Traeger Flatrock Griddle Reviews, Prices & Specs

[JPSBBQ]

Traeger charged extra for that warranty. They added what, an extra grand or so to the price to say if it rust through in ten years they’ll replace it. I’ve got a 15 year old Charbroil gas grill at my camper I keep on my hunting land. It’s still not rusted completely though. Don’t get me wrong, Traeger still delivers a good grill and I’ve had very minimal problems with mine, but they are not the company they used to be. I do like mine for some things and I enjoy trying new things on it, but after seeing others that might be better (Yoder, REC TECH, Coyote, etc) I would do a little more research. I expect to pay more for a great product that I want but I’m not going to overpay for it.
I’ve been building houses my whole life, I put my name and most importantly my reputation on the line because we have a lot of builders in my area. It’s the only thing that stands out between me and my competitors. I get repetitive customers over and over, I see them in the stores and restaurants I visit and it’s a good feeling when they tell me how much they love their houses. I don’t cut corners just “because”, I do it right and if they have issues I fix it. Everything costs so much more to build a house but i charge more and give them the same end result I always have. I know these manufacturers can’t do exactly like me, but they can do much better. Cost more, then charge more but be as good as you have always been.

I’m not sure I can agree. The company became a complete POS during the final 5 years of Traeger family ownership. They did no investment in innovation or technology and almost ruined their advantage. I liken it to the American automakers. Sat in their collective arses for years as others improved. Once the new regime took over they have been digging out of a hole they should have never been in to begin with. They are top of the heap and being in that spot puts them in the crosshairs of everyone’s criticism. Some deserved and some fabricated or just ignorance. They make a sound and reliable product with a great interface and app. Sure they have issues but so does everyone else. There’s are more because they sell exponentially more units than most. I’ll also contend the majority of issues are likely user error. You never hear about those being concluded, you just hear about the initial griping.

Anyway, live and let live. Lots of options available to everyone.

 

[Shedd]

I’m not sure I can agree. The company became a complete POS during the final 5 years of Traeger family ownership. They did no investment in innovation or technology and almost ruined their advantage. I liken it to the American automakers. Sat in their collective arses for years as others improved. Once the new regime took over they have been digging out of a hole they should have never been in to begin with. They are top of the heap and being in that spot puts them in the crosshairs of everyone’s criticism. Some deserved and some fabricated or just ignorance. They make a sound and reliable product with a great interface and app. Sure they have issues but so does everyone else. There’s are more because they sell exponentially more units than most. I’ll also contend the majority of issues are likely user error. You never hear about those being concluded, you just hear about the initial griping.

Anyway, live and let live. Lots of options available to everyone.

I didn’t expect YOU to agree. That’s what makes us all incredibly interesting. I as you have opinions, that’s a good thing. Happy smoking and gridding!

 

[JPSBBQ]

I didn’t expect YOU to agree. That’s what makes us all incredibly interesting. I as you have opinions, that’s a good thing. Happy smoking and gridding!

Agreed.

Try building 50k houses and let me know how that business model holds up though.

 

[Murphy's Law]

Agreed.

Try building 50k houses and let me know how that business model holds up though.

While you're trying to drive shareholder value, file 10-Q's, etc.

 

[Shedd]

Agreed.

Try building 50k houses and let me know how that business model holds up though.

Now we finally agree!
That’s the problem with these small companies that once took pride in the company behind their names. Then sold out for the greed of money. In my line of work if you can buy a house from a “local builder” not a big company like “DR Horton” or so, you will get a better house hands down. Especially if you get that local builder that is hands on, on the job site daily. It’s taken me over thirty years to build a few hundred, I’ve worked hard but lived good. I would not sell out for any amount of money but that’s me. Not saying the big builders build a terrible house, just not a great one. Because they like Traeger mass produce. But the people have been fooled into thinking bigger is better and many people will never know the difference, especially given another decade.

BTW I have a family member that’s about to buy Traeger’s new griddle. He’s in another state and I don’t see him often, but I will post his thoughts on here whenever I get them.

 

[RayClem]

Has anyone seen the Flatrock in the wild?

I know it has only been officially released for 5 weeks now. There are a few early video reviews. It seems that some BBQ specialty stores have stock, or at least can ship product. I have not been able to locate one at any of the usual suspects such as Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Even some nearby Ace stores that are considered Platinum dealers for Traeger do not have the Flatrocks in stock. One of the BBQ stores states that the griddles are on backorder until the middle of June. Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day are three prime occasions for grilling/griddling in the States. I am sure many men would love to cook breakfast for their wives on Mother's Day on their new griddle. Smash burgers for Memorial Day would also be great. Delaying shipments until June is not a good look for Traeger.

I plan to purchase a flat top griddle this spring; Flatrock is one of the griddles under consideration. I want to see one up close and personal before purchasing.

 

[CMTiger]

Has anyone seen the Flatrock in the wild?

I know it has only been officially released for 5 weeks now. There are a few early video reviews. It seems that some BBQ specialty stores have stock, or at least can ship product. I have not been able to locate one at any of the usual suspects such as Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Even some nearby Ace stores that are considered Platinum dealers for Traeger do not have the Flatrocks in stock. One of the BBQ stores states that the griddles are on backorder until the middle of June. Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day are three prime occasions for grilling/griddling in the States. I am sure many men would love to cook breakfast for their wives on Mother's Day on their new griddle. Smash burgers for Memorial Day would also be great. Delaying shipments until June is not a good look for Traeger.

