A good portable griddle for camping is a flat, heavy cooking surface that either sits on a camp stove burner or burns propane on its own, replacing the frying pan for pancakes, eggs, bacon, burgers and vegetables. The three archetypes that answer almost every trip: a cast iron plate for backpackers, a small self-contained propane unit for solo and car campers, and a wide two-burner flat top for groups. That is the short version. Below we break down all ten of the best griddles for camping trips we could justify, with the weight, surface area and grease handling that actually decide whether a griddle works at your site.
Weight and grease are the two filters that matter before anything else. A griddle that does not fit your stove’s usable area is a griddle you will leave in the car, and a griddle without a drain will fill with bacon grease by the second morning. Our team compared all ten units on cooking surface in square inches, burner output, packed weight and grease management, then sorted them by the trip they suit rather than by brand.
One warning before we start. On r/CampingGear, owners describe a familiar frustration: they own a two-burner camp stove with roughly 17 by 9 inches of usable space, and almost nothing flat enough with a grease trap actually sits on it. Measure your stove first. A griddle that overhangs the grate sits over open flame at the edges, and that is how warped plates and scorched bacon happen.
If you also cook at home and want the wider context, we have covered 10 best griddles for outdoor cooking and 10 best commercial griddles in separate roundups. This one stays on packing weight, stove fit and campsite constraints.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Camping Griddle Picks in 2026
Lodge Reversible Cast Iron Griddle
- 16.75 x 9.5 inch cast iron
- 9.4 pounds
- Reversible griddle and grill sides
- Pre-seasoned PFAS-free
Blackstone 22 Inch Tabletop Griddle
- 361 sq in surface
- Two H-shaped burners
- 25.3 pounds
- Two heat zones
Royal Gourmet PD1301S Three-Burner Griddle
- 304 sq in surface
- Three independent burners
- 25500 BTU total
- Piezo ignition
Our editor’s choice is the Lodge reversible cast iron, because it works on a backpacker stove, a camp stove, a grill and a campfire without any other hardware. The Blackstone 1666 adds two independent heat zones and 361 square inches of surface in one self-contained box. The Royal Gourmet PD1301S delivers three independent burners and a detachable top, which is why we tag it best value.
All 10 Camping Griddles at a Glance (October 2026)
| Product | Specifications | Action |
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| Lodge Reversible Cast Iron Griddle |
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| Blackstone 1666 22 Inch Tabletop Griddle |
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| Royal Gourmet PD1301S Three-Burner Griddle |
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 Camp Chef SG60 Two-Burner Fry Griddle |
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 Camp Chef 16 x 24 Cast Iron Griddle |
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 CAMPLUX GG302S Griddle and Grill |
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 Blackstone 1814 17 Inch Griddle |
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 Utheer 25 x 16 Inch Cast Iron Griddle |
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 Camp Chef SG14 Single-Burner Griddle |
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 Nordic Ware Two Burner Aluminum Griddle |
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Two things stand out in that list. Four of the ten carry their own burners and ignition, so you can cook without owning a camp stove at all. The other six are plates that need a heat source underneath them, which is why the stove-fit question decides more purchases here than brand loyalty does.
Griddle vs. Cast Iron Skillet vs. Camp Pan
The most common question in the forums for this topic is not which griddle to buy. It is whether a griddle is worth carrying at all when a cast iron skillet already does the job. It depends almost entirely on how much food you cook at once, and how far you are walking to cook it.
When a cast iron skillet still wins
A skillet is the lighter option and the more forgiving one over a single burner. On r/CampingGear, canoe campers describe pairing an MSR WhisperLite with a 10 inch Lodge skillet when weight is not the deciding factor, which is the honest counterweight to any griddle recommendation. If you are cooking for one or two, a skillet heated over one burner will outlast you on a griddle that has to be washed, carried and set on unstable ground.
When the griddle takes over
A griddle wins on total usable heat, because a 300 square inch plate spreads heat across an area a single pan cannot. Breakfast for a family of four is the case that decides it: eggs, bacon and pancakes land together rather than in three batches while the first batch goes cold. Griddles also keep more heat in reserve, so a cold morning does not stall your cooking the way it stalls a thin pan on a small burner.
When the camp pan is the right call
The lightweight camp pan is for boil-only trips, cold drinks, and rehydrating meals where you never need sustained high heat. If your menu is instant coffee and dehydrated dinners, a griddle is dead weight. Once you want a real hot breakfast or a cast iron sear, you have left camp pan territory.
