when we read it. Blackstone’s current 36 with a hood, the 2411, sold for $499 on its store, and we prefer the 1554’s record to that griddle’s short one for now.
Blackstone 1554 36" Griddle
The most griddle for the money, while Amazon has it
Excellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 8.3
Too close to call with the Blackstone 1883 28" Griddle with Hood, which scores 8.4. It holds "Best overall" because its owner rating is deeper (10,730 vs 2,063 of its own ratings).
Four burners, 60,000 BTU and the deepest owner base of the nine griddles here, 4.7★ across 10,730 on Amazon. Food & Wine's Best Overall and Serious Eats' Best Budget. No hood, one year of warranty, and a tail led by rust on the top, the frame and the shelves
Your pick if you want the biggest proven cooktop at the lowest price and you will season it, cover it and accept one year of paper. Buy it soon: Blackstone's own store has stopped selling it.
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Picked before we checked what this link pays us.
“I love this griddle.. you know sometime when it’s time to cook outdoors, it can become a chore and overbearing, but with this griddle, it is truly a joy to stand in front of it and cook meals for the family”
“is the only model that earned perfect scores”
Best Overall Flat Top Grill among 10 griddles tested hands-on, on this model number.
Blackstone 1554 36" Griddle
The most griddle for the money, while Amazon has itYour pick if you want the biggest proven cooktop at the lowest price and you will season it, cover it and accept one year of paper. Buy it soon: Blackstone's own store has stopped selling it.
“I love this griddle.. you know sometime when it’s time to cook outdoors, it can become a chore and overbearing, but with this griddle, it is truly a joy to stand in front of it and cook meals for the family”— Sidney Lankford, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “is the only model that earned perfect scores”Best Overall Flat Top Grill among 10 griddles tested hands-on, on this model number.— Greg Baker, Food & Wine
- Food & Wine says it is the only griddle it tested that earned perfect scores
- The deepest base of the nine here, and only 4% of it at one or two stars
- Serious Eats: it "got ripping, blazing, sweat-on-your-eyelids hot", and burgers and bacon came out crisp
- Sold and shipped by Amazon.com, so the warranty question about third-party sellers does not arise
- Blackstone's own store now reads "NOTIFY ME WHEN AVAILABLE" and its dealer catalogue omits the 1554, so this may be the last of it
- That base runs back to 2015, under a "2024 Model" label, so it speaks for the model line more than this year's build
- No hood: budget for a cover, and read what owners say about covers trapping rain
- Four of the ten newest critical reviews report rust, on the frame and shelves as well as the top
- Serious Eats saw the center and top of the griddle run hotter than the front and sides
Rust, on the top and on the painted frame, trays and cover, within about two to three years. Owners also report parts missing or bent on arrival and a top that will not sit flat.
Of the 10 newest of 468 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 4 rust, 3 damaged or missing parts, 1 top that will not sit flat, 1 no lid, 1 igniter. The histogram puts 4% of 10,730 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Hood pick: Blackstone 1883 28” Griddle with Hood
The same money as the 1554, about $399, buys less griddle and a hood in the box. At 4.7★ across 2,063 ratings it is a dead heat with the 1554 on Showdown Score, and Serious Eats calls it “a good flat-top grill for two to three people”. Food & Wine names it Best Value.
The catch is the stand. Five of its ten newest critical reviews are about a frame that wobbles, sits low, is not level or feels thin, and two report igniters. Blackstone’s feed no longer lists the 1883 either, so read the buy box before you trust the model number. Keep the hood up while it heats.
Blackstone 1883 28" Griddle with Hood
The hood at the same money as a bare 36Excellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 8.4
Your pick if you cook for two to three, you want a hood in the box, and you are not tall: owners of Blackstone 28-inch griddles keep reporting that they stoop over them.
“Very easy to put together. You do need two people though to place the top on. Great to do a whole meal at once on it.”— Tamara Rectenwald, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “It’s a good flat-top grill for two to three people.”Best Budget Outdoor Griddle for Small Families, this model, one of 17 griddles tested hands-on.— Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm and Grace Kelly, Serious Eats
- A hood in the box, which the 1554 asks you to buy around
- Serious Eats and Food & Wine both tested this model and kept it
- Rear grease management, so grease stops running down the front
- A separate base from its sibling listings, 86% five-star
- Five of the ten newest critical reviews are about a stand that wobbles, sits low, is not level or feels thin
- Two owners report dead igniters, one waiting 2.5 months for the part
- Food & Wine found hot and cool spots that take practice
- Keep the hood up while it heats: Wirecutter warns that heating a griddle with the lid down can warp it
A stand that wobbles and sits low, and igniters. Owners report legs that are not level, shelves that shift, and waits on parts.
