The Best Outdoor Gas Griddles: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Blackstone 28-inch Griddle with Air Fryer (Airfryer Combo)

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The Blackstone 28-inch with Air Fryer is the most versatile pick for most homes, blending searing power, an air fryer, and wide accessory support. The Camp Chef Gridiron 36 is the runner-up and the choice for anyone who hosts, thanks to its large four-burner cooktop.

A good outdoor gas griddle turns a patio into a diner: smash burgers, breakfast for a crowd, fried rice, and searing all on one flat surface. But cooktops span a tiny carry-anywhere tabletop to a four-burner beast, and the ones worth buying separate themselves on even heat, honest grease management, and a surface that holds up outdoors. We synthesized owner reports and the makers' own pages; two models stood out, one is a smart pick only for the right buyer, and one large griddle is better left on the shelf.

RBE top pick

Blackstone

Blackstone 28-inch Griddle with Air Fryer (Airfryer Combo)

Buy it

The most versatile all-rounder here, pairing a roomy two-zone griddle top with a built-in air fryer drawer and wide accessory support.

Best for: Most households that want one do-everything griddle with searing power, air-frying, and the easiest path to accessories.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• A 28-inch griddle top that Blackstone says can cook 25 burgers or 15 pancakes at once
• Built-in 4-quart air fryer drawer (plus a 4-quart warming drawer) adds fries and nuggets without a second appliance
• Flat-top steel griddle that owners season for searing
• Owners report easy-to-find covers, hoods, and accessories

Know before buying

• Bare steel needs seasoning and must be oiled and covered or it can rust
• Air fryer cavity adds cleaning and a slightly bulkier cabinet
• Maker's page shows it backordered, so stock may be limited

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Camp Chef

Camp Chef Gridiron 36

Buy it

A large four-burner on wheels with foldable side shelves for cooks who host.

Best for: Entertainers and big families who want maximum, evenly heated cooking area and a step up in build quality.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Four control knobs for separate heat zones, so you can sear on one side and hold warm on the other
• Foldable side shelves and wheels
• Grease trough included for easier cleanup
• Owner reports praise its build and heat evenness

Know before buying

• Premium price and a large, heavy footprint that needs dedicated patio space
• Bare steel needs seasoning and rust care
• Camp Chef lists it as available only through local dealers and sold out online
• Overkill for small households or anyone short on storage room

Amazon had no buyable listing for this when we last checked. The link still works if it returns.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Pit Boss

Pit Boss 2-Burner Tabletop Griddle

It depends

A cheap, genuinely portable two-burner you can carry to a campsite or tailgate, as long as you accept its small surface.

Best for: Campers, tailgaters, and small-space cooks who prioritize portability and price over cooking area.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Compact at 265 square inches and 23.1 lb assembled, easy to carry and store
• Two separately controlled burners (18,000 BTU) give real two-zone cooking for the size
• Push-and-turn ignition, no lighter needed
• Custom-fit cover included
• Low price makes it an easy entry point or a second griddle for travel

Know before buying

• Small surface fills up quickly and is tight for cooking a full family meal at once
• No side shelves listed, so prep space is on you
• Griddle surface is 3 mm thick; check the care instructions for seasoning
• Owner reports note it is more wind-sensitive than larger griddles

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Pit Boss

Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle

Skip it

Feature-packed on paper with a lift-off cooktop and front grease trap, but owner reports of uneven heat and less-refined build keep it behind the leaders.

Best for: Bargain hunters set on Pit Boss features; most buyers are better served by the Blackstone or Camp Chef.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Large 647 square inches over four burners (46,000 BTU)
• Lift-off cooktop detaches to double as a portable tabletop griddle
• Removable front-side grease trap is convenient to empty and clean
• Folding side shelves with built-in tool hooks and a solid bottom shelf

Know before buying

• Owner reports more frequently cite uneven heating and cold spots across the four zones than on the leaders
• Extra seams from the lift-off design add spots for grease to collect and clean
• Build and fit-and-finish are noted as less refined than similarly priced rivals
• Pit Boss lists a non-stick armored ceramic surface, so it is not a bare-steel griddle like the others

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We did not run our own lab. Instead we synthesized owner reports with the makers’ own pages, and the same priorities surfaced again and again for outdoor flat-top gas griddles. We weighted the things that actually decide whether you keep using a griddle: how evenly the plate heats across its whole surface, how much usable cooking area you get for the size, how well the surface seasons or resists rust, and how sane the grease management is in daily cleanup. We also looked at the practical stuff owners raise constantly, such as lid and side-table utility, storage, ignition reliability, and how portable the unit really is. Where sources disagreed we say so rather than smoothing it over. Note that the surfaces differ: the Pit Boss Ultimate lists a non-stick armored ceramic top, so follow each maker’s care instructions.

