Top 5 Best Camping Griddles

If you want to cook in style while camping, you need to have the best camping griddle to get the job done. In today’s world, a lot of people go camping. Enjoying the outdoors is a great way to relax, unwind, and reconnect with yourself. Campers know that when you are camping you need a reliable way to cook your food. You need a way to cook your food that is portable and easy to travel with, and a portable griddle is a great tool to have for this very reason.

Griddles are a great thing to have while camping, like camping cooking pots, cast iron woks, cast iron baking pans, and cast iron skillets. There are a lot of different camping griddles to choose from. Here are camping griddle reviews and ratings for our favorite ones.

The 5 Top Camping Griddles

In addition to cast iron camping pots and camping skillets, every camper needs to have a griddle if they plan to cook out in the wilderness. All griddles are a little different and offer different features that can make it easier to cook over a campfire, so you need to know what sorts are available to get the best portable griddle for your needs. Here are five of the best camping griddles and what makes them stand out from the rest.

* Ratings are determined using our specialized rating system.

Lodge LPGI3 Pro-Grid Cast Iron Reversible 20″ x 10″ Grill/Griddle Pan

The Lodge LPGI3 Pro-Grid Cast Iron Reversible Griddle is a durable and versatile cast iron griddle. This portable griddle is reversible, with one side being flat and the other ridged, so it’s like having a griddle and a cast iron grill pan in one. One thing that sets this griddle apart is that it’s perfectly suited to use both in and out of doors, so you can take it out camping and then put it on your stovetop for everyday use.

This griddle is made from cast iron, so it needs to be seasoned, but the manufacture already covered the first seasoning using vegetable oil, so there isn’t any need to worry about harmful chemicals affecting your food. With proper use and care, a cast iron griddle like this can last decades or even centuries.

Royal Gourmet PD1300 Portable 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill Griddle

The Royal Gourmet PD1300 Portable 3-Burner Propane Gas Griddle features a porcelain enamel cooktop that brings a real taste of luxury to the camping life. It has three burners, so there’s plenty of space for cooking different foods at the same time, and it even has a grease collector for health-conscious campers.

Compared to other griddles, the Royal Gourmet is extremely easy to clean. The porcelain enamel surface can be cleaned with just soap, water, and some paper towels. The biggest downside of this portable griddle is that it’s heavy. At 30 pounds, it’s much more suited to weekend camping trips than it is long treks into the wilderness. But that aside, this griddle still offers a lot of great features that any camper or cook can appreciate.

Coleman Steel Griddle

The Coleman Steel Griddle is a smaller cast iron griddle that is easy to fit into any camping budget. It has a smaller cooking area compared to other griddles, but it’s still well suited to cooking for smaller camping parties. The raised sides of the griddle help ensure that the all the food will make it onto plates and not fall into the fire.

This griddle has a nonstick coating that makes cleaning it easy, even while adventuring out in the wilds. Like with al nonstick cookware, using metal implements can scratch off finish and make it unsafe to use, so make sure to only use wood or plastic implements with this portable griddle.

Lodge CRS15 Carbon Steel Skillet Griddle

The Lodge CRS15 Carbon Steel Skillet is a round griddle that is advertised primarily as a paella pan, but it’s so much more than just that. It’s made from durable steel, but it needs to be seasoned as if it were cast iron. However, it comes pre-seasoned, so you can use this portable griddle immediately after receiving it without having to worry about damaging the steel.

This griddle can be used both over campfires as well as any type of stove, so you can keep it with your normal pots and pans and use it for normal cooking in addition to while camping. Lodge offers this same griddle in multiple different sizes, so if the 15” version seems like it might be too big or heavy, you can pick a smaller size.

Bayou Classic 7488 17″ Cast Iron Campfire Griddle,Black

The Bayou Classic 7488 17″ Cast Iron Campfire Griddle,Black is a unique option because it isn’t just a griddle: it’s also a grill. This griddle can be used interchangeably so you can make eggs for breakfast and burgers for lunch without needing two pans or worrying about grease buildup. The outdoor griddle even has a built-in grease catcher so you don’t have to worry about eating food that has been soaking in bacon grease.

