I have an old Weber 3 burner Spirit and would like to add an accessory to use it as a griddle. It seems there are many available, but I have no idea whether I want cast iron, stainless, carbon steel, etc. What can you recommend? I see that Weber sells one for $200, but that seems much too high because I could by a complete gas griddle for not much more.
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If you have the space for a dedicated griddle, then that is the route I would go. If you want to add one to your grill I would check here. I bought one from them for my kitchen stove, and it is a high quality hunk of steel. -
I have the Steelmade insert. It’s a solid piece of metal. But I rarely use it. It’s in my garage collecting rust. Honestly I would rather have a stand alone griddle. Lack of decent side walls, and the fact it took to long to warm up use were my main issues. I looked at the Weber insert but the price scared me away because I grill on my Genesis a few times a week so that a no go.
As for the Steelmade I will say when I did cook on it I did enjoy it.Comment
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It may seem like a lot, but the Weber insert is the way I would go, as it is custom fit to your grill, meaning it won't be sliding around like a griddle on top of the grates would do. And it does have that custom flipped up area in the back that you can push food up against - you really want a back or side wall when griddling.
You can store the regular grates on the shelf under the grill when not in use, like I do if I use Grillgrates on my Weber. And you will pay more than $200 these days for a decent sized Blackstone or Camp Chef or such griddle.
The question for you is whether you want to take the space for a standalone griddle, or have your existing cooker do double duty. And when not using the griddle top, you need to find a place to store it out of the rain. Personally I would just set it aside propped up somewhere if using the grill for regular grilling, and then stick it back in there after cooking for storage, before putting the cover back on the grill.Comment
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I have the Steelmade flattop attachment for my 3 burner gasser. Personally, I think it's great. I use it constantly and rarely take it off to use the gasser in 'grill mode' anymore. It's made of cold rolled carbon steel, similar to what you'd get on a dedicated griddle. Once you get that initial seasoning on it (which isn't difficult), it's super slick. I do pancakes on it all the time without anything sticking. If you want to keep your gasser, this is an easy way to also use it as a griddle. Personally, my biggest complaint is that it only covers ~80% of the cooking area. As others have said, it also doesn't have the flanged sides that a dedicated griddle would have. Because of this, there's always splattered gunk on the gasser. The Weber attachment would cover the entire cooking area and has flanged sides. But you're right, for $200 you almost might as well buy a dedicated griddle. But that's a personal decision.Comment
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Oh, I will say, if you plan on doing a lot of bacon, you will probably want a dedicated griddle. With an attachment, the grease goes down near the burners and into the grease tray. Whenever I do bacon, all the grease burns up and creates a big fire (which my kids love, but not what I'm going for). In a dedicated griddle, the grease trap is totally separate and away from the burners. SteelMade sells a grease tray, but it's a pain the butt to use. I have one and only used it once. -
I have the Steelmade griddle that lives on my gasser and its the best non-Weber option. It performs pretty well but it does struggle a little with temp recovery, regardless of how long its been pre-heating. And same on the drip tray - I bought one and never bothered using it.
Before I got it, I used the Lodge cast iron griddle which is just too small to be an adequate substitute. That being said, if I had a Weber I'd go the drop-in route if I couldn't spare the space for a standalone griddle
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I have the Weber steal carbon full insert for a 3 burner Spirt. For me, it's plenty of room, carbon steel so rust isn't an issue. I also have the case Weber offers. When using the griddle, grates go in the bag. It's not cheap and at 40 plus pounds it takes a bit of an effort to put on and take off. And as far as grease management I haven't had an issue.
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So no grease fires? I imagine you need to keep the burners on low or medium at the most?
I did a lot of griddling on the flat side of Grillgrate panels in my Weber Genesis before I got a standalone griddle, and I was fine as long as I didn't turn the burners up too much. If I did, grease fire would happen under the grates...
Griddling on the flat of Grillgrates means grease drips EVERYWHERE down there. With the Weber griddle it runs down the outside/back to get to the grease cup underneath.
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Like others above, the Weber insert is what my dad uses on his Weber gasser and he loves it. He leaves it in year round now because he likes how it cooks compared to the grates. You can’t go wrong with it honestly, as others have stated. I’ve cooked on it a few times as well and if you don’t need the larger 4 burner dedicated flat top, it’s a great option!Comment
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Thanks for all of the suggestions. Lots to think about. Frankly, the insert idea is to get around my wife's dictum of no more grills without getting rid of one. I currently have 5! She offered to name any new grill I buy: "Divorce."Comment
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I use a steel made they sell it in two thicknesses mine came with a troth that catches oil and debris keeping it out of the grill also came with a nice storage case.Comment
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Check Little Griddle. Older Weber, 3 burner Genesis. I have a stainless steel insert from Little Griddle and it works great. The website (if they are still in business) gives you the griddle dimensions.Comment
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Came across the Lodge LDP3 Cast Iron Rectangular Reversible Grill/Griddle, 9.5-inch x 16.75-inch at Costco for $24, so bought to try before making a much more expensive purchase. It works surprisingly well.
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