This is the do-everything pick. Its 28-inch top, which Blackstone says can cook 25 burgers or 15 pancakes at once, gives you room for a family. Owners report that the steel seasons into a dark, slick surface that suits smash burgers. The built-in air fryer drawer is the differentiator here: you can crisp fries or nuggets in the 4-quart drawer while the top handles pancakes and eggs, no second appliance required. A 4-quart warming drawer is included too, and owners report easy-to-find covers, hoods, and accessories. The caveats are the ones common to bare-steel griddles, plus the air fryer cavity adds a little cleaning, and Blackstone’s page currently shows it backordered. For most households it is the best balance of versatility, searing power, and long-term support.

When you cook for a crowd, area and evenness win, and the Gridiron 36 delivers both. Four control knobs give you separate heat zones to sear on one end and hold food warm on the other during a big cook. Camp Chef’s page lists foldable side shelves, wheels, a grease trough and a 134 lb weight. The trade-offs are weight and footprint, and Camp Chef says it is sold only through local dealers and shows it sold out online. If you host often or feed a large family, it is worth the step up.

This one earns its place only for the right buyer. At 265 square inches it is small, but it is genuinely portable: at 23.1 lb assembled it is easy to carry to a campsite, tailgate, or balcony, with two separately controlled burners (18,000 BTU). It has push-and-turn ignition and comes with a custom-fit cover, and the low price makes it an easy first griddle or a travel companion to a bigger one at home. The downsides are the flip side of portability. The surface fills up fast and is tight for a full family meal, the page lists no side shelves for prep, and owner reports note it is more wind-sensitive than larger models. Buy it for portability and price; look elsewhere if you want to cook for a group.

On paper this is the value large griddle: 647 square inches over four burners (46,000 BTU), a removable front-side grease trap, folding side shelves with built-in tool hooks, and a headline lift-off cooktop that detaches to become a portable tabletop griddle. In practice, the recurring theme in owner reports is uneven heating and cold spots across the four zones, which is the one thing a griddle most needs to get right. The lift-off design also adds seams where grease may collect, and owners describe the fit-and-finish as less refined than similarly priced rivals. None of that is disastrous, and bargain hunters committed to the feature set can make it work. But the clever cooktop trick is not enough to outweigh the uneven-heat reports. Note that Pit Boss lists a non-stick armored ceramic surface rather than bare steel. Most buyers are better served by the Blackstone or the Camp Chef.

Blackstone 28-inch Griddle with Air Fryer vs Camp Chef Gridiron 36: which should you buy?

These are our two winners, and the choice comes down to how you cook. Choose the Blackstone 28-inch with Air Fryer if you want the most versatile single griddle: two strong heat zones cover everyday family cooking, the built-in air fryer adds a whole second cooking mode, and owners report easy-to-find accessories, at a friendlier price. Choose the Camp Chef Gridiron 36 if you regularly host: its four control knobs give you more heat zones and it is a larger cart. Check local dealer availability, since Camp Chef shows it sold out online. In short, the Blackstone is the smarter buy for most homes and for value, while the Camp Chef is the one to get if crowd-sized capacity and even heat matter more than price or footprint.

What to look for

• Cooking area and burners: match surface to how many people you feed, and remember more burners means more independent heat zones for searing and holding at the same time.
• Even heating: a thicker plate generally evens out temperature, so it is worth prioritizing over a slightly larger but thinner top.
• Seasoning and rust: bare-steel griddles need seasoning and a cover; a well-seasoned plate becomes more nonstick and rust-resistant, so budget the time to build that coating.
• Grease management: check where the grease drains and how easy the trap or cup is to empty, since a poorly placed or undersized system overflows and makes cleanup miserable.
• Lid and side tables: a lid protects the surface, and side shelves give you prep and landing space.
• Portability versus footprint: a light tabletop travels but cooks small, while a four-burner cart needs dedicated patio space and is not something you carry.

Our final take

For the widest range of patios the Blackstone 28-inch Griddle with Air Fryer is our pick: a 28-inch top, a useful air fryer drawer, and wide accessory support. The Camp Chef Gridiron 36 is the runner-up and the clear choice for anyone who entertains, with a large four-burner cart on wheels. The Pit Boss 2-Burner Tabletop is a cheap grab-and-go only if portability outranks cooking area for you. And we would skip the Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off: the lift-off cooktop is a neat idea, but uneven-heating reports and a less-refined build leave it behind the leaders. Best for most people: buy the Blackstone for value and versatility, or the Camp Chef to cook for a crowd.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Blackstone 28-inch Griddle with Air Fryer (Airfryer Combo) vs Camp Chef Gridiron 36.

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