The 17″ cooking surface means it can prepare a lot of food at once, so it’s great for big camping groups. While the griddle may weight 20.8 pounds, it has built-in legs that hold it up over the campfire, so you don’t have to worry about bringing or finding a cooking grate in order to cook. When not in use, the legs can be remove, and make this portable griddle easy to strap to a backpack.

Important Camping Griddle Features to Consider

When you are looking for the best camping griddle you want to make sure to think about all the features that would be best for you. Some features that the camping griddles have include legs that make it easier to cook over a campfire or propane camping stove so a campfire isn’t required.

Keep track of what sorts of features you want, but don’t get bogged down by them. Some features sound nice when they’re being described on a store listing but aren’t necessary for camping. Always ask yourself if you can see yourself using certain features or what you would use them for. If you have difficulty coming up with an answer, there’s a good chance that particular feature isn’t necessary for you.

Why Pack a Griddle Over Other Camping Cookware?

There’s a lot of different cookware aimed at campers out there. From camping mess kits to dutch oven lid lifters and camping coffee pots so you can get your caffeine fix in the middle of a forest, there’s a lot of different equipment you can choose to bring. So why an outdoor griddle over a pot or a pan?

Having a griddle when you are camping is great because their versatility allows you to easily cook anything on them. Whether you are trying to cook hot dogs, steak, eggs, or even bacon-wrapped asparagus, you can cook it all on a griddle. And so many griddles are made with both campfires and stoves in mind, so you can use it year-round and not just during camping season.

Griddles can also offer more features than just a pot or pan can. Like with the Lodge LPGI3 Pro-Grid Cast Iron Reversible Griddle, it has two usable sides that each provide a different style of cooktop for different foods.

Choosing a Griddle

There are a lot of different outdoor griddles on the market that you can choose from, an even when the choices have been narrowed down, it can still be difficult to choose which one is right for you. What makes an outdoor griddle the best camping griddle? How do you decide which is the best for your needs? Here are some things to consider when weighing the options.

What are You Cooking on Your Camping Griddle?

It’s good to keep the type of food you’ll be cooking from your cast iron cookbook in mind while looking for the best camping griddle. Are you a burgers and hotdogs kind of camper? Or do you prefer healthier meals with lots of fresh veggies? For meats, it can be better to pick a griddle that has ridges in order to help strain out the grease while cooking, while you can use a flatter griddle for foods that don’t require drainage.

Many of the best outdoor griddles are extremely versatile and can be used to cook a multitude of things. However, due to their flat surface, they work poorly for boiling water or heating liquids. Consider a cast iron teapot instead for any liquid-based cooking needs.

How Are You Going to Use Your Camping Griddle?

Some campers prefer weekend getaways while others like longer excursions so they really feel like they’re part of nature. You’ll need to decide which type of outdoor griddle best fits your needs. If you hike a lot, a lightweight option like a cast iron melting pot is likely going to be the best pick, but if you prefer sticking to campgrounds, you may want to go for a heavier option that offers more features. The choice is up to you, but don’t forget to take your habits into account when finding the best camping griddle for your needs.

To learn more about different cast iron griddles on the market, check out our Lodge cast iron reviews, Tramontina cast iron reviews, and Finex cast iron reviews to see what these great cast iron brands have to offer.

Conclusion

After considering all the best griddles on the market, my favorite is definitely the Lodge LPGI3 Pro-Grid Cast Iron Reversible Griddle. I’m a big fan of hiking and backpacking, so I’m always looking for lightweight equipment, and this griddle is just a little over three pounds. And because it’s made of cast iron, I don’t have to worry about it getting damaged if it knocks into anything while out on the trails.

Having a reversible griddle is so handy. I never have to worry about packing multiple types of pans or grates because this one griddle does it all. I also love how this griddle can be used on my stove at home. It makes me feel like I got my money’s worth that I’m able to use this griddle all year-round and not just when I’m out camping. I can say with certainty that the Lodge Pro-Grid Reversible griddle is the best camping griddle for me, and I hope it is for you too.

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