What does a grill? Most of us think of a grill as an outdoor cooking device with grates, so that the grill marks are accessible, even when powered. wood planks, coal or gas. Different regions put different spins on the word, however. “Grill” in the UK, for example, refers to the operation of chickens that come out of the oven. (Consider Burger King’s “flame broiled,” which further confuses things.) The very existence of a “flat-top grill,” moreover, would seem to contradict the grates theory, since the defining feature of a flat top is the absence of grates.
In fact, the word “grill” broadly refers to the direct use of high heat, where all the above methods work. If you’ve ever struggled with the feeling that you should have a grill for the off-season (the pulverized kind) but find yourself looking for excuses not to use it — because it’s too hard to clean or because it’s out of sight — maybe what you really need is a flat-top grill.
But is a flat grill worth it? I contacted the expert, Erica Blaire, champion of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl, renowned pitmaster, and Beef ambassador. What’s for Dinner. Blaire provided insight into the nuances of flat cooking and whether it might be right for you.
What is a grill-top and how does it work?
Grill-tops have become popular. There is less daily cleaning but more ongoing maintenance to consider.
While the term may sound obvious to some, many people associate flat tops with indoor cooking, such as on a griddle. “A flat-top grill is basically a griddle,” says Blaire. “You’re going to burn, you don’t smoke and you don’t burn traditionally,” he said. With a flat-top grill, “you’re burning in a uniformly heated area with no airflow underneath.”
Top grills feature a flat, solid metal cooking surface with areas powered by individual burners, depending on the size of the model. While many small griddles are available for indoor use, some can sit directly on your kitchen range to heat up, flat outdoor grills are usually electric or gas powered.
What can you use for a flat-top grill?
Smashburgers, pancakes, and home fries are just a few flat-top meals you can easily make.
Consider your general grill expenses or outdoor cooking needs, and ask yourself whether a griddle or flat top might be a better fit than a traditional grill.
“To get high, you think of burgers — especially smashburgers — you think of fajitas,” Blaire said, along with other batch preparations outside of the grill league, like fried rice, eggs and anything you’re worried will go easily on the grates or that tends to misbehave on a traditional grill. (I’m looking at you, salmon.)
“Because you’re getting such high temperatures and uniformity on a flat surface, the sky’s the limit for what you can do,” he said, including the grill’s ultimate expression: steaks.
Many chefs say that cast iron is the best way to cook certain types of meat, even during grilling; a flat outdoor grill offers the same functionality, allowing you to hold heat without smoking your entire kitchen.
“When you’re doing thin cuts like flank steak or skirt steak, on the griddle, you can get the outside seared but keep the inside very moist and have a lot of flavor without having to worry about it drying out,” says Blaire.
You won’t want to try pancakes on the grill.
Plus, “with a traditional grill, you’re fighting open spaces,” says Blaire, “so all your sauces, those butters, and your herbs or other aromatics might end up empty. With a griddle, you can put everything in there, and it’ll stay.”
Maintaining and cleaning the flat top grill
High-end grills require seasoning as does a cast-iron skillet.
Like a good iron, preparing a flat surface by applying a seasoning goes a long way in making your life easier every time you use it. “You use a thin layer of oil with a high smoke point, you turn on the heat until the oil is smoking,” Blaire says, “then you let it cool, and you do it a few times, wiping off any excess.” This gives you an unstable surface.
The particular challenge with a flat grill is not cleaning it, which can be very easy, especially once you’ve seasoned it; the challenge is cleaning up the time. “A lot of times after using a grill top, you might just go eat, and think you’re going to come later,” Blaire said, “but now you’ve wasted your life because it doesn’t have holes and empty spaces in it, like a grill does.”
If you’re not ready to go full-on, you can purchase a griddle attachment for your grill.
A flat surface really needs it clean them up quicklyor at least while it’s still warm, so you have time to start enjoying the fruits of your flat ground work, but if you take a break you risk forgetting about it until it cools down. “When the flat surface dries and cools, everything is stuck there,” Blaire said. “So you have to take a scraper and use a lot of arm strength, but if you clean your griddle as soon as you finish cooking, and while it’s hot, you wipe it and it’s done.” Many flat tops designed for outdoor cooking also have a small sump or catch for bits and debris that collect during the wiping process.
Read more: Step by Step Guide to Cleaning the Grid
The cleaning factor is an important consideration for the outdoor cooking host, especially if you have the type of personality that makes your life difficult every time you use a flat top. In general, a grill-top can be much easier to clean than a grill, but it can be more difficult.
How much does a grill-top cost?
Blackstone’s top grills start around $300.
Like charcoal or gas grills, there is a real range of what you can use, depending on your size needs and budget. “It depends on what you’re trying to find, because now all the brands are making options in affordable categories at all levels,” says Blaire.
A quick look at Amazon shows that many high-end vertical grills range in price from approx $250 to $700depending on what accessories you might want to include, such as prep shelves and dish hooks, and save a little if you want a camping tabletop model.
Premium modelsincluding complete flat outdoor cooking islands, can start at $700 and up. The good news, according to Blair, is that almost any flat-top model will get the job done. “As long as all the burners are working and the top level is hot, you’re good to go,” he said, while grills that include lids and multiple cooking levels have a lot to consider in terms of price versus performance.
So you know, for under $100, you can even get a flat surface sitting on your grid — if you’re reading this and lamenting that you already own the wrong kind.
