Still putting the finishing touches on the outdoor kitchen. This is the latest. My cheap chinese(Victory) griddle on top of some killer outdoor cabinets. Once I get my act together I will post the finish. Extremely happy. Thanks AR 
-
-
I can't compare because I don't currently have a gasser. I know I LOVE the space of the full sized griddle though, there really are zero limitations- cook for yourself or a crowd when needed. However if I had a gasser I'd probably be tempted to go the insert route, hard to say. I'd say they're both 50/50 in this battle.Comment
-
I was gifted a Steelmade griddle last year for Father’s Day. I was close to buying one but my wife hinted that I should hold off. Well it’s currently collecting dust and rust in my garage. It’s too small for my liking and I found using it on my genesis to be a chore. Plus the lack of good sidewalls also annoyed me. I just never liked it. In the time it took to heat up I could use my frying pan, eat my eggs and then Hand wash. We like griddles too; we use our cheap electric one all the time for breakfast foods. I do like the Weber griddle inserts too because they’re designed specifically for my grill.
I bought a drip pan which was worthless in my mind because most of the grease seemed to burn off anyway. I was at my Ace last month and they were selling the Traeger griddle for $650. I was very, very tempted to surprise my wife with that but decided to save the money for our recent trip. Plus I only want something with NG.Comment
-
***Caveat: I don’t own a gasser.
I’ve had a 36” griddle for over six years. It’s by far my most used cooker. My charcoal grill typically gets used as many times in a year as my griddle gets used in a month. And this isn’t because of the time factor of lighting charcoal - it would be the same if I had a gasser. There are simply so many more things I cook that work perfect on a griddle that the grill isn’t necessary.
Comment
-
Well…how much space do you have? And, just as importantly, as Panhead John pointed out…how much will you use one or the other..?
I do not have an insert for my 6-burner Weber Summit gasser. Most seemed somewhat lacking way back when I thought about getting one. OTOH, I love my 36” standalone griddle. It’s heavy & heats evenly…and it means I can also use the gasser at the same time if I’m so inclined. Obviously, one can also simply fire up 1 or 2 burners if cooking smaller meals.
If space, and finances, allow…I’m all for getting both. A griddle might seem like a one trick pony but they’re actually pretty versatile. And a 36” or bigger griddle, like jfmorris has, is a LOT of cooking real estate. It’s like your own personal diner…only better. Smash burgers, fajitas, teppanyaki, and breakfasts for a crowd…easy peasy. As others have alluded to, it gets used way more than I thought it would…which is another plus.
Comment
-
Thanks surfdog - good points. I'll add that while it may be tempting to get a smaller griddle, I think bigger is better, as it gives you space to have different cooking zones and temperatures, and cook multiple foods at once. And as you point out, I've often just fired up 2-3 of the 6 burners on my 46" long griddle. And that's NOT a typo. The Camp Chef FTG900 has a 19.5 x 46 inch griddle surface, plus a front grease trough in front of that.
-
Comment