Of the 10 newest of 90 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 5 stand or build, 2 igniter, 1 uneven heat, 1 seasoning and flaking, 1 natural-gas conversion. The histogram puts 4% of 2,063 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
Longest cooktop term: Weber Slate 30” Griddle
If paper matters to you, this is the paper: 5 years on the griddle itself, the only term that long we read that names the cooktop. The Barbecue Lab lists 15 years on a Napoleon griddle, 5 on a Le Griddle and 4 on a Grilla, and we have not read what those terms cover on the cooktop. Weber case-hardens the steel with no coating, so you can scrape it, and it arrives seasoned. Food Network’s Best Overall and Serious Eats’ Best Compact on this model, about $649, with 4.6★ across 334 ratings on Weber’s own site.
Read the 5 carefully. It excludes rust, it calls surface rust normal wear, and it lapses for salt air and pool chemicals. Weber’s site carries owners reporting tops that warp and flex. It was second worst of eight in The Barbecue Lab’s wind test. We can’t give it a Showdown Score yet, because that rating lives on Weber’s page. And for all that, the “Rust-resistant carbon-steel” claim has had no multi-season test we could find. The nearest is The Barbecue Lab’s winter of storage: “After storing the Slate over the winter and pulling it back out, there were some small areas of rust that did require some reseasoning.” It is a real step up that we cannot yet prove is worth the extra.
Weber Slate 30" Rust-Resistant Griddle
Five years on the cooktop, with a rust line beside itSee what has been read
Sold in 4 sizes on this listing: 22 in, 28 in, 30 in, 36 in — this card is the 30 in. Check the size before you add to cart.
Your pick if you cook for a family, you want to start cooking the day it arrives, and you will pay for the longest cooktop term we read. Not for a pool deck or the coast: Weber's guide lapses for salt air and chlorine sources.
“We truly love this griddle but we were shocked that it didn't include the Weber Works accesories”— Rohalio, Weber · Verified owner
Pro review “earned our top spot because it was the most well-rounded model we tested”Best Overall on this model, $699, hands-on with an infrared thermometer after a 10-minute preheat. The same review says its test was not long enough to judge the rust-resistant cooktop over several seasons.— Kamron Sanders, Food Network
- The only cooktop term past three years in the documents we read, which did not cover every griddle maker, and it names the griddle plate itself
- Food Network's Best Overall and Serious Eats' Best Compact on this exact model
- No coating, so metal tools are fine by Weber's own page
- Arrives pre-seasoned, so the first cook skips the hour of oil coats
- The 5 years excludes rust, and the guide calls surface rust normal wear; The Barbecue Lab found small areas of rust after storing one over a winter
- The warranty lapses for damage from salt air or chlorine sources such as swimming pools, which is most of our readers' back yard
- Owners on Weber's site report tops that flex and warp, and one says service would not replace it
- The hood is a cover, not a roasting lid: Weber tells owners not to cook with it closed
- Weak in wind: 170° mean difference in The Barbecue Lab's fan test, second worst of the eight
A top that flexes or warps, and service that is slow with parts. One owner reports the griddle warping from about 350°F and service declining to replace it; another says the top flexes every time.
Of the 19 one- and two-star reviews on Weber's page (read 2026-10-30), the first three of each plus the most helpful: 2 warp or flex, 2 damaged or missing parts, 1 dead out of the box, 1 poor factory seasoning, 1 assembly. Weber's histogram puts 19 of 334 reviews at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
Big-crowd pick: Weber Slate 36” Griddle with Flip-Up Side Table
This is the 36-inch the testers cooked on, 756 sq in and 48,000 BTU, about $999, and the deepest Slate record at 4.7★ across 532 ratings on Weber’s site. WIRED says it “provides a broad cooking surface, an easier seasoning process, and the best array of features”.
Weber also sells an open-cart 36, model 1502036, for $849, with the same cooktop size and far fewer reviews on its page, 4.7 across 52. On the Flip-Up, the first critical reviews we read are mostly freight damage and part-by-part repairs. At 198 pounds, check the box before you sign.
Weber Slate 36" Rust-Resistant Griddle with Flip-Up Side Table
The tested 36, and the deepest Slate recordSee what has been read
Sold in 4 sizes on this listing: 22 in, 28 in, 30 in, 36 in — this card is the 36 in with Flip-Up Side Table. Check the size before you add to cart.