1. Lodge Reversible Cast Iron Grill/Griddle Pan – Best All-Round Cast Iron Pick
- Reversible smooth and ribbed cooking surfaces
- Covers two burners for a wide cooking area
- Pre-seasoned and PFAS-free cast iron
- Works on gas
- electric
- induction
- grill or campfire
- Made in the USA
- Heavy at 9.4 pounds and awkward to move when hot
- Low-profile edges let grease run off the sides
- Seasoning takes a short learning curve
The Lodge reversible griddle is the one I keep recommending to people who ask for a single griddle that covers the widest range of trips. It is 16.75 by 9.5 inches of pre-seasoned cast iron, weighs 9.4 pounds, and has a smooth side for griddling plus a ribbed side for grill marks. No fuel, no hoses, no regulator. It goes on a wood stove, a Coleman, a camp grill, or balanced stones in a fire ring.
Cast iron earns its reputation on heat retention, and the Lodge is a good example of why. Once it is up to temperature it barely drops when you set a cold pan of bacon on one corner, which is exactly the behaviour that makes breakfast food release instead of stick. Owners overwhelmingly describe it as a long-term staple for stovetop, grill and campfire cooking, with a 4.5 rating across more than 27,000 reviews.
The honest limitation is grease handling, and it is the one the forums single out. The edges sit low, so grease runs off the sides onto whatever is below, and the plate has no drain or trough of its own. One camper on r/CampingGear rejected a Lodge for exactly this, warning that cooking bacon on it would fill it quickly with grease and leave no easy way to drain it off. We think that is fair. If your trip is bacon-heavy, set the Lodge on a stove with a catch pan underneath, or use the smooth side over a grill where drips land in the fire.
There is also a real weight consideration. 9.4 pounds is not a backpacker load, and moving it while hot is the part that catches people out. For car camping, tailgating, RV cooking and overlanding it is a non-issue. For a canoe or backpacking trip, a thinner aluminum plate will serve you better.
What you should know before buying it
Seasoning is the one task you own with this plate. Lodge ships it pre-seasoned and PFAS-free, so you can cook on it immediately, but a few rounds of oil and heat will build the dark, glossy surface that makes eggs slide. Owners who skip this step are the ones who end up disappointed.
Watch the dimensions against your stove. At 16.75 by 9.5 inches, it spans two burners on a standard two-burner camp stove with a little room to spare, which makes it one of the few plates here that solves rather than creates the footprint problem. It is also induction compatible and oven safe, so the same plate works for a kitchen sear.
Who should skip it
Skip the Lodge if grease management is your top concern, or if you plan to cook four or more people in one sitting. At roughly 160 square inches of griddle surface, it is a two-person breakfast tool, not a group cooker. A minority of owners also report surface warping over long-term use, which is worth factoring in if you heat it hard and cool it fast with a water rinse.
2. Blackstone 1666 22 Inch Tabletop Griddle – Most Cooking Surface in One Box
Blackstone 1666 22” Tabletop Griddle with Stainless Steel Faceplate, Powder Coated Steel, Black
- 361 sq in surface handles a large group
- Two independently controlled H-shaped burners
- Rear grease channel feeds a collection cup
- Quick to season
- Compact for its output
- Heavy at 25.3 pounds and awkward to carry
- No carrying case or cover included
- Needs periodic re-seasoning
- Wind guards sold separately
The Blackstone 1666 is the griddle people mean when they say a camping griddle. It ships as a complete unit: propane burners, ignition and a rear grease management system, with no stove to buy. At 361 square inches of rolled steel it holds up to 14 burgers, 10 pancakes or 60 hot dogs, which makes it the reference point for group breakfasts.
Two independently controlled H-shaped burners give you two heat zones on one plate, and that is the feature that separates it from single-burner units. You can sear burgers hard on one side while eggs finish gently on the other. It reaches temperature quickly, and the 4.7 rating across nearly 6,800 reviews reflects how consistently it performs.
On r/blackstonegriddle, one owner running a 22 inch tabletop notes it is not much bigger than the 17 inch model but the dual-burner zones make a real difference, and recommends an adapter hose when travelling so you can run it from a camper propane tank. That is mainstream practice among owners rather than a hack: the same group on Facebook routinely powers griddles from the camper tank through an adapter.
