The Best Camping Griddles: Portable Flat Top Grills

We’re going to look at some of the best camping griddle (ie. portable flat top grills) that are available today. Whether it be propane run or cast iron that can be placed on your gas grill, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Traditionally, barbecues and grills have been the go to camp kitchen equipment for cooking up burgers, sausages and steaks while hitting the weekend campground. And while they definitely still have their place, the drawback is that they are often heavy and leave quite a mess. Grease drips down through the grill grates and onto the burners, causing flare-ups and grease spray that can be a pain to clean before packing it up in the car.

The good thing about a camping griddle is that you never have to worry about grease splashing on the burners, plus you get a massive flat top grill surface for cooking with no wasted space.

A camping griddle is the perfect tool for cooking up big breakfasts of pancakes, eggs and bacon every morning while out on a trip. Aside from that though, they are also great for cooking burgers, frying up vegetables and even making your favorite quesadillas and burritos for dinnertime. There really isn’t anything that can’t be cooked up on a portable flat top grill. 

However, it’s often difficult to tell what the real differences are between different options. What actually makes the best camping griddle? What separates the very best griddles from the fly-by-night companies you often find on Amazon? Well, you should definitely look at a few things like cooking surface size, the portability of the camping griddle and what type of fuel it uses.  Here are a few of the best camping griddles on the market today:

Blackstone Tabletop Grill

If you’re going to talk about portable flat top grills, then the Blackstone name is sure to come up quickly. That’s because Blackstone griddles are one of the top performers in the camping griddle world.

This reputation has made the  Blackstone Tabletop Griddle one of the most popular options in the world for portable camping griddles and with plenty of good reasons. 

Blackstone has built a name for itself due to excellent quality and affordable prices. There are two main products that Blackstone makes which are geared to camping trips. They are the 17 inch Blackstone Tabletop Grill and the 22 inch Tabletop Grill.  

17 inch Blackstone Griddle

The 17 inch Blackstone flat top grill is the smaller of the two table top options which are made specifically with campers and tailgaters in mind. This single burner camping griddle is perfect for a day at the beach or a camping trip for a couple. 

The smaller size makes it more portable and takes up less table space at the campsite. With a grilling surface of 260 square inches (15” x 17”) you’ll have enough room to cook up around 9 hamburgers for dinner. That’s enough space to fry up plenty of bacon and eggs for breakfast as well. The grease drains to a hole in the front of the griddle and is captured by the easy to remove and clean grease tray. 

This is the perfect camping griddle for a couple of people or even a small family.

22 inch Blackstone Griddle

If you have a larger family and need a little more space, then the 22 inch version of the Blackstone Griddle will be the right choice for you. It comes equipped with a two burner system which puts out 24,000 BTU’s of heat so you can cook anything you like. 

This model is obviously larger and offers 361 square inches of flat top grilling space. With the extra width on the 22 inch griddle you can get a total of around 12 burgers cooking up at one time. One of the features that I really like about this portable griddle is that the cooking surface overhangs the body of the unit quite a bit. The reason I find this to be so great is that it doesn’t allow grease to drip down or splash onto the body of the grill so there is less mess and cleanup.

Blackstone Griddles important features

Both models come ready to use with an electric igniter and use 1 pound propane cylinders for fuel. The griddle top is easily removable and for storage can be flipped upside down and placed on top of the griddle body so you never have to worry about damaging the surface.

You can also opt for the hooded cover so you can close the griddle when not in use or to retain the heat and keep flies away while cooking. 

Blackstone camping griddle grills are made from top quality products that won’t easily rust and will last for years and years with a little care. You can count on even heat distribution across this grilling surface thanks to the stainless steel “H” style burners. Finally, cleanup is made easy as the grease is directed to the front swale and drip pan which is easy to remove, dump and wipe clean.

Another neat thing about Blackstone is that they make all sorts of gear that fits with their grills and griddles. There are lots of portable stands and other gear to choose from which makes for easy Christmas and Father’s Day gifts.

All of this adds up to the Blackstone Griddle series being our favorite and best portable camping griddle to take out on a camping trip.

Royal Gourmet PD1300 Portable 3-Burner Propane Gas Griddle

The Royal Gourmet 3 burner portable camping griddle is possibly the top model for versatility. It has three independently controlled burners so you can use only what you need. That is an important feature to have in order to conserve fuel. There is no use in having fuel burning to all three burners if you really only need one going. 

You can also regulate different temperatures on different burners when cooking multiple foods. You might be cooking burgers on one and frying onions on another at a lower heat.

This is a large unit at 25 inches by 18 inches and can hold around 15 burgers at any one time. That is a lot of cooking space and is geared more toward a large family or possibly an RV camper with ample storage space. At 30 pounds, it is also quite heavy and you will definitely want to have a sturdy table to place it on top of.

The ceramic enamel griddle surface is super easy to clean and can be wiped away with a paper towel. It also does not need to be seasoned since the enamel surface is non-stick. Just be careful not to scratch the enamel away when cooking and cleaning. All-in-all, I’m a big fan of this product. If you need a lot of space, then this is the best camping griddle grill you will find that is still plenty portable.

Camp Chef Versatop Portable Flat Top Grill

The Camp Chef Versatop portable flat top grill is a nice, compact unit perfect for a camping couple. Its single burner and 247 square inches of flat top cooking surface make it the ideal portable camping griddle. It can be placed on a small table and adjusted with the built in leg levelers. Camp Chef makes really good cooking products, so there’s no question that this is a quality product for anyone needing something small.