Your pick if you feed a crowd every weekend and want the 36-inch the testers actually cooked on. The cheaper open-cart 36 shares the cooktop and carries far fewer reviews.
“The construction seems to be solid, easy to move around and nice finish. My only issue and reason for a 4 star is within 2 days, the electronic temperature gauge on the front of the unit was full of condensation”— Weber owner, Weber · Verified owner
Pro review “provides a broad cooking surface, an easier seasoning process, and the best array of features to build out a flat-top grill into a true workstation”Best Griddle for Value and Features, the 36-inch at $1,049 at the time: this Flip-Up model by price. Korfhage assembled and cooked on it; WIRED keeps the Flatrock ahead on evenness.— Matthew Korfhage, WIRED
- The deepest Slate base we read, and a 4% one- and two-star share on Weber's own histogram
- WIRED and AmazingRibs tested this cooktop size; AmazingRibs gave it a Platinum Medal
- Room for a crowd: 756 sq in across four burners
- A digital thermometer shows the cooktop temperature, though AmazingRibs caught it reading low
- The same rust and salt-air lines as the 30: 5 years excluding rust, and the warranty lapses for damage from salt air and chlorine sources
- Owners report freight damage and slow part-by-part fixes on a griddle this heavy
- One owner's display fogged within two days; another sees spots on the surface at about two months
- AmazingRibs read the display about 40°F low at 300 to 400°F, so check it against an infrared thermometer
Freight damage and slow fixes more than the griddle. Owners describe dented lids and fireboxes on arrival and being sent parts to swap themselves; one reports an igniter that needs repeated tries even after a new manifold.
Of the 22 one- and two-star reviews on Weber's page (read 2026-10-30), the first three of each: 3 damaged on arrival, 1 order never delivered, 1 igniter, 1 fuel-flow drop and surface spots. Weber's histogram puts 22 of 532 reviews at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Even-heat pick: Traeger Flatrock 3 Zone Griddle
If you cook for the pleasure of holding three temperatures at once, this is the griddle. WIRED’s top pick, Wirecutter’s upgrade and Serious Eats’ Best Splurge, first in The Barbecue Lab’s wind and toast tests, about $1,000, with 4.5★ across 91 ratings.
It is named for its heat and not “best” because the record is thin and split. Amazon’s base is under 100, and Traeger’s own page reads 3.97 across 119. The cooktop gets one year and warping is excluded. Its body and legs do get 5 years against rust-through. Traeger’s recall of December 2023, number 24061, covers SKU 1DFL42LLA for burner knobs that can be mislabeled; this listing’s model is TF3CN59AU, but check the label on a used one. One verified one-star review from April 2026 is titled as a grill fire and has no text, so we cannot say what happened.
Traeger Flatrock 3 Zone Griddle
The evenest heat, on a one-year cooktopExcellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 8.0
Your pick if heat control is the point: you want three real zones and the steadiest surface the testers measured, and you accept that the warranty's 5 years stops at the body.
“Very even cooking temps from edge to edge, no hot or cold spots. Grease and and food scrap drain and catch bucket are excellent. Fast to reach cooking temperature and easy to clean. No sign of rust. Now the bad, Traeger couldn't have designed a more difficult, inconvenient, maddening method of installing a propane bottle if they tried.”— Amazon Customer, Amazon
Pro review “offers the most even and reliable heat out of any I tested, and it feels like a Cadillac idling in the yard”Best Griddle Overall, a year of use on this model.— Matthew Korfhage, WIRED
- WIRED reports less than 20-degree variation across the main cooking space over a year of cooks
- First of eight in The Barbecue Lab's toast evenness and its wind test
- The body and legs carry 5 years against rust-through
- Three separate zones, so Serious Eats could hold a cool side for buns beside a hot side for burgers
- Traeger's warranty says "warping of the Flat Top Grill surface" is not covered, while its support page says more than five warps in a row is not normal
- One owner reports warping on about 35 cooks and no replacement top
- Traeger's own page rates it 3.97 across 119, well under Amazon's figure
- The cooktop term is 1 year, the same as a griddle at less than half the price
Assembly and delivery faults, then the electronics and the top. Owners report dents and missing paint, a dead flame sensor out of the box, legs that bend, and one top that warps on every cook.
