My Traeger Flatrock 2-Zone Flat Top Griddle Review

Before I got to be a chef walking the red carpet at the Kentucky Derby, I was a line cook — all chefs were at one point. My entry into line cooking was in a 24-hour diner chain where, aside from a deep fryer, the only piece of cooking equipment was a flat-top grill. Actually, two flat-tops: One for eggs, omelettes, and crepes, and one for everything else, like sandwiches, pancakes, hash browns, and breakfast meats. Eggs require a lower cooking temperature than most other foods (lest you get crispy whites and brown omelettes), and our production volume called for a separate grill to accommodate that. Little did I know at the time that this experience would be my introduction to multi-zone cooking.

Traeger recently released its Flatrock 2-Zone griddle, a smaller version of its previous 3-Zone model. The Flatrock line moves away from the pellet grills on which Traeger made its name and into the propane gas-fueled appliance space. Its biggest claim is the ability to create two different heat zones for preparing multiple types of food at once. I took the opportunity to dust off my skills acquired as a teenage diner cook and test the new Flatrock 2-Zone, and here’s what I found along the way. 

Traeger Flatrock 2-Zone Griddle

The Flatrock arrived via freight truck on a pallet, so make sure you have the means to move the griddle when it arrives. And before you can dive in and start using it, you’ve got to put it together. I’m not a fan of Traeger’s pictogram assembly instructions. The Flatrock is the second grill I’ve assembled using them, and I feel the illustrations omit crucial details for properly orienting key pieces. Traeger’s website says that assembly takes 30-40 minutes, but I spent about two hours assembling the grill — not including time spent seasoning it and disposing of the extensive amounts of packaging. Due to the limited space available, I assembled the grill in direct sunlight and found I needed work gloves to protect myself from the solar-heated parts. So, I highly recommend assembling the Flatrock under some sort of cover, such as a garage or a pop-up canopy.

Traeger’s Flatrock 2-Zone creates dual cooking zones by utilizing two U-shaped 18,000 BTU burners positioned under a carbon steel cooktop with special insulation between the left and right sides to minimize heat transfer between the zones. The U-shaped burners cover a larger portion of the cooking surface than straight burners, ensuring more even heating. The cooktop, with raised windblocks on all sides, measures 18 x 26 inches for a total cooking area of 468 square inches.

The spacious and sturdy side tables provide ample room for plates, trays, ingredients, and sauces, and they’re compatible with Traeger’s Pop-And-Lock rail system for attaching tool holders and caddies. The under-shelf holds the propane tank and sports a wire rack for holding extra tools when not in use. The two temperature controls feature sparking lighters, eliminating the need for manual ignition. And although I found one of the two quite stubborn, it eventually lit. Two viewing windows are designed to allow you to see the level of each burner’s flame, but I didn’t have success with that feature and couldn’t actually see the flames.

After seasoning the cooktop, I tried my first meal on the Flatrock, taking advantage of the dual heat zones by setting one on high and the other to medium heat. I checked the griddle temperature at various points using an infrared thermometer and found that the heat varied by 20°-40°F from the center of the burner to the edges on both sides of the griddle. After checking the temperature, I sauteed some onions and peppers on the medium-heat side while I seared thin cuts of steak on the high-heat burner. I toasted some rolls in the center of the griddle, and then I piled everything together to melt cheese over the top.

The heat control was good, and I didn’t see a lot of heat bleed-over from the hot zone to the medium side. And although it was a freshly seasoned piece of steel, nothing stuck, which was a nice quality. However, one quirk did reveal itself: it’s crucial to level the griddle using the adjustable casters, which I noticed after an accumulation of oil formed in one low corner.

The next day, I cooked a full breakfast on the Flatrock — eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I was impressed with the non-stick finish of the carbon steel cooktop when I fried the eggs using just a dot of oil, and they flipped easily, albeit with a bit of discoloration from the grill. Pancakes browned nicely and cooked evenly, too. My experience cooking hundreds of 30-pound cases of bacon as a line cook had me prepared for an absolute mess when I decided to cook a pound of it on the new griddle. But not this time. Not only did the bacon not stick, but I didn’t even have to scrape any remnants off the griddle’s surface.

My last test was simple: I needed to cook some fresh tortillas. But when I opened the Flatrock, several areas of rust on the cooktop greeted me. Yes, I had seasoned the griddle, closed the lid, and put the cover on after making breakfast the day before. However, it had rained overnight, and the ambient moisture of a Florida summer worked its magic on the carbon steel. So, I scrubbed the grill down again and seasoned it twice before I got to my tortillas, which turned out just fine, if not a bit later than expected.   

When I weigh everything out, my pros outnumber the cons. I found the heat control and dual-zone cooking very good. And although I saw a 20°-40°F variation from burner to edges, that’s a slight amount compared to many flat grills I’ve tested. The grease management system is also very efficient (provided you level the griddle), with a slide-out container and aluminum liner to catch everything for easy disposal. 

Several issues I encountered were of my own making or atmospheric in nature, such as the cooktop rusting before I could season it, or pieces getting too hot to handle in direct sunlight. I must admit that I have a lifelong distaste for stickers on cooking tools and serveware, and removing the giant sticker from the cooktop wasn’t enjoyable. Assembly directions could and should have better detail, too, especially when highlighting crucial steps. But once I had managed all the initial setup and applied enough coats of seasoning to the grill (if you think you have enough, season it one more time), the Flatrock performed well, and my younger inner diner cook approves.

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At the time of publishing, the price was $800