The low-end heat complaint is real and worth addressing before you rely on this for pancakes. The same forum reports a 22 inch tabletop model that gets so hot that on the lowest setting it still scorches, with more burning than cooking. If delicate breakfast food is your priority, the single 12,000 BTU burner on the 17 inch Blackstone is easier to modulate than two of them.
What you should know before buying it
It is a 25.3 pound object, and it is far from the only heavy unit in this group. Loading it into a vehicle solo is the main complaint we saw, and there is no carrying case or cover in the box. Bring a second pair of hands or a cart if you are not near a vehicle.
Seasoning is a fifteen-minute job, not a lifelong commitment. Wipe it with oil, heat it, wipe again, and it is ready. Owners who maintain it report minimal rust even after a season of camping, while the steel plate does need re-oiling between trips if you store it damp.
Who should skip it
Skip it for backpacking, for anyone without a vehicle, and for trips where the group is under four. The same forum discussion notes the newer hooded griddle versions are noticeably bulkier than the classic open tailgater, and this open design is the easier one to load. Wind guards and a grease port cover are also sold separately, and in exposed campsites the lack of a hood is the thing that bothers some owners.
3. Royal Gourmet PD1301S Three-Burner Griddle – Best Value Multi-Burner Setup
- Three independently controlled burners
- 304 sq in surface cooks up to 12 burgers
- 3.5 mm steel spreads heat evenly
- Battery-free piezo ignition
- Detachable griddle top for cleaning
- Heavy at 27.6 pounds for a portable unit
- Bulky to store despite compact shape
- Requires a separate propane tank and regulator
Three burners is unusual at this size, and it is the reason the Royal Gourmet PD1301S earns its place. Where most portable units give you two heat zones, this one gives you three, spread across 304 square inches of 3.5 mm steel. That is enough surface for up to 12 burgers at once, and three separate controls means you are not juggling one hot zone and one cold one.
The 25,500 BTU total is the highest output among the burner-equipped units in this roundup, and the 3.5 mm plate is thick enough to spread that heat without a dramatic hotspot in the middle. Reviewers consistently call out the power and surface area for the money, and the 4.5 rating across more than 6,700 reviews reflects that.
The detachable griddle top is a genuinely useful feature in the field. You can carry the top and the base separately, and cleanup happens over a picnic table rather than in a camp sink. The removable grease cup works the same way. Battery-free piezo ignition also removes one common failure point: there is no battery or igniter wire to die in storage.
Weight is the catch. At 27.6 pounds it is one of the two heaviest units in this roundup, and the sturdy feet that make it stable on uneven ground also add to the bulk when it is not in use. It is a car trunk object, not a pack item.
What you should know before buying it
It is not self-sufficient on fuel. You need a propane tank and a regulator, and neither is in the box, so plan that connection before the trip. The same goes for the three-burner layout in wind: with no hood, flame stability in exposed sites depends on the site you pick.
Cleaning is straightforward once you know the sequence. Detach the top, scrape it, wipe it with a paper towel while warm, and oil it lightly before it cools. Owners who skip the oil step are the ones who come back to a patchy, sticky surface.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you camp with one or two people, or if you need to carry a griddle on foot. Three burners and 304 square inches is genuine oversupply for a couple, and at 27.6 pounds it is one of the heaviest things in this roundup to lift into a vehicle. It also runs a one-year warranty, which is shorter than the Nordic Ware’s five years.
4. Camp Chef SG60 Two-Burner Fry Griddle – Largest Surface for Big Groups
- 448 sq in surface for a full group
- Heat diffuser plates reduce hot spots
- True Seasoned Finish resists rust
- Front grease trough with raised sides
- Carry handle included
- Very heavy at 15.1 kg
- Needs a compatible Camp Chef stove
- Requires oiling and re-seasoning
- 90-day limited warranty
The Camp Chef SG60 is the largest cooking surface in this roundup at 448 square inches, spanning 14 by 32 inches across two burners. It is an accessory, not a standalone appliance, so it needs a Camp Chef stove or compatible burners underneath. For a group trip where everyone eats breakfast at once, that trade is worth it.
Built-in heat diffuser plates sit under the cooking surface and do the job the name suggests, spreading flame across the plate and cutting down on the hot spots that plague thin steel. The front grease trough has raised sides, which is a meaningful upgrade over plates that simply let grease run onto the burner. It comes with a True Seasoned Finish, so it resists rust out of the box and carries a 4.7 rating across more than 4,000 reviews.