Of the 10 newest of 12 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 3 cosmetic or loose parts on arrival, 2 electronics or gas parts, 1 warping on every cook, 1 bent legs, 1 propane tank fit, 1 support, 1 titled as a grill fire with no text. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
Three-year pick: Cuisinart CGG-0036 36” Griddle
A 3-year limited warranty on the Amazon listing at about $400, with 760 sq in, 4.5★ across 279 ratings and 60,000 BTU. If you want Blackstone money and a longer stated term, this is it. We kept no copy of Cuisinart’s own warranty text, so we cannot say here what the three years cover.
We found no credentialed test of this model. The Cuisinart griddles the testers discuss are others. It has no hood, it does not fold the way its name suggests, and one owner measured cool bands at the front and rear. Only 3 were left when we read it.
Cuisinart CGG-0036 36" Griddle
Three years in writing, at Blackstone moneyExcellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 7.5
Your pick if you want 36 inches at this price and a longer warranty than a Blackstone's one year, and you can live with no lid. Thin stock: buy it when it shows.
“It gets super hot, super fast.”— Mykel Ward, Amazon · Verified owner
- The listing prints a 3-year limited warranty; we kept no Cuisinart text on what it covers
- The largest listed cooking area here at 760 sq in
- Sold and shipped by Amazon.com
- Rust does not lead the critical reviews we read
- No credentialed test of this model turned up; the Cuisinart griddles the testers panned and praised are other models
- No hood and no lid
- One owner measured about 8 by 36 inches at the front and rear that the burners do not reach
- Only 3 left in stock when we read it, and its Kitchen & Dining rank is far off the griddle leaders
- One owner says folding it means flipping it over, and that it does not roll folded
Missing hardware on arrival and a folding design that disappoints. Owners also report temperature that sticks on high or low.
Of all 10 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30, dated 2021 to 2025): 2 missing hardware, 2 folding or portability, 1 assembly, 1 uneven heat, 1 no lid, 1 temperature control, 1 mold on arrival, 1 general. The histogram puts 7% of 279 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
Tabletop pick: Blackstone 1813 22” Griddle with Hood
The tabletop with the record: 4.7★ across 2,832 ratings, a hood, two zones and about $219. Good for a patio table. Our tabletop griddle showdown weighs this one against the 17s, the Slates and what one bottle buys.
It weighs about 38 pounds, so it travels by car. Four of its ten newest critical reviews are igniters, gas flow or a valve, and one owner measured 500° at the lowest setting after 7 minutes. Blackstone’s feed sells this griddle today as the 2205, so the 1813 may be next to go.
Blackstone 1813 22" Tabletop Griddle with Hood
The tabletop with the deep record and a hoodExcellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 7.6
Too close to call with the Royal Gourmet PD1301S 24" Tabletop Griddle, which scores 7.8. It holds "Tabletop pick" because its owner rating is cleaner (more of it is its own).
Your pick if you cook for two to four on a patio table or a tailgate and want a hood over the plate. At 38 pounds it travels by car, not by hand.
“Really well made. The cast iron was super easy to season, and the burners heat up quickly. The unit is really heavy so it’s harder to travel with”— S., Amazon · Verified owner
- An integrated hood over the plate between cooks
- A deep base, 84% five-star
- Two zones on a small plate, so one side can hold
- Sold and shipped by Amazon.com
- Four of the ten newest critical reviews are igniters, gas that will not flow, or a valve that one owner says would not shut the burner off
- One owner measured 500° at the lowest setting after 7 minutes, so eggs are a fight
- One owner reports the surface bowing up in the middle
- Heavy and bulky for camping: one owner wishes they had bought the 17 in
Burners that will not light or stay controllable. Owners also report heat they cannot turn down, rust and bulk.
Of the 10 newest of 122 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 4 igniter, gas flow or valve, 2 heat control, 2 size and weight, 1 rust by hearsay, 1 general. The histogram puts 4% of 2,832 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
Cheap experiment: Royal Gourmet PD1301S 24” Griddle
If you are not sure you want a griddle at all, spend about $112. You get three burners, a 3.5 mm top, 4.5★ across 6,741 ratings and Bob Vila’s Best Portable.
Soap-test the connections: one owner reports a leak in the propane line just after the connector. Its warranty says rust is not a defect, and one owner reckons the sides run about 75 percent as hot as the center.
Royal Gourmet PD1301S 24" Tabletop Griddle
The cheap way to find out whether you like griddlingExcellent
Excellent is 7.5 to 8.4.
See why it scored 7.8
Sold in 2 colours on this listing: Black & Silver, Red — this card is the Black & Silver. Check the size before you add to cart.
