Nexgrill Daytona 3-Burner Propane Grill
Dimensions: 27 x 17 x 36 inches | Weight: 120 pounds | Total cooking area: 630 square inches | Cooking power: 45,000 BTUs
At $249, this Nexgrill is a total steal. At 45,000 BTUs, it isn’t the most powerful grill you’ll find, but it’s guaranteed to meet the needs of most recreational home chefs. It has three separate burners and 630 square inches of cooking space, offering ample room to cook for a family of four in a single round. And despite its low price, this Nexgrill still provides side and bottom shelves, plus six hooks, giving you ample room for storing grilling essentials. Featuring a four-wheel design, this flat top is easy to move around.
Best Upgrade Flat-Top Grill
A Spacious Model With Loaded With Thoughtful Features
Pit Boss Ultimate Outdoor 5-Burner Gas Griddle
Dimensions: 57 x 26 x 22 inches | Weight: 172 pounds | Total cooking area: 647 square inches | Cooking power: 50,000 BTUs
Featuring five stainless-steel gas burners and 50,000 BTUs, this Pit Boss flat-top grill is a behemoth. It features 647 square inches of cooking space—which is, to put it simply, a lot—plus folding side shelves for prep work and a full steel cabinet for storing tools.
Its size isn’t its only appealing feature, though. Thanks to its porcelain-coated cooking surface, you don’t have to worry about foods sticking, plus cleanup is a cinch. It also offers actually useful additional features, including a paper towel holder and trash bag opener.
Best Combo Flat-Top Grill
A Versatile Model Offering The Best Of Both Worlds
Royal Gourmet Silver 4-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill
Dimensions: 66 x 22 x 36.5 inches | Weight: 82 pounds | Total cooking area: 606 square inches | Cooking power: 48,000 BTUs
Unsure if a traditional or flat-top grill is right for you? This Royal Gourmet version doesn’t make you choose. Featuring four independently controlled burners, this grill offers a 292 square-inch gas grill and 314 square-inch flat-top in the same package, allowing you to simultaneously sear asparagus and char steak. It’s also built to last: The griddle is crafted from ceramic-coated steel to protect against oxidation and extend the life of your grill.
Best Large Flat-Top Grill
An Extra Big Option That Boasts 877 Square Feet Of Cooking Space
Camp Chef 6-Burner Flat Top Grill
Dimensions: 78 x 20.5 x 37 inches | Weight: 160 pounds | Total cooking area: 877 square inches | Cooking power: 72,000 BTUs
Like to cook for the whole neighborhood? This Camp Chef six-burner grill is here to help. It features a whopping 877 square inches of cooking space and 72,000 BTUs spread across six burners—the most of any grills that made our list. It’s also a cinch to use, thanks to its pre-seasoned nonstick surface. Adding to its utility, folding side shelves give you extra prep space when you need it while two massive shelves below the griddle provide ample room for plates and grilling supplies.
Best Compact Flat-Top Grill
A Smaller Pick With A Folding Prep Table
Char-Griller Flat Iron 3-Burner Griddle
Dimensions: 47 x 25 x 37 inches | Weight: 87 pounds | Total cooking area: 520 square inches | Cooking power: 36,000 BTUs
Thanks to its petite frame, the Char-Griller can make your backyard-cooking dreams come true even if your outdoor space is tight. It’s also by no means prohibitively small: The heavy gauge steel cooktop offers 520 square inches of cooking space that’s powered by three independent burners, along with a side prep table with utensil hooks that you can fold away. Simply put, this is one smartly designed flat-top grill. It also features wind guards on its sides to ensure your food stays hot, as well as wheels and a handle that allow you to move the grill around as needed.
