Flat top grills are such an easy to use, versatile cooking appliance… There’s virtually no limit to what you can whip up on one!
That is, as long as you have the right flat top grill accessories.
There are so many flat top grill tools to choose from… It can be hard to determine which are truly necessary to maximize your outdoor cooking.
The good news is… Despite the overwhelming selection of griddle tools out there, you’ll really only need a few to make life as a flat top grill owner easier!
So, we’ll get straight to the point… And lay out the essential, best flat top grill accessories to help you on your path to becoming a professional griddle chef.
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Types of Flat Top Grill Accessories
The best accessories for flat top grills can often be split into three distinctive categories…
There are cooking tools…
Accessories for cleaning and maintenance…
And griddle accessories to make cooking on a freestanding flat top griddle grill more convenient.
When it comes to flat top grill cooking and cleaning… There are a few multipurpose accessories that are immensely useful for both.
Let’s start there.
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Must-Have Flat Top Grill Accessories for Multipurpose Use
Whether for cooking or cleaning… These multipurpose BBQ tools are indispensable if you’re a flat top grill owner.
Luckily, they’re all easy to come by. In fact, you may already have many of these accessories!
We’ll kick off with griddle scrapers.
Griddle Scraper
A griddle scraper (also known as a bench scraper) is an absolute must-have flat top grill utensil!
With a wide blade and heat resistant handle… Griddle scrapers can be used to easily chop, scoop, and even flip foods on a flat top grill.
As well as this… They’re also extremely useful for scraping stuck on leftovers and drippings off of the grill surface.
They can even scrape off rust, if necessary!
Squeeze Bottles
Squeeze bottles are another handy accessory for flat top grill cooking and maintenance.
For grilling… You can fill them with cooking oil to easily (and quickly) add a controlled amount to your recipes or the griddle surface (to make it non-stick).
You can also fill squeeze bottles with dressings or sauces to add to your food!
For cleaning and maintenance… Squeeze bottles are useful for adding small amounts of water to remove stuck on grime.
They can also be used to drizzle oil onto your flat top prior to re-seasoning… Which will be super helpful if you have a Camp Chef or Blackstone Griddle (or other carbon steel or cast iron griddle) that’s prone to rust and needs periodic re-seasoning.
Heat Resistant Gloves
Lastly… Don’t forget to have a pair of heat resistant gloves nearby!
Whether you’re cooking at high temperatures or burning oil off the surface to re-season… You should always wear heat resistant gloves when dealing with a piping hot flat top grill.
Alright… That concludes our list of multipurpose flat top grill accessories.
These are all incredibly useful when grilling on a flat top… And will certainly make maintenance more convenient.
Now, let’s take a look at some more flat top grill tools specific to cooking.
Cooking Utensils for Flat Top Grill
Having the right flat top grill tool kit will make cooking up delicious recipes so much more enjoyable!
As with the multipurpose accessories… These tools for flat top grills are all super easy to find! All of them can be ordered on Amazon or found at big box stores.
Spatula
When cooking on a flat top grill… You’ll likely find yourself using a spatula more than any other tool.
When choosing a griddle spatula, be sure to select one that’s stainless steel (so it’ll hold up to the flat top’s high heat). If you can find a spatula made with 304 stainless steel… This would be ideal! Especially if you’ll be storing your utensils outdoors, 304 will hold up the longest.
As well as this, flat top grill spatulas should have a long, heat resistant handle so you don’t run the risk of getting burnt when griddle cooking.
And of course, having a dishwasher safe spatula will make it easier to clean after each and every use.
Lastly… Flat top grill spatulas can have either rounded or sharp, flat tips.
Flat tipped griddle spatulas tend to be more heavy duty, and will be good for getting under meats to easily flip without leaving any of that delicious crust stuck to the cooking surface.
They’re also incredibly useful for pressing down on your food to apply even pressure as you would to sear smash burgers or quickly cook bacon… Really, if you have a spatula, there’s no pressing need to have a bacon press or burger press, as well.
Rounded spatulas are better for casually flipping or stirring lighter foods, like veggies, stir fries, or eggs.
Ultimately, the type of spatula (or spatulas) you choose depends on what you’re planning to cook, but most flat top grill owners like to have multiple in their griddle accessories set.
