You can eat a delicious, dare we say, 5-star meal even when you are camping! And the way to accomplish this is with the best camping griddle available.
Everyone loves camping, especially the food after a day out in the sun. But what makes the food so special is the cooking surface. Camping griddles are there to bring you a perfect experience of outdoor cooking. These griddles have several sizes, shapes, materials, and features. A portable griddle helps you cook almost everything, whether eggs, bacon, lentils or even steak. You can also use a cast iron griddle if you are a steak lover.
In outdoor camping, you have a huge cooking space and can use any sort of griddle. You can also buy a grill griddle combo, but those are quite expensive. To make your camping trip the best, we made a list of the best portable griddles on the market with the best reviews. Let’s see which griddle suits you the best.
Our Top Best Camping Griddles
1. Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill/Griddle
Cooking breakfast is fun when you have a cute little camp stove. The Lodge Double Play grill griddle combo is your cooking partner while camping. This cast iron griddle can be your go-to cooking surface if you want something which cooks breakfast and lunch on separate bases.
It provides an equal heat distribution and works wonders. You can use the griddle side to cook bacon and eggs. You can even toast bread on it. Then comes the grill side. You can make your perfect rib-eye steak and cook fresh fish on it—the little lip on the side stores all the grease that drips from the food.
It all does not stop here. Many cast iron griddles are difficult to move because they do not have side handles, and the tray is very hot. But with the Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill/Griddle, you can easily move the cast iron around. It has strong side handles, which make using the griddle easy.
Furthermore, you can use gas or propane burners to heat this griddle. The propane gas grill griddle is small, and you can carry it anywhere without worrying about how to fit it. Makes it the perfect choice for camping.
- Grill griddle combo
- It has side handles
- Can fit over propane and gas burners
- Raised iron on the side to store grease
- Affordable
- Not rust proof
- Extra care is required while handling
2. Camp Chef Mountain Series Steel Griddle
Do you often wonder what the visual representation of something simple yet unique is? Well, the answer is the all-new Camp Chef Mountain Series Steel Griddle. The best thing about stainless steel griddles is that they become more seasoned with every use. That way, you can also call it a seasoned griddle.
This steel griddle provides a large cooking surface, so you can cook more than one thing at a time. Moreover, it does not smell awful after use and is easy to wash. It may not be a camping grill and griddle combo, but this griddle does more than a simple grill can.
The carbon steel surface makes it easy to deal with all the grease after cooking. Also, it is small in size and can fit in your backpack. So there is no need to babble about making space for the griddle in your truck or car. Therefore, this is the best griddle if you love to experience an outdoor adventure with minimal load.
There are handles on the side to pick up the griddle, but they are small. Apart from that, this steel griddle is the best thing you can carry with you for outdoor cooking. The price is also acceptable, considering the griddle’s long life and features.
- Seasoned griddle
- Long-lasting
- Easy to clean the grease
- Even heat distribution
- Light-weight
- The handles are too small
- A little pricey compared to its competitors
3. Blackstone Tabletop Griddle 1666
It is not certain that whenever you go on an outdoor adventure, there are only 2-3 people. Suppose there are more than five people. Will you be able to cook food for them in a small cast iron pan? Obviously no! In such cases, you need a large cooking surface, and the Blackstone griddle is there to fulfill your needs.
This 22-inch griddle can cook more than five items at a time, and that, too, in huge quantities. Therefore, you can cook our delicious pancakes, crispy hashbrowns, and mouth-watering scrambled eggs in no time. Furthermore, you can use charcoal or attach a propane gas cylinder as a heat source.
Moreover, the griddle comes with a hood. It is easy to attach and detach the griddle top. The grease tray is useful when you plan to cook greasy meats like bacon, steak, fish, etc.
It is more of a semi-portable camping griddle because it is big, but it works perfectly if you have a large number of people camping. The griddle weighs only 22 pounds, which is easy to carry around. In short, this griddle top makes cooking easier and more fun. So grab yours now and cook the best camping meal.
- Large cooking surface
- It weighs only 22 pounds
- Easy to clean
- It has a grease tray
- Pocket-friendly
- Semi-portable
- It can be difficult to carry
4. Coghlan’s Two Burners Non-Stick Camp Griddle
You might think there is a perfect camping griddle that can fit on two camp stoves. Well, there are many, but the best portable camping griddle in this category is Coghlan’s Two Burners Non-Stick Camp Griddle. With a perfectly designed body, this griddle can help you cook the best bacon strips and pancakes. You won’t even feel the need to go to a restaurant after cooking on this griddle.
