Best Outdoor Griddles (2026)

The 1883 is the sort of griddle a typical backyard can absorb: a 28 inch plate on a cart with counter height side shelves and a hood that closes over the cooking surface. The Omnivore plate carries built-in wind guards, which is not decoration, because breezes pull heat off an open plate and make burners work harder.

The hood is the main difference from the 1517 in the same size class. It protects the seasoning between cooks and lets you melt cheese or steam a pile of vegetables, so the 1883 earns its place as the one to buy when the yard is exposed.

You still need to treat it as bare steel. After each cook scrape hot, wipe and oil, and put a soft cover over it in wet months. It will not sear like a thick restaurant plate, but for family breakfasts and weeknight dinners it is a calm, predictable machine that does not demand upkeep beyond the standard routine. One practical note on the 1883: because it sits taller than a bare tabletop unit, the hood stores upright and the whole cart wants about a metre of clear space on each side when you open it. Plan for that before you pick a spot beside a fence or a wall.

This is the cooking core of the 1883 without the hood. The listing gives 517 square inches of plate, a rear grease management system and the same Omnivore plate with wind guards. Because grease exits at the rear, the front of the griddle stays clear for you and the plate is easier to scrape.

The compromise is exposure. With no hood the steel sits open to rain, bird droppings and falling leaves, so a cover is not optional and an oil coat after every use becomes more important. You also lose the ability to steam or melt under a lid.

For someone who stores the griddle in a garage between cooks, that loss is minor. Compared with the 1883, you save money and a little weight but accept more discipline around covers. If you want a three-season griddle on a covered porch, this one is enough. Think of it as the honest, uncomplicated option in the 28 inch family: fewer parts than the hooded 1883, so fewer things to lose or break, but more responsibility on you to protect the steel.

The 2322 steps up to a 36 inch plate and four independently controlled burners. That layout lets you run a hot sear zone, a medium zone and a warming zone at once, which is how a big family cooks fajitas or breakfast for six without everything cooling together.

It shares the 1883's hood and plate design, so the difference is scale. Scale brings weight and a larger cover bill, and the cart will not fit tight patios. Against the 1883, the 2322 gives roughly a third more width for a much bigger footprint and fuel appetite.

Expect the same ownership routine: scrape, wipe, oil, cover. If you regularly cook for six or more outdoors, the zones pay off. If not, the 28 inch units leave you less to cover and less to refill. If you already own a 28 inch Blackstone, the 2322 is a lateral upgrade in capacity rather than a new cooking style, so the learning curve is almost nil.

This is a station style griddle: four independent burners totalling 60,000 BTU under a 36 inch steel plate, held up by foldable legs and finished with a grease pan. It is the classic Blackstone layout, built for tailgates and big yard cooks alike.

Foldable legs make it easier to store than a fixed cart, though they flex more under a loaded plate than a welded frame. There is no hood in this version, so covers and oiling are doubly important outdoors.

Against the hooded 2322, this saves money and weight but gives up weather protection. A buyer who cooks large batches and stores the unit in a shed will like it, while a buyer with an exposed porch should lean toward the hooded models. Before you buy, measure the fold height of the legs against the shelf or corner where it will live, because a folded 36 inch frame is still a long object to stand against a wall.

The GB6000 is the widest outdoor griddle in this guide, and its distinction is a ceramic coated plate that the listing describes as scratch and rust resistant. That matters outdoors where moisture is constant, because a coating cuts the seasoning chores that bare steel demands.

Coatings are not forever. Metal spatulas and aggressive scraping can chip them, and a chip becomes a spot where steel can rust. Use a flat plastic or coated scraper to preserve the finish.

At six burners and 44 inches, this is a fixture, not a gadget. Pick it for a permanent outdoor kitchen corner and for hosts who feed ten or more. For smaller households the 28 inch Blackstones offer the same cooking idea in a size you can live with. Keep a plain spatula with a rounded edge in the tool kit, since the coating is the feature you are paying for and the first thing a careless scrape will damage.

The PD3001 is the small footprint answer: a 23 inch plate with 314 square inches, three burners and a collapsible stand with a side table. The listing says it fits up to eight burgers at once, which is realistic for a family of four.

Because the plate is small, the three burners give you less zone separation than the 36 inch units, but still a hot end and a cool end. The collapsible stand makes storage easy, with the usual caveat that folding legs wobble more than a fixed cart.

Against the 28 inch Blackstones, it is lighter and cheaper to cover, yet it will crowd you when you cook for more than four. For balcony-sized spaces where propane is allowed, it is the one to consider. It is also the easiest machine here to lift onto a table when you prefer a counter-height cook, though you should confirm the table can bear the weight and tolerates heat underneath.