I tested the Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle, and it will make you want to cook outside more often

I have a garage full of tools because I have far too many hobbies. And as anyone with complex hobbies can attest, the right tool for the job goes a long way toward making your life easier. Traeger’s Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle is one such tool. As experienced grillers can attest, some foods cook wonderfully over open flames, while others require a flat, even surface.

That distinction means a griddle needs to function differently than the best grill, and it’s vital to have even heat over your cooking surface. And even then, it can be difficult to cook multiple foods at one time, since different foods require different cooking temperatures.

Traeger has come up with a clever solution with the Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle, and overall, I found this griddle to outperform its peers, thanks in part to its two-chamber heating system and high-quality build. Here’s what happened.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Price and availability

The Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle is available for $800 on Traeger’s website. Additionally, you can finance the purchase using Affirm at checkout. Traeger includes a 5-year warranty with purchase.

You can also buy the Flatrock 2 at other retailers such as The Home Depot, though availability may be limited. Traeger includes a SHOP LOCAL button on its website so you can find a retailer near you.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Design

The Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle took about an hour and a half to build, although most of that time was spent unboxing and laying out the parts. The rest of the assembly process goes very quickly and the instructions are rock-solid, as was my experience with other Traeger products.

Once it’s all together, the Flatrock 2 feels stable and well built. The materials feel high-quality, and overall the unit looks great. I did have one small issue with the wire shelf that sits on the low shelf next to the propane bottle. One of the screw holes did not line up properly — as a result, that wire shelf tends to sway a bit.

Nevertheless, the Flatrock 2 comes packed with nifty features. For starters, the TruZone temperature control design allows for two very distinct cooking zones on each side of the griddle. In other words, the left burner is completely isolated from the right burner. Each one gets its own chamber, so you can really tailor the temperatures on different parts of the griddle.

Within those chambers, Traeger includes U-shaped burners — one for each side. Traeger says this helps eliminate cold spots on the cooking surface. And the FlameLock construction keeps wind out by using a recessed cooktop. That means wind won’t get in and blow at your burners while you’re cooking. Traeger says this also improves fuel efficiency.

The lid features folding hinges that keep the lid upright during cooking. Traeger says you should never cook with the lid closed, as this creates an excessively hot cooking surface that could pose a danger.

On the outside, the Flatrock features a folding prep shelf on each side, both equipped with P.A.L. accessory rails. Traeger makes a whole host of “Pop and Lock” accessories to work with these rails.

The carbon steel cooking surface is heavy-duty. It offers 486 square inches of cooking surface area, and a grease trap on the near side of the cooktop. That feeds into Traeger’s EZ-Clean Keg grease trap, which pulls out of the front of the unit for easy cleaning.

As is the case with any cast iron or carbon steel cooktop, you’ll want to season the cooking surface before your first use. This helps create a nice, non-stick surface, and it also burns off any residues or debris that may have accumulated during manufacturing and shipping.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Cooking performance

Getting the Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle in for testing seemed like a great excuse for a burger night in the backyard. Griddles are a great choice for burgers because they cook the patties more evenly and help the burger retain moisture better. On top of that, you’ll get a nice sear all around.

The fold-out shelves are pretty spacious, and I was able to pack them full of everything I needed. I had already seasoned the cooking surface, so I simply fired up the Flatrock and let it heat up.

My infrared thermometer read 450 degrees in most regions of the cooking surface after about 10 minutes of warm-up time. The edges of the griddle registered cooler temperatures, and the corners the coolest of all. This isn’t too surprising, and it’s an issue I’ve faced in most griddles I’ve tested. It’s largely the result of a rectangular cooking surface and the rounded heating elements beneath.

Still, the Flatrock registered more consistent temperatures across the cooking surface, enough that I wasn’t worried too much about uneven cooking overall. Once the cooking surface had reached around 500 degrees, I lowered one side so I could caramelize some onions and slow-cook some bacon.

The Flatrock truly does allow for 2-zone cooking. The dual “chambers” around the individual burners work like a charm. The left side continued to register between 450 and 500 degrees, while the right side was consistent between 275 and 325 degrees.

I was very glad to see the temperature on the hot side reach 500 degrees, which is something that other griddles I’ve tested have struggled with. If the cooking surface doesn’t get hot enough, you’ll struggle to get a good sear on meats. So kudos to Traeger here.

That said, be sure to heed Traeger’s advice not to cook with the lid lowered. The lid gets super hot, and the handle does, too. I found that out the hard way when I left the lid closed during pre-heating.

On the first burger, I used Traeger’s steam dome to ensure a nice, juicy, medium-rare finish. I got an excellent sear on both sides without burning or losing any moisture. The burger ended up better than anything I’ve been served at a restaurant in recent memory.

For the second burger, I used Traeger’s Weighted Grill Press. This burger also came out very good, though the press does make more moisture seep out of the patty. Use this one if you’re after that “Smashburger” style. There was no sticking on the cook surface using either method.

On the other side of the grill, the onions caramelized perfectly at a lower temperature. When I wasn’t using the steam dome for the burgers, I put this over the onions so they didn’t dry out and start to burn. A bit of cowboy butter, sliced onions, and patience led to an excellent finish. Even at lower temperatures, none of the food stuck to the cooking surface.

It was so incredibly handy to be able to cook the onions and bacon at the same time as the burgers. The dual-zone heating really is a treat since it works so well. Everything I cooked came out perfectly.

And the cooking surface feels high-quality, rugged, and ready for years of use. You’ll need to care for it, and seasoning isn’t a difficult process — I recommend doing it frequently. When I was done cooking, I scraped off any debris and then added a light coating of grapeseed oil to the still-hot cooking surface. I spread it around, then wiped off the excess once the griddle cooled. Easy peasy.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Accessories

Traeger offers a ton of accessories that work with its Pop and Lock system. One of the more relevant ones for this use is the Flat Top Grill Essentials Kit ($100), which includes two spatulas, a cooking surface scraper, and two squirt bottles.

The Ultimate Smashed Burger Kit ($130) is another great option for use with the Flatrock 2. It includes a weighted grill press, a spatula, and a steam dome that help you make delicious burgers.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Competition

The outdoor griddle market is a big one, with brands like Traeger and Blackstone leading the way. There are more entry-level options like Nexgrill as well as fancier options like Solo Stove’s Steelfire 30, a clad stainless steel griddle option different from most other offerings.

The Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle offers plenty of nifty features that set it apart from the competition. Traeger bests Blackstone and Nexgrill in terms of build quality, though Nexgrill is the most economical offering if you just want to give griddles a try without a big commitment.

The Solo Stove Steelfire is an interesting competitor. It’s more expensive than the Flatrock, but it also offers a stainless steel cooktop, which heats faster and requires no seasoning.

Both the Flatrock and the Steelfire are excellent griddle options, though they’re very different experiences. If you want your griddle to be as low-maintenance as possible, choose the Solo Stove. If a more traditional, carbon-steel or cast-iron cooktop is what you’re after for durability and an easily-non-stick surface, the Flatrock 2 is the solid choice.

Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle review: Verdict

Traeger really shines thanks to its build quality, wide selection of accessories, and functionality — and the Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle is no exception.

Traeger has done a wonderful job of ensuring you get true 2-zone cooking out of this unit. While it suffers from the same issues as many griddles out there — namely, dead spots in the corners and edges of the cooking surface — the overall heating capabilities far outshine the downsides. It’s an excellent choice for outdoor griddle cooking that will make you want to cook outside more often.