Not Blackstone, Not Weber: Consumer Reports' Highest Rated Flat-Top Grill

The standard debate about gas versus charcoal grilling has happened for decades, and switching to a flat-top means looking at different characteristics for your grill. Flat-top grills are less about smoke and fire and more about volume, as the large surface allows you to cook a wide variety of food at a high temperature. It really is a different type of cooking than with other grills, and thus, flat-top griddles are best used for food that requires ... well, a flat surface, like pancakes or smashburgers. And if you want a model that does what flat-top grills do best, Consumer Reports points you toward LoCo.

It's not a big-name brand like Blackstone or Weber, but when Consumer Reports tested flat-top grills, LoCo had the best performance in the areas that mattered the most. The four primary traits CR tested were convenience of use, preheating ability, evenness of cooking, and temperature range, and LoCo's 36-inch model scored decently to excellent in all four. LoCo was particularly impressive when it came to even heating and temperature range, which are going to make the biggest difference when it comes to actually cooking your food. Its flat-top was one of only two models to receive an excellent score for having heat evenly distributed across the griddle, as well as the widest range of temperature of any grill Consumer Reports tested. Finally, LoCo's 36 inch had the largest cooking surface of any model tested, which is great for large batch cooking that flat-tops are commonly used for.

Pricewise, LoCo is comparable to competitors like Blackstone and Weber. The larger 36-inch model tested is currently around $600, while the smaller 26-inch, two-burner model is $300 at standard pricing. A 28-inch Blackstone runs around $400 and 28-inch Weber is about $550 with basic options. So considering the superior performance of LoCo, it's a good deal, too.

The few areas where LoCo didn't excel were in convenience and preheating, although it was in-line with other brands. Consumer Reports testing showed it heated up slower than other top-performing griddle options for outdoor cooking, like Blackstone, but it wasn't too much slower. And a little bit of patience is worth it to get better results. On the convenience side, reviews noted the assembly process can be a bit challenging and confusing.

Customers on Reddit have also been impressed by the LoCo flat-top grill. One customer commented, "Got the 36-inch loco Gen 2 precise griddle with digital knobs and so far, so good! Beautiful grill and heats evenly and stays at temp." Another Redditor said, "As a Blackstone owner ... Nearly everything is better quality than a Blackstone."

However, while LoCo's performance quality appears to be high, there is some concern over the build quality. Another Reddit discussion warned others about the LoCo grills, with one person saying, "The cooking surface was nice, but the overall quality of the cabinet and shelves were kind of flimsy. I sold it after a few cooks, two of the burners would constantly go out and throw an error code." Broken grills occasionally happen with any brand, but you may want to check the warranty with LoCo, just in case.