5 Best Outdoor Grills and Flat Top Grills (2026)

It’s a great outdoors a griddle can change the way summer feels. And top-notch grills can make dinner feel like an event to be proud of. What sound is more satisfying than the slap of a spatula on chopped onions and a rib eye meant for a perfect cheesesteak? A bubble of corn tortillas cooked in the oil left behind by hard-burnt carne asada? A burger smash at a backyard grill? The blessed balance of pancakes cooked on a well-seasoned griddle plate? All you need is a good griddle to set up success.

An outdoor gas griddle is an essential backyard companion to the direct heat of a high-performance charcoal or wood-burning grill—adding all the versatility of your favorite dish to your hot day tool kit. I spent months cooking dozens of smashburgers, bacon strips, tacos, and pancakes to find the best outdoor griddle for each type of backyard cookout. Now, I find myself using the griddle more than the classic grill.

My top-of-the-line Traeger Flatrock ($1,000) delivers the most consistent heat and reliability of any I’ve tested, and it sounds like a Cadillac idle in the yard. Meanwhile, the rust-resistant 36-inch Weber Slate ($1,049) offers a spacious cooking surface, an easy seasoning process, and plenty of great features to turn the grill-top into a real workhorse. For those on a tight budget, my best recommendation is to downgrade your Weber. The compact 28-inch Weber Slate is the best value at $798, beating out less expensive brands whose durability is less assured.

For more outdoor cooking, check out WIRED’s guide to the Best Pizza Ovens, Best Smoked Fireplaces, and Best Cast Iron Pans.

Updated May 2026: I’ve added a 28-inch Weber Slate, a Solo Stove Stainless Griddle, and a 22-inch Weber Slate portable griddle. I’ve moved the LoCo 36-inch grid to decent pitch. I’ve also added context and updates to the griddle’s performance over time and ensured the links and prices are up to date.

Included in this article

Best Grid Overall

Traeger Flatrock 33-inch 3-Zone Griddle

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Best Value Grid and Features

Weber Slate Rust-Resistant Grid

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The Best Portable Grid

Stainless Steel Portable Grid

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The Best Grill for an Air Fryer

Blackstone Iron Forged 36” Griddle Airfryer Combo

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Best Grid Overall

I grew up in Oregon, where Traeger was also born. Even after the company was sold and moved to Utah, the Traeger grill or backyard smoker has remained a source of both desire and pride for those who raised it—a sign that you’re living well and doing RIGHT. This sturdy three-zone Flatrock griddle lends a similar vibe.

The constant enemy of flat-top grills is uneven heat, a byproduct of the amount of thermal energy required to heat thick metal or metal plates. This Traeger, like any flat-top grill I’ve tried, is designed to provide surprisingly even heat distribution despite the size of its burner. The secret is three U-shaped burners that double the heat sources under thermally conductive, thick carbon steel. Flatrock also provides tight temperature control between zones and superior ventilation above and below the burners. In all the years I’ve been cooking, I’ve never had a flare-up. There isn’t even a hot spot, with less than a 20-degree variation across the cooking area. This means, easy seasoning on the grill to cook beautiful brown pancakes; burgers are cooked the same way all over the world; and easy heat control between vegetables, meat, buns, tortillas.

The Flatrock is large, solidly built, and it doesn’t budge or falter. It holds fast with advertisers locked on its wheels. If you keep it plugged in, a handy extra feature lets you check the fill status of your propane tank. It doesn’t get too hot (it clocks in at just under 600 degrees Fahrenheit), which isn’t bad if you’re trying to get a super quick grill on a smashburger, but the temperature remains stable enough to get a decent grill on a fish or steak.