Tongs
Next… You should consider including a pair of tongs in your griddle accessories kit.
As with the spatula… Flat top grill tongs should be made of high-quality stainless steel, with a heat resistant handle, and should be dishwasher safe for extra convenience.
Tongs are especially useful for picking up and placing smaller foods while cooking… And their long handle allows you to easily, quickly, and safely do so!
Though not as versatile as a spatula… Tongs are still a staple outdoor griddle tool for many flat top grill owners.
Melting Dome
You could argue that this outdoor grill tool isn’t absolutely necessary for successful flat top griddle cooking… But more likely than not, you’ll want to include a melting dome in your flat top tool kit.
Melting domes (also known as basting covers) are large accessories with handles that you place directly on the flat top grill surface to trap in heat when cooking.
This will give your flat top grill an oven-like effect as heat from the cooking surface circulates under the melting dome… Allowing you to evenly cook food from top to bottom, as well as trap in smoke to add more robust flavors to your dishes.
There’s really no limit to what you can cook under a melting dome… Though most flat top grill owners use them to quickly melt cheese.
Again, you’ll want a stainless steel melting dome so it doesn’t warp or scratch the griddle surface.
Wire Rack
Wire racks are another practical choice for flat top grilling…
Simply place it on the cooktop… And the residual, indirect heat from the flat top will create a makeshift warming station so your food doesn’t get cold as you finish grilling.
It’s as simple as that! Wire racks are quite beneficial to have (you’ll never have to worry about serving cold food).
Thermometers
Last but certainly not least… Thermometers are an absolute must-have for flat top grill cooking!
There are two types of thermometers that are worth investing in.
Firstly, instant read thermometers are vital for checking the internal temperature of meat to ensure it’s done cooking. For peace of mind, this is definitely something you’ll want to have in close proximity when cooking on a flat top grill.
Many flat top grill owners find infrared thermometers incredibly practical, as well!
An infrared thermometer will allow you to accurately gauge the exact surface temperature of your flat top, since most simply go by “low, medium, high” temperature settings as opposed to specific degrees. This would undoubtedly be super useful!
But… That’s it! Spatulas, tongs, a melting dome, a wire rack, and thermometers are really all the essential, bare-bones accessories you’ll need in your flat top grill cooking tool set.
However, when it comes to maintaining your flat top grill… There are just a few more accessories that you’ll want to include to keep your grill looking great, and your food tasting delicious.
Let’s see what they are.
Have a flat top in your backyard
Outdoor Flat Top Grill Accessories for Maintenance
In regard to cleaning and maintenance… There are a few more inexpensive, easy to come by items you’ll want in your flat top grill accessory tool kit.
Grill Brick
Many flat top grill owners consider grill bricks to be the best, most versatile tool to have in your griddle cleaning kit.
Grill bricks are made with pumice stone to lift grease, grime, and leftovers off your flat top without scratching or damaging the surface.
Simply scrub the cooking surface (after it cools, of course), and your flat top grill will easily come clean!
After each use… The grill brick will wear down to a new surface, meaning you won’t have to dispose of it after every clean.
If you have a grill brick… You really won’t need any additional cleaning accessories (like scouring pads or grill brushes), unless you prefer using an alternative tool!
Rags for Cleaning
You should clean up your flat top grill after each and every use, which means if you use it often, you’ll be cleaning a lot.
Since flat top grills don’t have grates (like traditional grills)… All of the food residue, leftover oil, and drippings will remain on the cooking surface.
While a griddle scraper will allow you to easily push this grime buildup into your griddle’s grease trap, and a grill brick will pick up any remaining stuck-on residue… You’ll still want to thoroughly rinse the cooktop with water to ensure it’s truly clean.
And after rinsing with water… It’s extremely important that your flat top grill is completely dried off. If you have a stainless steel griddle… This isn’t so much of a concern, but if your griddle is prone to rust, leaving it damp will only exacerbate the issue.
If you’re relying solely on paper towels to dry off your flat top grill after every clean… You’ll be going through a lot of rolls.
For many flat top grill owners, a more sustainable choice is buying reusable rags to dry off their flat top. These can be used, washed, and re-used pretty much infinitely… And you won’t have to spend the extra money on paper towels!