I plan to purchase a flat top griddle this spring; Flatrock is one of the griddles under consideration. I want to see one up close and personal before purchasing.

I have not. I talked to my friend in person with the hardware store and he said it was actually just the legs that felt flimsy and cheap. The upper portion with all the guts of the cooker felt solid. He has not used one yet though cause he said he'd rather sale the two he has instead of cooking on them!! LOL

 

[primeone]

I plan to purchase a flat top griddle this spring; Flatrock is one of the griddles under consideration. I want to see one up close and personal before purchasing.

What other brands are you considering? The Pit Boss griddle is interesting due to the "Proprietary non-stick armored ceramic cooking surface"

I guess the concern will be how well it holds up over time.

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[RayClem]

What other brands are you considering? The Pit Boss griddle is interesting due to the "Proprietary non-stick armored ceramic cooking surface"

I guess the concern will be how well it holds up over time.

Pit Boss Grills | Wood Pellet Grills | Flat Top Griddles | BBQ Smokers

Shop for wood pellet grills, smokers, and griddles. Try new recipes and learn about our 8-in-1 grill versatility. Our grills help you craft BBQ recipes to perfection.

pitboss-grills.com

I do not like Blackstone due to the grease chute on the rear. My flattop will be on an elevated deck with a railing. I do not want to have to pull the griddle out every time the grease trap needs to be emptied. Furthermore, it apparently sticks out the back and will get water in it if it rains.

I have looksed at the 4-burner Chargriller Flat Iron griddles. They look decent and the price is good. It has a nice big hole for grease up front.

I have read some about the Loco griddles (formerly endorsed by Matt Pittman), but I have not looked at them in the store. They are nearly as expensive as the Traegers.

For someone who does a lot of cooking on the griddle, the Camp Chef might be good. However, I just see the grease trough in the front as one thing extra to clean when I am through.

I am not sure I like the burner arrangement on the Pit Boss as it has two straight burners and 1 "P"-shaped burner. That creates temperature variation across the top. If you need/want the lower temperature zone, that is a good thing, but it could also be a disadvantage, depending upon how you use the grill. There are advantages and disadvantages to the ceramic cooktop. I have ceramic pans in the kitchen and have to replace them periodically.

 

[Shedd]

I completely agree with Ray about the way Blackstone moved the location of the grease chute, mine is several years old and it’s on the front right side. However it’s still not perfect, the grease drips into a removable tray (uncovered) and some glides back under the chute creating a mess on the floor. I modified mine and it drips into a Webber foil tray. But I paid a little over $200 for it new so I didn’t expect it to be perfect. I have my griddle in my outdoor kitchen well out of the elements and I forget when I comment about how great it is because it sits uncovered 24/7. In the elements it’s not designed for it, however I really don’t believe the others will be either unless you’re using it in nice weather. Storage would be the same for all because they need a cover if in the elements and we all know how aggravating this is. I also believe the end results of cooking will give the same results. They (homeowner griddles) are all made in China and probably use the same or very similar components. I have a friend in Georgia that has the new Traeger griddle on order, he said it’s 2-3 months back order. I’ll find out his take on it and let you know. One thing I’d like to say about what I do know, most of the griddles available are designed to be easily moved for either sheltered storage or even tailgating, this is noticeable in most griddles on the market. I use the heck out of my griddle, every week and sometimes more than once a week. It’s probably ten years old and the only thing that doesn’t work is the igniter button, I’m too lazy to replace it, lol. That’s not bad for a cheap griddle, so that’s why I would never buy the Traeger or any other that’s so much more expensive. The same model Blackstone as mine is now a little over $300. I would think the Traeger as well as Loco and the upper priced Blackstone have additional features that some people might want, it’s about wants and needs and we are all so different.

 

[Murphy's Law]

I just watched a video from Flat Top King and he was very impressed with the build and features of the Flat Rock.

At the end he had it next to the Weber and it made the Weber look like a toy.

 

[JPSBBQ]

I just watched a video from Flat Top King and he was very impressed with the build and features of the Flat Rock.

At the end he had it next to the Weber and it made the Weber look like a toy.

He did like the performance of the Weber which is the most important part of the unit. They are targeting different sectors imo. Both seem to have strong entries to my surprise. That’s good for everyone.

 

[Murphy's Law]

He did like the performance of the Weber which is the most important part of the unit. They are targeting different sectors imo. Both seem to have strong entries to my surprise. That’s good for everyone.

Agree. And I just saw a snippet of an upcoming cooking video and he said there were a few things he didn’t Ike while cooking so will be interesting to watch that video.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Agree. And I just saw a snippet of an upcoming cooking video and he said there were a few things he didn’t Ike while cooking so will be interesting to watch that video.

Watch the second video, he got better results. I particularly like how even the heating is across the surface:

 

[RayClem]

This morning, I dropped by my local Ace Hardware to ask about the Flatrock. I learned that they had one on order, but they have no idea when it might arrive. I guess Traeger made early arrivals available to YouTube influencers, but they are not yet available to common folk like me.

While there, I did look at the new Weber flat top, but unlike the Traeger, it has straight burners and the sides are open making it vulnerable to wind. As someone living in the Chicago area, I am willing to pay extra for wind resistance. I was also unimpressed with the build quality. I guess Weber is trying to compete with Blackstone and similarly priced flattops.

I am glad Traeger took a different direction. The Traeger fills a role between consumer priced flattops and the premium flattops installed in outdoor kitchens. It seems to fall in a good spot for me. I just hope they become available before spring has ended.