On r/griddling, owners repeatedly say you will never go wrong with a Camp Chef system, and this griddle is where that reputation comes from. The two-burner format also solves a real problem: with a single burner you are cooking in shifts. Two burners under one plate means the whole surface is live at once.
The 90-day limited warranty is the shortest in this roundup, and the weight is the heaviest. At 15.1 kg this is a two-person lift, and you are also carrying the stove. If your group is five or more and you already own a Camp Chef system, this is the plate to get. If you do not own the stove, the cost of the complete setup changes the calculation entirely.
What you should know before buying it
Measure before you commit. At 14 by 32 inches, this griddle needs a genuine two-burner stove with a wide, flat top, not a small backpacking burner. It is designed for Camp Chef 14 inch systems and similar full-width two-burner layouts. On a narrower stove the overhang is severe and the edges sit directly over flame.
Steel needs maintenance. The seasoning wears down with use, particularly if you cook acidic foods or use a wire tool, so plan on a re-season before every trip. Owners who oil it after each session report it stays in excellent shape; owners who do not, report rust pitting.
Who should skip it
Skip it for couples, solo campers, and anyone without a two-burner stove. There is no burner, no ignition and no legs in the box, so it does nothing on its own. Solo campers following threads on r/griddling and r/blackstonegriddle consistently ask for something small enough to use alone, and this is the opposite of that.
5. Camp Chef 16 x 24 Cast Iron Griddle – Best Reversible Cast Iron Slab
Camp Chef Cast Iron Griddle – 16 x 24, Non-Stick Grill/Griddle Sides
- Reversible flat and ribbed cooking sides
- 384 sq in surface feeds a family
- Thick cast iron holds heat and resists warping
- Molded side handles aid lifting
- Works on grills and large cooktops
- Heavy at 21 pounds and hard to clean in a sink
- Overhangs most standard burner grates
- Rough cast surface needs seasoning time
- Slow to preheat
This Camp Chef cast iron griddle does two jobs in one piece. Flip it and you have 384 square inches of flat griddle surface; flip it the other way and you have a ribbed grill side that leaves sear marks on burgers and chops. At 16 by 24 inches it is a serious amount of cast iron, and it holds heat the way a griddle should.
Users commonly use it to turn a gas grill into a griddle station, which is its most natural habitat. The True Seasoned Finish means it is not fighting you on the first cook, and the molded cast iron handles are a real improvement over lifting a bare plate with a towel. The 4.5 rating sits across roughly 1,900 reviews, with a 77 percent five-star share.
Two things slow it down. The cast surface arrives rough and needs seasoning time before it smooths out, and it takes noticeably longer to preheat than a thin steel plate. That is the trade for thermal mass, and it is a good trade for searing but a bad one for the impatient breakfast cook. A handful of owners also report cracking in the cast iron, which is rare but worth knowing.
Overhang is the second issue and it is mentioned repeatedly. At 24 inches wide, this griddle overhangs most standard burner grates, so check your cooktop before ordering. The same advice applies to a camp stove: if the plate is not fully supported, the unsupported edge is cooking over open flame and warping is the eventual result.
What you should know before buying it
Cleaning happens outdoors, every time. A 21 pound piece of cast iron does not go in a camp sink, and soap and water are not what seasoned cast iron wants. Scrape it, wipe it thin with oil while warm, and store it dry. That routine takes two minutes and keeps the seasoning intact for years.
Budget for the weight twice. You carry it out, and you carry it back whether or not you used it. If your vehicle is a small hatchback, the 16 by 24 footprint is the constraint to check rather than the weight.
Who should skip it
Skip it for anyone cooking alone, for quick heat-up breakfasts, and for small camp stoves that cannot support a 24 inch plate. It is also the wrong choice if you want a grill and a griddle in separate pieces, since the flip means you give up one surface to use the other.
6. CAMPLUX GG302S 2-in-1 Griddle and Grill – Best Single-Unit Switchover
- Switches between a 163 sq in grill and 254 sq in griddle
- Ceramic nonstick surface is easy to clean
- 19000 BTU H-shaped burners heat evenly
- All parts removable for thorough cleaning
- Regulator included in the box
- Heavy at 26 pounds
- Ceramic coating degrades with sustained high heat
- Griddle top needs heat-resistant gloves
- Lowest rating in this group
The CAMPLUX GG302S answers a specific need: one box that griddles in the morning and grills in the evening. It converts between a 254 square inch griddle top and a 163 square inch grill grate, driven by 19,000 BTU of H-shaped burner capacity across two burners. The included pressure reducing regulator for a 20 lb propane tank means it is usable out of the box, which not every portable unit can say.