Grill Covers
Lastly, you’ll most certainly want to invest in a high quality griddle cover to preserve your outdoor flat top grill when it’s not in use.
No matter if it’s stainless steel, cast iron, or otherwise…. A grill cover will protect your flat top BBQ grill from the elements, keep moisture out, and ultimately extend its longevity.
Whether you have a built in flat top grill or a portable, freestanding griddle… Ideally, your grill cover should be the perfect dimensions to cover the entire appliance. In most cases, you can get grill covers directly from the manufacturer where you bought your flat top!
And speaking of freestanding griddles… Our final category of flat top grill accessories will be specific to these portable appliances.
Accessories for Freestanding Flat Top Grills
If you have a freestanding propane griddle (such as a Blackstone or Camp Chef)… You’ll have to take extra measures to make cooking more convenient.
There are a few accessories for flat top grills that allow you to do this… But stay tuned for an option that’s an all around better choice!
Flat Top Grill Caddy
Starting with flat top grill caddies…
There are two ways to interpret caddy here.
Some flat top grill caddies are removable shelves with hooks that can be attached to your flat top grill.
Many of them simply hang on the side of the griddle… But there are some magnetic options, as well!
These make it easier to store spices, utensils, or whatever other tools you may need for cooking or cleaning, right beside your flat top grill.
Though they’ll make cooking a bit more convenient… They’re typically not super large, and can’t hold a ton of accessories.
Another iteration of flat top grill caddies are carrying bags.
These make it easier to haul all of your cooking and cleaning tools from one place to another.
They’re generally larger than attachable caddies… Many even have multiple side pockets for holding additional tools or ingredients.
A carrying bag or attachable griddle caddy may be helpful to an extent… But neither is really the most intuitive solution.
Attachable caddies have limited space… And though carrying bags are larger, you may not want to constantly sift through it to grab the items you need.
Because of these limitations… You may also consider adding a flat top grill side table.
Flat Top Grill Side Table
An outdoor table will provide a space for all the tools in your flat top grill accessory kit, to make them easily accessible while cooking or cleaning.
It can also double as a prep table for getting your ingredients ready to cook outdoors (so you don’t have to prep your food indoors just to bring it outside).
Flat top grill side tables are typically foldable, rolling, impermanent structures. They don’t tend to be made with the most high quality materials, so you’ll have to be wary that your table is put away when you’re done using it.
Now, these last few accessories can be useful if you have a freestanding flat top grill… They’ll definitely make cooking a tad more convenient!
But even so… There’s an undeniably better path to take here.
Rather than buying a separate grill caddy and table to make cooking convenient… Let us put you onto an all in one solution for your flat top grill set.
An Outdoor Kitchen for your Flat Top Grill Accessories
You’ll want to have all your flat top grill accessories in one place, to make them easily accessible while cooking and cleaning…
And a portable grill table and caddy may cut it… But what if we told you there’s another, more convenient option?
A full grill station in your outdoor living space!
Including an RTA outdoor kitchen in your backyard design would certainly make flat top grilling easier…
With all of your storage space outside and ample counter room for food prep… There’s really no need to go inside at all!
The days of constantly going back and forth between your flat top grill and your indoor kitchen will be far behind you.
And not only will you have a designated spot for storing your flat top grill accessories…
You’ll also have the option to include an outdoor refrigerator for keeping ingredients cool, an outdoor bar for dining al fresco, an outdoor sink for easy clean up… And any other appliances to boost your outdoor cooking versatility (including gas grills, pellet, or charcoal grills, pizza ovens, side burners, and more)!
If this appeals to you… Check out our Learning Hub! Here, you can read more on everything you need to know about what an outdoor kitchen project involves.
And when you’re ready to start designing… We’ll be here to help you get started!
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FAQ
The best, essential flat top grill accessories for cooking, cleaning, and maintenance include griddle scrapers, squeeze bottles, heat resistant gloves, spatulas, tongs, a melting dome, a wire rack, infrared and instant thermometers, grill bricks, rags, and grill covers.
To make using your flat top grill even more convenient, you can also pair it with a prep table and flat top grill caddy… Or go all out with an outdoor grill station!