Camp Chef Versatop 2X Griddle

The Camp Chef Versatop 2X griddle has been designed with versatility in mind and is really well-built so you can rest assured that it will be long lasting. While the extra burner and bigger size gives more room for cooking, the really cool thing about this unit is that the flat top can be swapped out with a grill box so you can cook chicken breasts or anything that you like that flame broiled taste on. You can even add a special pizza oven attachment to the top. Your kids will love you for cooking up a camp pizza.

The diffusion plate underneath helps to provide even heat distribution throughout the entire surface of the flat top griddle so even the edges will have a similar temperature to the middle, where the burners are located. Again, this is really important if you’re using the pizza oven which absolutely needs even heat distribution.

The grease drain is positioned at the front of the griddle and runs along the entire front to a hole in the corner of the unit. This ensures that all grease flows to the grease trap so there is no mess left behind.

Pit Boss PB336GS 2 Burner Table Top Camping Griddle

The Pit Boss 2 Burner table top camping griddle comes preseasoned and ready to cook on. With 289 square inches of flat top cooking surface you have enough room to cook up a big dinner or plenty of pancakes and french toast for breakfast.   

The sleek, rectangular design of this product makes it easy to pack in the car for a camping trip or day away. One thing to note is that the burners are straight style rather than “H” style like some of the other models. 

Cuisinart CGG-501 Gourmet 2 Burner Portable Griddle

The Cuisinart CGG-501 Gourmet 2 burner portable griddle is the best camping griddle for portability. Its square design makes it easy to pack away when moving from the house to the campsite. I also really like its simple design with minimal nooks and cranny’s. The smooth surfaces and slight overhang of the griddle make grease splash cleanups easy when they do occur.

This camping griddle also comes with a hose that can connect to 20-pound propane tanks so you don’t have to worry about switching out 1-pound cylinders. The Cuisinart is the perfect size for setting on a camping table with some room to spare.

Char Broil 22 inch Table Top Gas Griddle

If you want something that is really easy to clean and looks slick, then the Char-Broil 2 burner portable camping griddle is made for you. The stainless steel housing wipes off with a damp cloth or paper towel. The side grease tray locks in place so you never have to worry about it slipping out.

This quality piece of camp kitchen equipment does come at a price though as it is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum.

Cast Iron Camping Griddle

If you’ve got a propane or butane camping stove already, you might not want to spend the extra money on a new portable flat top grill. However, having the large surface to cook on is so nice when you’re making breakfast or dinner for a bunch of people. In that case, purchasing a cast iron camping griddle that can sit on top of your current camping stove might be the better option. 

Here are a few good ones that you can choose from.

Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill/Griddle

Size:16.75” x 9.5”

Weight: 8 lbs

Material: Cast Iron

Grease Gutter: Yes

What I like about this cast iron griddle: This portable camping griddle made by Lodge, known as a trusted cast iron company that’s been in business for over 120 years, is reversible and fits over a 2 burner camping stove like the Coleman Triton Series.This griddle gives you a flat surface on one side for making pancakes and smash burgers, and a ridged side for making bacon and searing steaks. 

The design has been well thought out to maximize cooking surface and has a grease gutter on the ridged side so the grease can drain for easy disposal.

It comes seasoned with a vegetable oil so you can use it out of the box, although I think it’s still a good idea to heat it up and season it once or twice before taking it out on a camping trip.

Lodge LSRG3 Cast Iron Single Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle

Size:15.18” x 10.68”

Weight: 7 lbs

Material: Cast Iron

Grease Gutter: Yes

What I like about this cast iron griddle: This griddle has all of the same quality and components that I like about the Lodge Double Play Reversible Griddle except that this one is designed specifically for a single burner camp stove. It is a little lighter than the double burner version and fits over most single burner camp stoves.

There is a gap between the ridges and outer edge of the griddle which allows grease to flow through and the raised handles make it easy to remove the griddle from the stove. 

Coleman HyperFlame Swaptop Cast Iron Griddle

Size:23.62” x 11.81”

Weight: 11 lbs

Material: Cast Iron

Grease Gutter: Yes

What I like about this cast iron griddle: This is a really interesting portable flat top griddle which has a slot at the side to drain grease to a grease tray which is connected to the side of the griddle. It is designed to specifically fit the Coleman Hyperflame 2 burner camp stove and provides an ample amount of cooking space for a large family. While this is a great unit for cooking pancakes, eggs and many other foods, it does not have a ridged side on the reverse.

How to Clean a Flat Top Grill:

When cleaning a flat top grill, you want to avoid removing the seasoning which forms the non-stick surface. While the griddle is still warm, lightly scrape away any leftover foods with a spatula and remove them. Then give the camping griddle a wipe down with a paper towel or damp cloth. Avoid using soaps except for thorough cleaning as the seasoning will be removed and will need to be redone. 

Don’t forget to empty the grease tray and give it a quick wipe down as well. Ensure that there is no moisture remaining on the griddle surface before putting it away as it can cause rust and corrosion. 

How to Season a Flat Top Grill:

If you just opened up your brand new griddle, then you will want to properly season it before your first cook-off. To do that, heat the griddle for 10 minutes or so on high and pour a generous amount of a high smoke oil on the surface. Spread the oil around to evenly coat every square inch of the flat top griddle surface.

Let that bake on until the oil stops smoking, turn the grill off and let it cool. Repeat those steps one or two more times, until you have a nice, even non-stick cooking surface that is ready for grilling.

Every once in a while you’ll need to do a thorough cleaning of the griddle with soap and water. Whether it’s to remove last year’s dinner or some early signs of rust. When you do, you will be removing the seasoning and will need to reseason using the steps above.

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