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Best Griddles and Flat Top Grills of 2026

Outdoor flat tops, griddle stations and electric griddles.

David Green
By David Green, Managing Editor
Updated October 20, 2026

A flat top cooks a whole breakfast at once, and smash burgers on one are hard to beat.

In our griddle reviews, even heat across the plate matters most. So does a grease system that is easy to empty.

Season it well at the start and a good griddle only gets better the more you use it.

We tested 27 griddles for this guide. Most of them do well on how easy they are to use. Where most fall short is how long they last, so that is where the picks below stand apart.

Our picks

  1. Best overall Nexgrill Daytona 4-burner griddle on wet gravel, lid closed, four red knobs on a stainless panel between black shelves Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Flat Top Griddle Sixty thousand published BTU under 756 square inches, split across four burners that each light on their own. $399.77 at Amazon
  2. Best griddle for the money Black Char-Griller Flat Iron four-burner gas griddle on its cart, both side tables out, bare steel plate, on a timber deck Char-Griller Flat Iron 4-Burner Gas Griddle Around $349.00 buys 775 square inches and 60,000 BTU, where the 3-Burner asks $349.99 for 520 and 36,000. $349 at Amazon
  3. Best griddle for smash burgers Char-Broil 22-inch tabletop gas griddle on a rock outdoors, black body, two control knobs, mountains behind Char-Broil Performance 22 Tabletop Griddle Two burners and 24,000 BTU over 350 square inches is a dense fire for a tabletop, though nothing reads it back. $107.99 at Amazon
  4. Best griddle for beginners Black Traeger Irontop 4-burner griddle on wet gravel, lid closed, four control knobs and both side shelves out Traeger Irontop 4-Burner Griddle A full-size patio griddle wanting no outlet, no battery and no app; piezo ignition and a single bucket to empty. Check price at Amazon
  5. Best electric griddle Hamilton Beach 38546MN with steak, shrimp and asparagus on its ridged half and quesadillas on the smooth half Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill/Griddle Two dials, two READY lamps, zero assembly, and plates that come out by thumb pressure. $55.96 at Amazon
  6. Best built-in griddle Broilmaster stainless griddle head on a weathered deck, bare flat plate with rear backsplash, two round front knobs Broilmaster B-Series 32-Inch Built-In Gas Griddle Cooking surface, lid, control panel and drip tray are each fully welded 304 stainless, a better build than any bolted griddle offers. $1,829 at Amazon
  7. Best griddle for camping Blackstone 22-inch tabletop griddle on a wooden deck at sunset, stainless front plate and two control knobs, seen from the front left Blackstone 22-Inch Tabletop Griddle Two H burners give this plate far more fire per square inch than the 17-inch model, on every published pairing. $178.99 at Amazon
  8. Best griddle under $300 Blackstone 1517 28 inch griddle with its side shelf out, on a timber deck beside a house Blackstone 28 Griddle Cooking Station At $249.99 it costs less per square inch of plate than the $399.00 36 inch from the same chart. $249.99 at Amazon
  9. Best griddle under $500 Black Char-Griller 3-burner flat top on a mown lawn, lid raised over bare steel plate, three knobs, shelf folded out Char-Griller Flat Iron 3-Burner Gas Griddle A full hinged lid, three wind guards and leg levelers on an 86.2 lb frame, which Char-Griller's own product name undersells. $309.95 at Amazon

Prices are what the retailer charged when we last checked. More on each pick below.

Best griddle overallNexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Flat Top Griddle

Nexgrill Daytona 4-burner griddle on wet gravel, lid closed, four red knobs on a stainless panel between black shelves

The Daytona 720-1058 puts a lot of fire under a lot of steel. Four burners that light alone turn the fourth knob into a holding area. That is the only one this griddle has, and it is enough.

Good to know: Nexgrill prints no warranty term on this product page, and the bare plate rusts wherever the seasoning lapses.

$399.77 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 8.4 out of 10.

Best griddle for the moneyChar-Griller Flat Iron 4-Burner Gas Griddle

Black Char-Griller Flat Iron four-burner gas griddle on its cart, both side tables out, bare steel plate, on a timber deck

The fourth burner is this line's first that adds fire, not just splits it. Around $349.00 buys more plate and more output than Char-Griller's own $549.99 griddle does. Then the same company declines to insure the one surface that rusts.

Why it won this award: Around $349.00 buys 775 square inches and 60,000 BTU, where the 3-Burner asks $349.99 for 520 and 36,000.

Good to know: The maker's warranty page lists four covered categories and griddles is not among them, then excludes surface rust in capitals.

$349 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 7.9 out of 10.

Best griddle for smash burgersChar-Broil Performance 22 Tabletop Griddle

Char-Broil 22-inch tabletop gas griddle on a rock outdoors, black body, two control knobs, mountains behind

The Performance Series 22 puts a full-size plate and a serious fire on a tabletop. The weak link is neither the steel nor the burners. It is the bottle hanging off the side. Buy the griddle, then buy cylinders in quantity.

Why it won this award: Two burners and 24,000 BTU over 350 square inches is a dense fire for a tabletop, though nothing reads it back.

Good to know: Two years covers every part equally, and the bare steel plate rusts the moment one wet weekend is forgotten.

$107.99 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 8.3 out of 10.

