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The 5 Best Outdoor Griddles and Flat Top Grills (2026)
Key takeaways
- An outdoor gas griddle is an essential backyard counterpart to the satisfying direct heat of a high-performing charcoal or wood-fired grill—adding all the versatility of your favorite diner to your sunny-day toolkit.
- My top-rated Traeger Flatrock ($1,000) offers the most even and reliable heat out of any I tested, and it feels like a Cadillac idling in the yard.
- For more outdoor cooking action, check out WIRED's guide to the Best Pizza Ovens, Best Smokeless Firepits, and Best Cast Iron Pans.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Courtesy of Home Depot Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story. A big outdoor griddle can change what summer feels like. And the best flat-top grills can make dinner feel like an event to be proud of. What's a more satisfying sound than the slap of a spatula onto the chopped onions and rib eye meant for a perfect cheesesteak? The blister of corn tortillas cooked in the grease left by hard-seared carne asada? The smash of a burger at a backyard barbecue? The blessed evenness of pancakes cooked on a well-seasoned griddle plate? All you need is a great griddle to set you up for success.
An outdoor gas griddle is an essential backyard counterpart to the satisfying direct heat of a high-performing charcoal or wood-fired grill—adding all the versatility of your favorite diner to your sunny-day toolkit. I've spent months cooking dozens of smashburgers, bacon strips, tacos, and pancakes to find the best outdoor griddle for each kind of backyard cook. Now, I find myself using the griddle more than a classic grill.
My top-rated Traeger Flatrock ($1,000) offers the most even and reliable heat out of any I tested, and it feels like a Cadillac idling in the yard. Meanwhile, the rust-resistant four-burner 36-inch Weber Slate ($1,049) 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. For those keeping it to a tighter budget, my best recommendation is just to downsize your Weber. The compact 28-inch Weber Slate is the best value at $798, edging out lower-cost brands whose durability is less assured.