Most tabletop griddles are a steel plate over two burners and nothing else. The Camp Chef Gridiron Gameday, model FTT25CA42, adds more. It brings a hinged lid, four screw levelers and a griddle top that lifts away. Underneath sits a two-burner stove base for Camp Chef’s 16 inch accessories.
That extra hardware is what the price pays for. Its 24,000 BTU is the same fire many cheaper griddles carry. So the question is plain.
Is the Gameday a better griddle, or a better base wearing a griddle? The answer decides who should pay for it. From here on, the flat top grill review works through it.
24,000 BTUTwo burners, one knob each
425 sq inCamp Chef's plate figure; Amazon prints 240
56 to 100 BTU/sq inDerived, and the plate dispute sets the spread
46 lbsTotal weight, with 26 lbs of it in the griddle top
First Impressions of the Camp Chef Gridiron Gameday
Closed, it looks like a black toolbox with two red-ringed knobs. The lid sits flat over the plate and latches down. A long handle crosses the top, and that handle is the stainless part of the build. It looks built to ride in a truck bed, not to live on a patio.
Under the lid, the steel arrives black. Camp Chef ships it pre-seasoned with plant oils, so the first cook needs no seasoning ritual. A 1 lb propane bottle threads onto a regulator on the right side. A knob turn and a press of the Flamethrower button bring the first burner up.
The weight lands next. Forty-six pounds is a lot for a cooker you set on a table. Twenty-six of those pounds are the griddle top alone. That split is the first clue to what this product really is.
The first cook shows the layout’s logic. Smash burgers go on the side running hot. Buns toast on the side running low.
Drop the lid over sliced cheese and it melts fast. Lift it straight after, because a closed flat top holds steam too.
That steam is worth a moment’s thought. Onions soften rather than char under a shut lid, which suits a sandwich topping. Potatoes and smash patties want it open, so the crust stays dry and crisp.
Key Features of the Camp Chef Gridiron Gameday
The feature list is short. Nearly every item serves travel or setup rather than cooking. That fits the question above. Camp Chef spent its effort on the box around the plate.
- Hinged lid that locks for transport. It shields the plate from wind while you cook. Closed and latched, it becomes the cover, so the plate travels protected.
- Lift-off griddle over a stove base. The 26 lb top comes off to reveal a two-burner base. It takes Camp Chef’s 16 inch two burner accessories, like the Pizza Oven or BBQ Box.
- Two independent burners. Each knob runs its own zone. Patties can blister on the left while eggs idle on the right.
- Flamethrower ignition. Camp Chef describes it as reliable in wind. Stadium lots are rarely still, so this earns its place.
- Adjustable leg levelers. Each foot screws up or down. On gravel or a sloped tailgate, this keeps grease running toward the drain.
- Updated grease drain. Camp Chef redesigned it to cut leaks and keep animals away. At a campsite, that second part is not a joke.
- Pre-seasoned surface. The plate arrives ready to cook. Upkeep starts after the first meal, not before it.
- Stainless steel handle. The lid handle is the one stainless part Amazon names. The frame is alloy steel.
- Carry bag, sold separately. The matching bag is $49.99. It has a zipper pocket for the regulator and a mesh pocket for propane.
Here the question gets its first real test, and the griddle side comes off worse. Camp Chef prints 425 sq in of plate and 24,000 BTU. Spread evenly, that works out near 56 BTU behind every square inch.
For a flat top, that fire is on the gentle side. You feel it most in cold wind or with a full load.
The listing itself disputes the plate size. Amazon’s title and spec table say 240 sq in. On a plate that small, these burners would push 100 BTU into each square inch. Camp Chef’s sheet and its Amazon brand block both say 425.
A body 25 inches wide fits the larger figure. The open-lid photo also shows a broad plate. So expect the gentler number when you cook.
The lid earns back some of that gap. Closed between batches, it holds heat on the steel instead of letting the wind strip it. Two zones also let you run one side hard while the other coasts. The cooking is honest and even, just not fierce.
Build, handling and durability
The build is where the money shows. The lid is a real part rather than a dust cover. It locks shut for the drive.
Four levelers mean the plate sits flat on ground no griddle maker can predict. The frame is alloy steel, and the handle taking the strain is stainless.
Durability is the weak side. The warranty runs one year. The plate is seasoned steel, which rusts if stored wet or left unoiled. The lid helps by keeping rain off between cooks.
It cannot stop moisture trapped inside after a steamy session, though. Prop it open to dry before you latch it.
Handling cuts both ways. At 46 lbs, this is a two-hand carry from car to table. The upside is a top that lifts off, so the load moves in two pieces. A cheaper open griddle weighs less and never needs that trick.
That same lift-off top is the clearest answer to our opening question. A griddle built around its plate would bolt the plate down. This one treats the plate as one tool the base can wear.
Running costs, upkeep and value
Fuel is the steady cost. Two burners on full empty a 1 lb bottle quickly. A full tailgate means a bag of spares.
Camp Chef publishes no runtime, so plan by the bottle rather than the hour. Bigger tanks need an adapter, and the listing does not say one is in the box.
Upkeep is the usual steel-plate routine. Clear the steel with a scraper before it cools, guiding fat toward the drain. Rub in a thin oiling before you latch it down for the ride home. The levelers quietly help here, since a level plate drains where it should.
Value is where the base matters most. Camp Chef sells the Gameday for $249.99 direct. On Amazon it was $279.99 on 2026-10-20, from a third-party seller. That is $30 more for the identical box.
Add the $129.99 stand and the $49.99 bag, and a full setup passes $429. That sum only makes sense if you use the base. With the $239.99 Pizza Oven 16, one burner box covers griddle and pizza nights. Without accessories, you are paying lid money for an ordinary fire.
There is one more cost worth naming. The Amazon offer we saw came from a third-party seller rather than Amazon itself. Check its return terms before ordering, since a 46 lbs griddle is awkward to send back.
Possible Camp Chef Gridiron Gameday Complaints
- Heat runs thin for the plate. Two burners share 24,000 BTU across Camp Chef’s 425 sq in. Full loads and cold wind slow the sear. Preheat with the lid shut, and cook in smaller batches.
- The listing disagrees with the maker. Amazon prints 240 sq in and 58.4 pounds. Camp Chef prints 425 and 46. That makes comparison shopping harder than it should be, so trust Camp Chef’s spec sheet.
