Char-Griller Flat Iron E8217 17" Griddle
The one you can actually carry, if you bring a lighter — A 23-pound, 12,000 BTU griddle. 4.4★ across 128, with about 110 minutes on a bottle at full burn by our arithmetic. The newest critical reviews are nearly all one thing: the igniter
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.
Good
Good is 5.5 to 6.4.
See why it scored 5.6
Contender in the Lightweight division — Tabletop Griddle Showdown 2026: Blackstone 17 vs 22, Weber Slate, and What One Bottle Buys
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Free 30-day refund/replacement · read 2026-10-31
Specs
| Model | E8217 |
| Size | 17 in |
| Burners | 1 |
| BTU | 12,000 |
| Cooking area | 265 sq in |
| Cooktop | Steel, seasoned by you |
| Hood | None |
| Weight | 23 lb |
| Bottle at High | About 110 min (our arithmetic) |
| Fuel path | 1 lb, 16.4 oz bottle |
| Surface rule | Level, stable surface; 10 ft from combustibles |
| Lid rule | No hood |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Cooktop warranty | 1 year |
| Owner rating | 4.4★ / 128 |
| Sold on Amazon by | Amazon.com |
Pros
- At 23 lb it is one of the two lightest griddles here
- About 110 minutes on a 1 lb bottle at full burn by our arithmetic
- Free 30-day returns on the listing, where most griddles here are non-returnable
- The price: about $90 on the day we read it
Cons
- Six of the ten newest critical reviews are about the igniter or lighting it
- Its manual says never preheat on high, and one owner says a pack of sausage and two hash browns took over an hour
- Its manual bars use in or on recreational vehicles, and one RV owner says it would not run on a direct hose
- No hood, and the plate is smaller than a Blackstone 22
An igniter that stops working, leaving a lighter as the plan.
Of the 10 newest of 15 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-31): 6 igniter or hard to light, 1 slow to cook, 1 no RV direct hose, 1 arrived dented, 1 looked used. The histogram puts 11% of 128 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-10-31
“Good flat iron grill for the money. The burner is a little under sized so it struggles a bit if windy but it seasoned up nicely and cooks well in the center of the grill. Perfect for camping, picnics, or small space cooking.”— Doug, Amazon · Verified owner
FAQ
Who is the Char-Griller Flat Iron E8217 17" Griddle for?
You want a griddle one person can carry to a campsite for under $130. Pack a lighter: owners say you will want it.
What do owners say about the Char-Griller Flat Iron E8217 17" Griddle?
4.4★ across 128 owner ratings (Amazon, read 2026-10-31). What owners complain about: An igniter that stops working, leaving a lighter as the plan.
Who sells the Char-Griller Flat Iron E8217 17" Griddle on Amazon, and can it be returned?
Sold and shipped by Amazon, when we read the listing on 2026-10-31. Amazon's returns line read: Free 30-day refund/replacement. Sellers and return terms can change, so check both on the listing before you buy.
What is the warranty on the Char-Griller Flat Iron E8217 17" Griddle?
1 year
Record
- — Added in the tabletop griddle showdown: $89.99, 4.4 across 128, sold by Amazon.com.
Warranty — and what changes if you buy it on Amazon
1 year · you are buying this on Amazon
Read it yourself: Char-Griller warranty document · we read it . Terms change without announcement, so treat this as a dated snapshot. How warranty works by buy path →
✓ Safety: no active recall — No active CPSC recall found (checked 2026-10-31)
Size your pool first → ·All pool gear →
Data last verified: 2026-10-31. Ratings are real, dated reads — never scraped or invented. Full methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.