Everything is removable. The griddle top, grease cup, flame tamers and grease tray all come off, so cleanup is a matter of warm water, a paper towel and a dish brush. Reviewers mention this as the first thing they noticed. At 4.3 stars across 875 reviews, it ties for the lowest rating in this group, and the spread is the widest, with 7 percent one-star.
The nonstick coating is the honest caveat. Enthusiasts on r/blackstonegriddle are blunt about it, with one owner stating they do not want the non-stick versions as that sort of defeats the purpose, because a nonstick surface cannot take the harsh metal tools and heavy scraping that build and maintain a seasoning layer. If you cook with a cast iron scraper, this is not your griddle. If you want the easiest cleanup on a trip and are gentle with tools, it is a fair trade.
The coating also has a durability ceiling. Repeated high-heat griddling shortens its life compared to bare steel or cast iron, which just seasons deeper over time. Plan on a replacement surface eventually rather than treating it as a lifetime piece.
What you should know before buying it
At 26 pounds you are carrying 254 square inches of surface plus a grill grate, a frame and four rubber feet, which is a lot of weight for the cooking area. If your campsite is a short walk from the vehicle, that is manageable. If it is a walk in, it is not.
Use gloves. Reviewers flag that the griddle top and side components get hot enough to need heat-resistant gloves during use, and the stainless frame conducts heat as well as the plate. This is not a unit you reach into bare-handed to flip a grate mid-cook.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you plan to season a griddle and keep it for years, or if you want the lowest weight per square inch. The nonstick coating limits both the lifespan and the repair options. Enthusiast buyers who want to build a griddle collection over time will get more from bare steel; occasional campers will get a lot of convenience from this one.
7. Blackstone 1814 17 Inch Griddle – Best Fit for Family Car Camping
- Compact 17 inch footprint fits a car trunk
- 268 sq in surface feeds a family of four
- H-style burner spreads heat evenly
- Integrated high-capacity grease tray
- Height-adjustable feet for uneven ground
- Heavier than cast iron and aluminum plates
- No carrying case or cover included
- Needs regular oiling and re-seasoning
- Propane tank and regulator sold separately
The Blackstone 1814 is the size most families actually want. 268 square inches of cooking surface handles up to 9 burgers, 9 pancakes or 12 eggs, which is a real family breakfast rather than a couple’s breakfast, and it does it in a 17 inch tabletop footprint that genuinely fits in a car trunk. Owners treat it as their go-anywhere griddle for exactly that reason.
A single 12,000 BTU H-style burner spreads heat across the whole plate, and a built-in igniter with adjustable heat intensity gets you cooking quickly. The integrated high-capacity grease tray means the drip channel empties into a container you can empty away from camp, and the height-adjustable rubber feet keep the unit stable on grass or soft ground. The 4.7 rating across more than 2,100 reviews is one of the strongest in the group.
This is also the unit to consider if the low-end heat control question is your priority. A single burner with one knob is easier to hold at a gentle temperature than two independent burners, and for pancakes and eggs that matters more than raw BTU. It is a smaller, calmer cooking surface than the 22 inch Blackstone, and for a family of four that is the right size.
Accessories are the recurring gap. There is no carrying case and no cover in the box, and the propane tank and regulator are separate purchases. Owners do the same thing here as with the larger model: run it off a camper propane tank through an adapter hose, which is routine practice in the Blackstone owner groups.
What you should know before buying it
At 9 kg it is heavier than the 9.4 pound cast iron Lodge, so plan the loadout accordingly. The rectangular 17 inch body still stacks neatly rather than sitting awkwardly in a boot, and its height-adjustable feet handle soft ground.
Seasoning is a routine, not a one-time event. The steel plate needs a wipe of oil between trips, and owners who skip that step get a sticky surface within a season. A hard cover is worth having for transport even though it is not included.
Who should skip it
Skip it for groups of six or more, where 268 square inches becomes a bottleneck, and skip it if you need something you can carry on foot. It is also not the right pick for anyone who wants a nonstick surface or who does not want to maintain a steel plate, since that maintenance is permanent.