Apart from that, we all know how well-coated aluminum surfaces are. And to your surprise, this griddle has it. The non-stick aluminum coating is of great use, as you won’t have to use oil for cooking each item. And this also makes it great to use if you are trying to cut back on fats in order to lose weight.
The side handles make it easy to pick up the griddle while cooking or washing it. Furthermore, a sponge and soap are all you need to clean this griddle. Or you can also use a paper towel if the griddle is not very dirty. You can use any camping stove as a heat source for this griddle.
Not only that, the griddle surface gets seasoned after every use. With the Coghlan’s Two Burners Non-Stick Camp Griddle, you need not worry about hunger as you have the best cooking equipment. And this is a masterpiece, looking at its cost. Get your hands on this griddle before it gets out of stock.
- Extremely lightweight (1.8 pounds only)
- It fits perfectly on two camping burners
- It comes with side handles
- Easy to clean
- Seasoned griddle
- Aluminum gets cold swiftly
- High price
5. Country Smokers Portable Camping Griddle
You might wonder if there is a cooking griddle that weighs less and has a large surface area. Well, we have one on the list. The Country Smokers Portable Camping Griddle has stainless steel burners. To give you an idea of its size – you can cook eggs for almost 20 people on this griddle.
Not only that, it has an adjustable stand which is of great help if you don’t have all the camping gear. So there is no need to stress about small cooking surfaces because this griddle is as big as you can imagine. Better than many grills, this griddle has four burners, providing an equal heat distribution.
Furthermore, it has foam-covered handles, which make it easy to transport this griddle from one place to another. You can cook all sorts of food on this, including steaks. And believe us, the steaks taste better than many expensive steaks served in restaurants.
The griddle is easy to transport but big, which may cause inconvenience. But if you have the space to take along more than six people on the camping trip, you will probably have enough space to fit this griddle. It is cheap in terms of all its features, including the independently controlled burners. So this is a good purchase and one of our favorites.
- Independently controlled burners
- Large cooking surface
- Stainless steel burners and body
- Foam covered handles
- Lightweight in terms of size
- Expensive
- It is not non-stick
6. Blackstone 1971 Heavy Duty Flat Top Grill Station
You know how relaxing it is to have prep stations next to your camping griddle. To everyone’s surprise, the Blackstone 1971 Heavy Duty Flat Top Grill Station has two prep stations to help you with the prepping. And this allows you to avoid that extra mess while cooking.
Not only that, but it also has a front magnetic strip to help you assemble all your utensils while cooking. The griddle has four burners, providing even heat distribution and making it easy for you to cook everything to perfection.
It is huge, and you can cook dinner for more than seven people. And this feature is amazing and allows you to cook all the items without spending a long time in front of the griddle. It also has an innovative grease system, which makes it easy to clean and cook meals without oily food.
Apart from that, the griddle looks elegant, and the caster wheels make it easy to move it from place to place. The burners combine to provide heat up to 60000 BTUs. So this griddle is almost the best in the world. It is because the size of the griddle becomes its con, and it is a little difficult to fit in a small car. Anyhow, this is a good purchase and provides you with all the features you can think of.
- Caster wheels make it easy to transport
- It comes with four burners
- Even distribution of heat
- Prep stations
- Magnetic strip to hold utensils
- Over-priced
- Huge size
7. Royal Gourmet PD13101
The all-in-one Royal Gourmet Portable Griddle is all you need for your basic camping trips. It has only one heat source, but it proves that one is enough. The griddle top is detachable, which is useful when cleaning the griddle. Also, it is one of the best portable griddles in terms of size and weight.
Not only that, the three burners provide 25,500 BTUs of heat, which makes cooking frozen products easy and fast. The heat is evenly distributed throughout the 24-inch surface and perfectly cooks each item. Also, the burners have independent adjustment knobs, making it easy to control the heat.
Moreover, a 20-pound propane tank is a fuel source that can last pretty long. Apart from that, a grease cup stores all the oils dripping from the food you cook on the stove.
The griddle is small in size and extremely lightweight in terms of its surface area. It is also cheap, keeping in mind the features it provides. In short, this camping griddle is the best and can cook a lot of food in one sitting.