Best Portable Flat-Top Grill
A Tabletop Grill That’s Ready For The Road
Captiva Designs Tabletop Griddle
Dimensions: 29 x 12 x 21 inches | Weight: 38 pounds | Total cooking area: 370 square inches | Cooking power: 24,000 BTUs
Take your flat-top cooking on the road with the Captiva Designs Tabletop Griddle, which is perfectly sized for tailgating and camping. While the griddle’s 370 square-inch cooktop isn’t huge, it’s roomy enough to handle a few pancakes or burgers at once. Three stainless steel burners allow you to create cooking different zones, allowing you to tackle different foods at once. At 38 pounds, this grill isn’t the lightest thing to toss into your vehicle, but it’s still small enough for most to move around.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted’s home and kitchen editors bring years and years of experience covering all kinds of home products, including outdoor cooking staples. We’ve rounded up the best indoor grills and kamado grills, for example, and we’ve tested charcoal grills.
- The Forbes Vetted home and kitchen team is made up of three editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin, senior editor Amanda Arnold and editor Sholeen Damarwala.
- The author of this piece, Korin Miller, is a frequent contributor to Forbes Vetted who’s covered gas grills, pellet smokers and other outdoor cooking essentials.
- To aid in her research, Miller consulted five experts who know a thing or two about grills: Alejandro Bonilla, head chef of New York City–based restaurants Tiny’s, Smith & Mills and Yves; Natasha Feldman, chef and author of The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food with Friends; Canadian-based grill masters Maddie and Kiki Longo; and Paul Sidoriak, author of The Flippin’ Awesome Backyard Griddle Cookbook and founder of Grilling Montana, a website dedicated to grilling recipes and guides.
- We regularly update all our stories to ensure we continue to stand by our picks and that everything remains up to date. This piece was last updated in June 2024.
How We Chose The Best Flat-Top Grills
To determine the absolute best flat-top grills you can buy in 2024, we started by consulting five culinary and grill experts for their input on what to look for in these versatile machines. Then, we began on our search.
- We scanned the market to identify top-rated and best-selling flat-top grills from trusted brands like Blackstone, Camp Chef and Char-Griller.
- After noting which models met our standards for quality, we took a closer look at the griddles’ cooking area, BTUs, burners and add-on features.
- Reviews from real users were also factored in to get a sense of how these grills perform in various households, as well as how they hold up over time.
Is A Flat-Top Grill Worth It?
In most cases, yes—but it depends how often you plan on using it. “There are some benefits of choosing a flat versus a regular grill [and] one of the advantages is versatile cooking,” says Alejandro Bonilla, head chef of Tribeca-based restaurants Tiny’s, Smith & Mills and Yves. “People may call them flat top ‘grills,’ but, with the right training and right accessories, these appliances can cook almost any style.” You can also cook more items at once with a flat-top grill, and you even have the option to cook multiple side dishes and protein while entertaining your guests outside rather than running back into the kitchen, he says. That said, if you crave a smoky or charred flavor for your meats and vegetables, it may be better to opt for a traditional grill.
Are Flat-Top Grills Good For Burgers?
There’s certainly some debate here. If you like char-broiled burgers, it’s best to stick with a traditional grill. But experts say flat-top grills are excellent for so-called “smash burgers.” “It depends on the type of burger person you are,” says Natasha Feldman, chef and author of The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food with Friends. “I love a smash burger. I want the patty thin and crispy and cheesy. But, if you’re more of a thick pattied, unhinge-your-jaw-to-fit-the-burger-in-your-mouth kind of person, then I’d stick to the standard grill.” Another perk of using a flat-top for burgers? “They make it easy to get a toasty, buttery bun just before assembling the burger.”
Is There A Difference Between A Flat-Top Grill And A Griddle?
Yes and no, depending on who you’re talking to. “The main difference between flat-top grills and griddles is the way in which the surface is heated,” say Canadian-based grill masters Maddie and Kiki Longo. If you want to get technical, “a flat-top grill is an all-in-one unit where the griddle cooking surface and burners are attached to each other,” Sidoriak says. “A griddle is a flat rectangular piece of metal that sits on top of a grill’s existing grates.” That said, many people use the terms flat-top grill and griddle interchangeably.