8. Utheer 25 x 16 Inch Pre-Seasoned Griddle – Best Grease Trough Design
Utheer 25″ x 16″ Pre-Seasoned Nonstick Cast Iron Griddle for Gas & Charcoal
- Large 25 x 16 inch surface fits most grills
- Three reinforced ridges resist warping and hot spots
- Built-in grease trough reduces flare-ups
- Detachable side handles ease carrying
- Pre-seasoned surface cuts initial seasoning work
- Very heavy when hot
- Needs a separate grill or cooktop
- Can rust if left outdoors undried
- Overhangs many portable camp grills
The Utheer is the answer to the single most common complaint in the forums: grease that goes nowhere. Its built-in trough runs around the working area, so bacon fat collects in the groove instead of sliding off the low edge onto your stove or fire. Buyers who convert a gas or charcoal grill into a griddle station rate it highly for exactly this reason.
Construction details are aimed at the same problem. Three reinforced support ridges across the base resist both warping and hot spots, and the pre-seasoned nonstick cast iron surface is rated to 500 F, which is high enough for hard searing. The detachable side handles are a small addition that matters a lot on a piece this size. The 4.4 rating sits across roughly 2,900 reviews, with 8 percent one-star reflecting the weight complaints.
You need a heat source underneath. This is a plate, not a unit: no burners, no ignition, no legs. Most owners run it on a gas grill or a large cooktop, and it works well that way. For a camp stove, the 25 inch length is the problem, and it is the same overhang issue the Camp Chef cast iron has.
Rust is the maintenance reality. Cast iron that is left outdoors wet will spot, and owners who store it in a bag without drying and oiling it first come back to pitting. A camp sack and a rag in the box solve this in about a minute.
What you should know before buying it
Measure your grill, not your stove. The dimensions are 25 by 16 inches, and it fits most full-size gas and charcoal grills, which is its design centre. Portable camp grills are usually too small for the full footprint, so treat this as a car-camping and tailgating plate rather than a backcountry one.
Get a plan for the weight. The listing does not publish a weight figure, and reviewers consistently describe it as a very heavy piece that is difficult to lift when hot. Use the detachable handles and two hands, and assume you are not carrying it far from the vehicle.
Who should skip it
Skip it for a single-burner camp stove, for solo campers, and for anyone without a full-size grill to sit it on. It is a large-format accessory, and buying it as a first griddle usually overshoots. If you want a self-contained unit, you want a burner-equipped model instead.
9. Camp Chef SG14 Single-Burner Griddle – Best for One Burner Cooktops
- 224 sq in covers one burner and frees the other
- Heat-dispersing disc welded underneath
- Pre-seasoned and heavy enough to resist warping
- Handle makes it easy to move
- Holds heat well for smash burgers and searing
- 18 pound weight is awkward to lift
- Grease catcher is a hanger with no cup included
- Confusing SG14 and SG30 size naming
- Fits 16 inch front-to-back Camp Chef stoves
The Camp Chef SG14 is the answer for campers who want to keep a burner free. At 224 square inches it covers a single burner, which on a two-burner camp stove means you can still boil coffee or water on the other side while the griddle is working. For a couple or a family of three, that is a genuinely better layout than a plate that swallows the whole stove.
Heat handling is the strong point. A heat-dispersing disc welded underneath spreads flame across the plate, and the alloy steel is heavy enough not to warp at temperature, which is the usual failure with thin single-burner griddles. Owners report it holding heat well enough for smash burgers and hard searing, and the 4.6 rating reflects that evenness.
Read the size naming carefully before you order. Camp Chef’s model numbers are confusing: SG14 is a 14 by 16 inch plate, while the SG30 is 16 by 14 inches, which is the same area in a different orientation. Owners report ordering the wrong fit as the single most common mistake, and this plate fits Camp Chef 16 inch front-to-back systems rather than 14 inch two-burner models.
The grease catcher is the other disappointment. The unit includes a drain and a holder, but no cup, so you need a separate container to catch the runoff. The drain itself works well; you just have to supply the vessel, which is an odd omission for a plate designed around grease management.
What you should know before buying it
Confirm your stove orientation, not just your stove size. If your cooktop measures 16 inches front-to-back, the SG14 fits. If it is a 14 inch two-burner layout, it does not, and you will be cooking with one edge hanging over the burner. This is the single most important check on this product.
At 18 pounds it is portable but not packable. The handle helps, and it is light enough to move around a campsite once unloaded. Bring a small container for the grease cup you have to supply, and the plate becomes a genuinely useful part of a two-burner setup.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need more than 224 square inches, if your stove is a 14 inch two-burner, or if you want a self-contained unit with its own burner. It is also not the pick for cooking for five or more at once, where a single burner simply cannot keep up with the volume.