- Small in size
- Three burners with independent adjustment knobs
- 25,500 BTUs heat
- Removable grease cup
- Detachable griddle top
- Need a leveled surface to place the griddle
- Single heat source
Buying Guide for the Best Camping Griddle
We know that when it comes to food, no compromises can be made. The market is full of various griddles ranging in different shapes, sizes, materials, etc. Choosing the one that is best for you can be a little tricky. But it does not mean that it is impossible for you to get your hands on the best portable griddle on the market.
There are different factors you need to keep in mind before buying a griddle. To make things easy for you, we made a list of factors you need to consider before choosing a griddle.
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Size
Griddles come in different sizes. You need to choose the one which is the best for you. But how can you do that? There is no science involved in this; just check which griddle is easy for you to carry while camping. Buying a big griddle is fine if you have a large storage capacity in your car or truck. But if you don’t have enough space to accommodate a large griddle, it is best to buy a small griddle.
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Griddle Material
Now, keep in mind that all griddles are not made of the same material. Most griddles are made of iron, steel, aluminum, and carbon. Moreover, each material has its pros and cons. You may find that there is a griddle of some other material, but most of the ones are made of the materials we mentioned above. For instance, aluminum griddles get cold faster than carbon steel ones. And carbon steel ones get cold faster than iron ones. Often it is seen that cast iron griddles work best for camping as they provide a long heat life and are good for camping food.
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Weight of the Griddle
Along with the material and size, the weight also varies from griddle to griddle. It is obvious that the griddles which are large will weigh more than the smaller ones. But it depends on how much weight you can carry. You will need a large griddle if you have a big group to feed. But choosing the lightweight one in the large griddle category is your work. But with every con comes a pro. As big as the griddle will be, it will provide much more features than the small one.
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Cleaning Ease
If you are a camping lover, you will know that all griddles are not easy to clean. Sometimes cleaning a griddle can be too time taking and difficult – your hands hurt from the scrubbing. To avoid such complications, make sure that the griddle you buy is easy to clean. Also, there must be a grease tray or cup to store all the oils that drip from the food you cook. In this case, non-stick griddles are the easiest to clean. On the other hand, seasoned griddles require extra effort to clean. But as we said before, there is always something against every good feature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is a camping griddle the same as a camping grill?
No. Camping griddles are not entirely the same as camping grills. The main difference is the oils in food. While using a grill, most of the fats drip through the grill grates while cooking. The same is not the case with griddles. A griddle has a flat surface and stores much of the fat. But this can become an advantage if you like juicy and buttery meat. So, it depends on you what you prefer. If you can’t decide between the two, you can buy a grill-griddle combo and choose whichever way you want to cook your food.
2. Can you use a camping griddle for cooking steak?
Yes. You can use a griddle for cooking a steak. In fact, you can cook a perfect steak on a griddle. The best kind of griddle to cook a steak on is cast iron. After that, you can use an aluminum surface griddle for cooking a steak. But the best is cast iron.
3. Are griddles easy to clean?
Yes and no. Most griddles are easy to clean, but we cannot fraud you by saying that all griddles are easy to clean. There are ones that can be really hard to clean and can be a real pain. A grease cup or tray attached to the griddle will make it easy for you to clean the griddle. Non-stick griddles are the best in terms of cleaning. Moreover, you can use a paper towel to clean them, which requires little to no effort. So it depends on which kind of griddle you use.
4. Which griddle comes on top of the best portable camping griddles list?
We cannot call one specific griddle the best portable griddle. It all comes down to your needs, and you are the one who decides which griddle is the best. But generally speaking, cast iron griddles are best for camping. They are easy to carry, keep the food hot for a long time, and are small in size. But this is a general statement and not for all situations.
5. Which heat source is best for camping griddles?
It depends on what kind of griddle you are using. For cast irons, charcoal or propane tanks are the best heat source. But most of the griddles have the heat source mentioned on their label which they use. So it varies from griddle to griddle.
Final Words
Griddles are the same as grills but, in some cases, better. Choosing the right griddle is a little tricky, but not impossible. There are different variants of griddles, and each has its own set of benefits.
With the set of factors we mentioned in the buying guide, you can place your hands on the best griddle. It takes time and effort, but the results make you forget the frustration and anger you went through while searching for the best griddle.
That brings us to the end of this post. We hope the article was beneficial and helped answer your questions. Happy Camping!