Best griddle for beginnersTraeger Irontop 4-Burner Griddle

Black Traeger Irontop 4-burner griddle on wet gravel, lid closed, four control knobs and both side shelves out

Buy the Irontop if the whole plate usually does one job at once. Traeger engineered this griddle around evenness. Evenness is precisely what a zone cook has to give up. Four burners here, and still only one griddle.

Why it won this award: A full-size patio griddle wanting no outlet, no battery and no app; piezo ignition and a single bucket to empty.

Good to know: The coating softens the seasoning chore, but Traeger names the Flatrock's cleaning system as its advantage and Irontop gets a plain bucket.

Check price at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 8.4 out of 10.

Best electric griddleHamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill/Griddle

Hamilton Beach 38546MN with steak, shrimp and asparagus on its ridged half and quesadillas on the smooth half

The plates flip. The heat does not. Both faces run off one thermostat that stops at 425°F. Buy it as an outstanding two-zone indoor griddle that also draws lines on food.

Good to know: The ceramic coating is the clock on this appliance, and no warranty term is published on the listing.

$55.96 at Amazon Read the full review

Electric griddle. Avid Griller Score 7.7 out of 10.

Best built-in griddleBroilmaster B-Series 32-Inch Built-In Gas Griddle

Broilmaster stainless griddle head on a weathered deck, bare flat plate with rear backsplash, two round front knobs

Broilmaster answered a griddle's failure points by welding most of them out of existence. Give it a gas line, a power run, and an installer who stands behind the work. Do that, and the plate stops being something you maintain.

Good to know: The dealer figure buys a bare head; enclosure, sleeve, gas line and electrical run are all separate.

$1,829 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 8.3 out of 10.

Best griddle for campingBlackstone 22-Inch Tabletop Griddle

Blackstone 22-inch tabletop griddle on a wooden deck at sunset, stainless front plate and two control knobs, seen from the front left

Buy the 1666 if a burger rush or breakfast for a crowd is the point. Price the bottle, the hose and a lid in before you compare it to anything. Blackstone doubled the fire on this griddle and left the fuel path in the accessories aisle.

Good to know: Bare carbon steel rusts the moment seasoning lapses, and the warranty reads one year on the brand site, ninety days in the manual.

$178.99 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 7.8 out of 10.

Best griddle under $300Blackstone 28 Griddle Cooking Station

Blackstone 1517 28 inch griddle with its side shelf out, on a timber deck beside a house

The 1517 trims the 36 inch by a third. It keeps the part that matters, the steel. Gone are a third of the plate, a shelf, two burners and half the wheels. If you feed four to six people, you will not miss any of them.

Good to know: One year of warranty on a bare steel plate that rusts when neglected, and Blackstone itself now lists the 1517 as unavailable.

$249.99 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 7.9 out of 10.

Best griddle under $500Char-Griller Flat Iron 3-Burner Gas Griddle

Black Char-Griller 3-burner flat top on a mown lawn, lid raised over bare steel plate, three knobs, shelf folded out

Buy the E8428 for the third knob. That is honestly what the extra money buys. It is a well-guarded, well-lidded plate. The warranty reads as though Char-Griller wrote it for something else.

Good to know: One year on defective parts, rust excluded outright, while the same maker gives its grill bodies five years against rust-through.

$309.95 at Amazon Read the full review

Gas griddle. Avid Griller Score 7.8 out of 10.

Questions people ask

What is the best griddle?

Our top pick is the Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Flat Top Griddle. The Daytona 720-1058 puts a lot of fire under a lot of steel. Four burners that light alone turn the fourth knob into a holding area.

What is the best value griddle?

The Char-Griller Flat Iron 4-Burner Gas Griddle. Around $349.00 buys 775 square inches and 60,000 BTU, where the 3-Burner asks $349.99 for 520 and 36,000.

How much should I spend on a griddle?

Most of the griddles we tested cost between $200 and $850. Our top pick costs about $400. Across all our scores, paying more buys a little, and much less than the price tag suggests.

Which brand makes the best griddles?

Of the brands we tested at least twice here, Traeger did best across its 2 models, ahead of Nexgrill. A single great model matters more than the badge, so judge each griddle on its own.

How do you season a griddle for the first time?

Wash off the factory coating, dry it and heat the plate. Wipe on a very thin layer of high smoke point oil. Let it smoke until it stops, then repeat several times. The surface turns dark and slick.

How do you clean a griddle after cooking?

Scrape it while it is still warm. A splash of water helps lift stuck bits as it steams. Wipe it dry, then rub on a thin coat of oil. That protects the steel from rust until next time.

How do you fix rust on a griddle?

Scrub the rust off with steel wool or a griddle stone until you see bare metal. Wipe away the dust. Then season it again with thin coats of oil. Keeping it oiled and covered stops the rust coming back.

Is a griddle or a grill better for burgers?

Both make a great burger, just different ones. A griddle gives a crisp crust across the whole patty and is ideal for smash burgers. A grill gives char marks and a little smoke. Many people end up owning both.

How we picked

Every pick comes from our own testing, scored the same way across six things that matter to an owner. The overall pick is the highest Avid Griller Score. For the money, for smash burgers and for beginners go to the top Value, Heat Performance and Ease of Use scores. Electric, built-in and camping are the top scorer of that kind, and the price picks the top scorer under $300 or $500 at the retailer we checked. How we score.

Looking for something else? See all our best grill guides.