10. Nordic Ware Two Burner Aluminum Griddle – Best Budget Starter Griddle
- Spans two burners with a 10 x 16.5 inch surface
- Ceramic nonstick makes cleanup simple
- Uncoated back works over campfires and on grills
- Easy to carry and store
- Five-year manufacturer warranty
- Aluminum holds less heat than cast iron or steel
- Not compatible with induction cooktops
- Ceramic coating scratches with metal tools
- Sits close to the flame so control is limited
The Nordic Ware is the entry point. Formed aluminum with a ceramic nonstick cooking surface measuring 10 by 16.5 inches, it spans two burners and is the easiest piece in this roundup to carry and store. Buyers treat it as a first griddle for RV trips and campfire cooking, and the 5 year manufacturer warranty is the longest we found.
The uncoated back side is the detail most people miss. Flip it over and the plain aluminum face works directly over a campfire, on a camp stove, on a grill or in an RV, so the same plate covers cooking methods that other units cannot. Just keep the coated side away from flame.
Aluminum is the trade, and it is a real one. It has less heat retention than cast iron or steel, so the surface drops in temperature faster when you set cold food on it. A seasoned camper on a Boundary Waters forum makes the same point about aluminum griddles in general, noting that thickness is what determines how evenly a plate cooks. Thin formed aluminum is at the light end of that range.
Because the plate sits close to the flame with little thermal mass, temperature control is limited. That is fine for eggs and pancakes, and marginal for a hard sear. It is also not induction compatible, so if your stove is induction you are out, and the ceramic coating scratches if you use metal tools or abrasive cleaners, which rules out the cast iron scraper habit.
What you should know before buying it
Cooking surface is 10 by 16.5 inches, which serves two people well and stretches thin for four. The overall dimensions are 17.5 by 10.1 inches with a 1 inch thick edge, so it spans a standard two-burner stove without the overhang problem that larger plates create.
Treat the coating carefully. Use a wooden or silicone spatula, skip the scouring pad, and wipe it clean while warm. Ceramic nonstick that is treated gently keeps its release; ceramic nonstick that meets a metal scraper does not last.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need hard searing, if you cook for five or more, or if your cooktop is induction. It is also the wrong choice for anyone who wants a griddle they can build a long-term seasoning layer on, since the nonstick coating is the point rather than an alternative to seasoning.
What Owners Complain About Most?
Across the forum threads on this topic, the same five complaints come up repeatedly, and none of them are about taste. Knowing them in advance will save you the disappointment.
Stove footprint mismatch. This is the most-cited problem in the community. Campers with a two-burner stove offering roughly 17 by 9 inches of usable space struggle to find anything flat enough with a grease trap that actually fits. Measured against a typical setup, a two-burner stove offers roughly 17 by 9 inches of usable space, and that is the number your griddle has to live inside.
Grease that fills and does not drain. Breakfast cooking is the main reason people buy a griddle, and it is also the fastest way to fill a plate that has no trough or drain. This is why we rated the Utheer highly for its built-in groove, and why the Lodge’s low edges come with a caveat despite it being our editor’s choice.
Running too hot on low settings. On r/blackstonegriddle, an owner of a 22 inch tabletop reports that the unit gets way too hot, doing more burning than cooking, and that even on the lowest setting it rips. Large dual-burner units are the usual suspects. A single burner you can modulate is the practical answer.
Bulk with the newer hooded models. The same community notes the newer hooded griddle versions are quite a bit bulkier than the classic open tailgater, which matters when vehicle load space is the constraint. The open designs in this roundup pack down smaller.
Nonstick is contested. Some owners reject nonstick griddles outright, saying it defeats the purpose, because the coating rules out the metal tools and hard scraping that make a seasoned surface. We have flagged this honestly on the CAMPLUX and Nordic Ware entries. Others are delighted by the easy cleanup, and both positions are reasonable.
How to Choose a Camping Griddle in 2026
1. Measure your stove before anything else
Take a tape measure to your camp stove and measure the flat usable area, not the total footprint. A common two-burner propane stove gives you roughly 17 by 9 inches of grates, and that is the number your griddle has to live inside. Also measure the height clearance above the burner, because a low-profile cast iron plate and a raised frame need different gaps. If a plate overhangs, the outer edge sits over open flame, and that is where warping and scorched food come from.