Your pick if you want to try flat-top cooking for about the price of a good pan set, and you can bring a 20 lb tank. Check the hose connection before the first light.
“The griddle itself is quite heavy and should stand up to a lot of usage. Of course be careful not to use sharp metal utensils on it. The furthest away side gets hotter than the closer side just be aware and cook accordingly.”— The Oracle, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “Few tabletop flat-top griddles offer the versatility that Royal Gourmet’s 24-inch gas-powered model does.”Best Portable, tested hands-on (the page reports its test model arriving dented). The page's summary block is marked AI assisted, editor reviewed.— Tony Carrick, Bob Vila
- A low price with a base in the thousands
- Bob Vila tested it hands-on and named it Best Portable
- At 28 pounds, ten lighter than the Blackstone tabletop
- The top lifts off for cleaning with no tools
- One owner reports a leak in the propane line just after the connector; soap-test every connection
- Three of the ten newest critical reviews report damage or a cross-threaded part on arrival
- One owner puts the sides at about 75% as hot as the center
- No hood or cover in the box, whatever the voice assistant says
Damage on arrival, uneven heat and igniters, with one reported leak in the propane line.
Of the 10 newest of 328 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 3 damaged or mis-threaded on arrival, 2 uneven or weak heat, 2 ignition, 1 propane line leak, 1 flaking surface, 1 changed quality. The histogram puts 7% of 6,741 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
SKIP: Pit Boss 10782 4-Burner Ultimate Griddle
About $800 buys a griddle whose selling point is the first thing owners report losing. Five of the ten newest critical reviews on its listing are about the coating, three of them on this 4-burner size and two on the smaller ones: “First cook and it’s already spotting and losing its non stick”, and “chipping up in the corners” at three months. Thirteen percent of its 4.2★ across 202 ratings sit at one star, the worst on this page, and that base pools the 2, 3 and 4 burner sizes.
Pit Boss’s manual for this griddle calls the plate ceramic-coated and names wood, silicone or nylon as the best utensils, and its ceramic-top care sheet says metal utensils can chip it, so the steel spatula that makes a griddle fun stays in the drawer. The same manual says to season the plate after each use. If easy cleanup is what you are after, look at stainless, and read the warranty table above first.
Pit Boss 10782 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle
Pays a premium for a coating you have to babyFair
Fair is 4.0 to 5.4.
Amazon says 4.2 stars. We score it 4.3, Fair: 16% of its 202 ratings are one or two stars.
See why it scored 4.3
Sold in 3 sizes on this listing: 2 burner, 3 burner, 4 burner — this card is the 4 burner. Check the size before you add to cart.
Your pick if you want a ceramic-coated plate and will keep wood, silicone or nylon tools near it forever. Everyone else can buy a griddle that takes metal tools.
“Got it assembled and did my first run with burger and egg and it's amazing how non-stick this thing is and so easy to clean.Would be a 5 star review if they could figure out how to ship it without it getting bent and dinged up in the process.”— macguyver13, Amazon · Verified owner
- It wipes clean while the coating lasts, though the manual still says to season the plate after each use
- A two-year term, a year longer than most of the cheap griddles
- The griddle lifts off its stand for tailgating
- Five of the ten newest critical reviews are about the coating, three of them on this 4-burner size
- The manual names wood, silicone or nylon as the best utensils, a care sheet says metal can chip the ceramic, and one owner says Pit Boss sells no bare-steel replacement top
- 13% of ratings sit at one star, the worst tail on this page
- One owner reports the fold-out tabletop legs buckling once the griddle is off its stand
The coating. Owners report spotting on the first cook, chipping within months and, from one 3-burner owner, rust across the surface after a year, with no bare-steel top sold to replace it.
Of the 10 newest of 37 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30): 5 coating (3 of them on the 4 burner), 3 assembly or stand, 1 cleanup, 1 delivery. Some cards are the 2 and 3 burner sizes. The histogram puts 16% of 202 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Non-returnable · read 2026-10-30
The ones we held back
- Solo Stove Steelfire 30: stainless, no seasoning, and WIRED’s Best Portable, with 4.6 across 39 reviews on its own site. Under our 50-rating floor. Serious Eats found it scorched. Its 5-year warranty gives the cooking surface one.
- Camp Chef Gridiron 36: 48 reviews on its own page, and it read sold out, dealers only. Gridiron Pro: 3.9 across 11 on Amazon.
- Traeger Irontop: 24 ratings, all five-star, on a line whose warranty is 3 years and excludes warping. We will read it again at 50.