2. Match cooking surface to your group size
Surface area in square inches is the most useful number on the spec sheet. Around 150 to 200 square inches serves two people, 250 to 300 comfortably feeds a family of four, and 380 square inches and up is for groups cooking all at once. The Blackstone 1814 at 268 square inches is the family default; the Camp Chef SG60 at 448 square inches is a group tool. Buying above your group size adds weight without adding capability.
3. Decide between a plate and a self-contained unit
A plate needs a stove and weighs far less. A self-contained unit has burners, ignition and legs, weighs 25 pounds or more, and needs only a propane tank. Backpackers and canoe campers should default to a plate. Car campers who want to cook anywhere in the site without finding a stable two-burner stove should default to a unit. If you already own a camp stove, a plate is almost always the better value.
4. Check heat source compatibility before you buy
Match the fuel to what you carry. A camper propane tank needs an adapter hose to reach a griddle burner, which owners treat as routine. A 20 lb cylinder works with most regulators but is a car-camping item, not a hiking item. A wood-burning camp stove takes a cast iron or uncoated plate. Electric and induction setups rule out some plates outright, and the Nordic Ware is explicitly not induction compatible. Never run a propane appliance inside a tent or enclosed vehicle.
5. Treat grease management as a feature, not a detail
Ask one question before buying: where does the grease go? A rear channel feeding a collection cup, a front trough with raised sides, or a built-in perimeter groove all solve the problem. A plate with low edges and no drain does not, and bacon grease will end up on your stove or in your fire. This is the difference that matters most over a weekend of breakfast cooking, and it costs nothing extra to check before you order.
6. Look at material and maintenance honestly
Seasoned cast iron and bare steel last decades and improve with use, but they demand oil, dry storage and gentle cleaning. Ceramic nonstick cleans in a minute and never needs seasoning, but it scratches with metal tools, degrades under repeated high heat and cannot be repaired. Aluminum is the lightest and the least responsive to temperature. Choose the maintenance habit you will actually keep up on a trip, because a neglected griddle is worse than no griddle.
If you are still weighing electric options for a home kitchen rather than a campsite, our 10 best electric griddles for home roundup covers that side of the market in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good portable griddle for camping?
A good portable griddle is a flat, heavy cooking surface that sits on a camp stove or burns its own propane, with a grease channel or trough and enough surface for your group size. Backpackers do well with a cast iron plate; solo and car campers want a small self-contained unit; groups want 300 square inches or more. Always measure your stove’s usable area first.
Is there a griddle better than a Blackstone?
Yes, depending on the condition. The Royal Gourmet PD1301S offers three independently controlled burners and 304 square inches, where the Blackstone 17 inch has a single burner. The Camp Chef SG60 gives you 448 square inches of surface, more than any unit we tested. For hard searing and long-term seasoning, bare steel and cast iron designs reward you more than a coated surface does.
What is the best camping stove with griddle?
There is no single best combination, but the pattern is consistent: a two-burner propane camp stove with a cast iron or steel plate sized to fit within its usable footprint, roughly 17 by 9 inches. Single-burner stoves suit a 224 square inch plate like the Camp Chef SG14. Self-contained propane units need no stove at all but weigh 25 pounds or more.
Why are people selling their Blackstone griddles?
The common reasons are size and duplication. Newer hooded models are noticeably bulkier than the classic open tailgater, which matters for vehicle load space, and many owners bought a second unit during the brand’s surge and later sold the spare. Others tire of the re-seasoning a steel plate requires. It is a popularity effect more than a defect pattern.
Is a cast iron skillet better than a camping griddle for backpacking?
For weight, yes. A cast iron skillet is lighter than most griddles and is the standard choice for canoe and backpacking trips, as owners on r/CampingGear describe with a 10 inch Lodge skillet over a small stove. A griddle wins on total heat and surface area, so it suits car camping and groups cooking all at once. Solo backpackers rarely need the extra surface.
Our Verdict on the Best Griddles for Camping Trips
The Lodge reversible cast iron is our pick for 2026 because it covers the widest range of trips without extra hardware, and it carries the largest review base in the group at 4.5 stars across more than 27,000 owners. Cook for a group in a vehicle and the Blackstone 1666, with 361 square inches and two independent heat zones, is the stronger tool. Budget buyers get the Nordic Ware, and anyone with a full-size grill gets the Utheer for its grease trough.
Before you order anything, measure your stove. That single five-minute check eliminates the most common disappointment in this whole category, and it costs nothing.