- Blackstone 28” XL (2516, sold on Amazon as the 2403): Wirecutter’s pick, with one rating on the listing we read. We will read it again at 50.
- Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner: Good Housekeeping’s Best Value, and WIRED’s half-hour heat-up. 7 ratings on Amazon, and Home Depot refused our read.
- Halo Elite4B: 4.6 across 55, shared across four sizes at $1,099.
- Weber Slate independent base: when we can read Home Depot or Tractor Supply, the Slates get their owner score, and these roles get re-fought.
Does a griddle warranty cover rust?
Mostly not. Weber's 5 years on the Slate cooktop is printed as excluding rust, and its guide calls surface rust normal wear and tear. Solo Stove excludes rust and corrosion on the cooking surface unless the rust compromises the griddle's structure, Camp Chef says its warranties do not cover rust or oxidation, and Royal Gourmet says rust is not a defect. Blackstone's documents disagree: its 2024 manual for the 2322 lists corrosion and rust as not covered, while its warranty page and its 2023 manual for the 2287 have no rust line.
Does a griddle warranty cover warping?
Not at Traeger or Solo Stove, which exclude it by name. Traeger's warranty says there is no coverage for warping of the Flat Top Grill surface, while its support page calls warping normal and says more than five warps in a row is not, and to call. Weber's guide warns that a lot of cold water or cold food on a hot griddle may warp it, leaves warping out of its warranty terms, and an owner on Weber's own page reports that service would not replace a warped Slate.
What does a 5-year griddle warranty actually cover?
Read the table, not the headline. Traeger's and Solo Stove's griddle warranties are headed 5 years, and on both the 5 years is the body and legs. The cooktop gets 1 year. Weber is the one 5-year term we read that names the cooktop, and it excludes rust.
Can I use a griddle on a covered patio or under a lanai?
The manuals we read mostly say no. Weber, Blackstone, Traeger and Pit Boss bar overhead combustible construction, Solo Stove says outside any enclosure, and Member's Mark names porches and covered patios outright. Blackstone's manual allows partial shelter with 30 percent of the sides permanently open, and says screened openings do not count, which rules out most Florida screen enclosures. Your local fire code and your homeowners policy sit above any of this.
Can I keep a griddle by the pool or near the ocean?
You can, but it may cost you the warranty on the damage. Weber's Slate guide lists exposure to salt air and to chlorine sources such as swimming pools among the causes that lapse its warranty, and Blackstone's 2322 manual excludes finish fading from pool or salt water. Keep it away from the pool edge, keep it dry, and rinse the cart.
Should I cook on a griddle with the lid down?
No, unless the maker says otherwise. Weber told an owner the Slate's lid is a protective cover and that cooking with it closed can trap heat, warp the cooktop and corrode the lid. Wirecutter and AmazingRibs give the same warning about griddles generally.
Is the Blackstone 1554 discontinued?
Blackstone has not said so in anything we read. Its own store showed the 1554 as notify me when available on 30 October 2026, its dealer catalogue omits it, and Amazon.com still sold it in stock that day.
Update history
- 2026-10-31 — Corrected: the Blackstone 1554 has the deepest owner record of these nine, not of the whole class (the Blackstone 1517 reads deeper); the Pit Boss, Solo Stove, Blackstone 2322 and Weber Slate 36 lines now say what their sources say. After a second read: the Cuisinart warranty now states only the listing line, because we kept no copy of Cuisinart's own text; the Pit Boss coating count now says how many reviews were on this size, and its utensil, seasoning and rust lines come from its manual, which we have now read; Weber's guide does warn about warping; the Slate rust line now carries The Barbecue Lab's winter of storage; Royal Gourmet's 5-year burner line is marked as its general page; igniter complaints are counted; the Traeger entry adds the Authorized Seller condition and a fire report on Amazon; and The Barbecue Lab's longer warranty listings on griddles we did not read are now named.
- October 2026 (2026-10-30) — Linked the new Backyard School guide on this question.
- 2026-10-30 — Published. We searched the field on 30 October 2026: the best-seller and new-release lists for Propane Grills, Grill Griddles, Griddles and Electric Griddles, five buyer phrasings, seventeen brands, page two, the review-ranked sort and a $300-1,000 price band. Costco, Walmart and Sam's Club read on their own pages; Home Depot and Lowe's refused our read and appear as leads. Ratings, prices, sellers and critical reviews read signed in the same day.
Every Grills, Smokers, and Pizza showdown, by division
Same fight, different budgets. The head rulings first, then each weight class as the price climbs.
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