LoCo Flat Top Grill vs. Blackstone: An Honest Review

By Mary Henn

Updated on Sep. 25, 2024

Looking for a new outdoor gas griddle? This smart LoCo flat top grill is the gas griddle upgrade you didn’t know you needed.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.

MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN

I’ve been a big fan of outdoor griddles for a handful of years now—really, I’ve been on the griddle bandwagon since the surge in Blackstone popularity several summers ago. And it isn’t hard to see why they’re sweeping the nation. Flat-top grills are great for so many things: Burgers, breakfast, fajitas, fried rice, you name it. There are even portable options for activities like tailgating and camping! As a big Blackstone fan, I was skeptical to give another gas griddle a whirl, but the features of this LoCo flat-top grill caught my attention.

I tested the LoCo SmartTemp Griddle for myself, and let me tell you, I was blown away by the smart temperature regulation, electronic ignition and leveling system. Whether you’re a first-time griddle buyer or looking to upgrade your old flat-top grill, here’s the full scoop on the LoCo SmartTemp Griddle so you can decide which option is best for you before you buy.

On This Page

LoCo Griddles take the guesswork out of outdoor cooking. Most standard outdoor griddles have dials that give you a vague “high,” “medium” or “low” reading, where it’s difficult to tell what temperature you’re actually using. Not with this LoCo SmartTemp Griddle. The temperature control knobs on the LoCo flat-top grill have digital displays that allow you to read and adjust the cooking temperatures in 25-degree increments.

Shop on Home Depot

Shop on Lowe's

Shop on Cabela's

Shop on Bass Pro Shops

This flat top griddle's technology cooks food at precise temperatures.

Shop on Home Depot

Shop on Lowe's

Shop on Cabela's

Shop on Bass Pro Shops

More precise cooking temperatures mean less overcooking and undercooking food—and you can follow a recipe more closely. With a two- or three-burner LoCo Griddle, you can cook various foods at different temperatures on each side of the grill. This is great for getting a nice sear on meats at high heat on one side of the grill and cooking veggies at a lower temperature on the other.

But the high-tech features don’t stop there. LoCo Griddles have an electronic ignition, leveling system, oversized wheels and more. Keep reading for the full rundown on the LoCo SmartTemp Griddle.

In addition to a smart temperature display, this 2-Burner LoCo SmartTemp Griddle has an ignition that allows you to fire up the grill with the push of a button. It’s that easy. The built-in leveling system sends grease straight into the drain hole, and a locking system increases safety and stability while cooking.

The cooktop on the LoCo flat-top grill measures 26 inches, which means 530 square inches of cooking surface. In other words, there’s plenty of room to cook for a group of people. The griddle has paper towel and trash bag holders for convenience and organization. However, I found myself putting everything on the two folding side shelves while cooking so that I had everything within arm’s reach.

The hinged lid makes removing and replacing the top of the griddle easy-peasy, and there’s no misplacing the top lid either (I’ve had this issue before, believe it or not, with other griddles where the lid completely detaches). There’s even a storage cabinet at the bottom of the system that hides the propane tank (which can be an eyesore) and leaves room for other large items you may want to keep below the griddle.

MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN

As I mentioned, after reading about the smart features of the 26-inch LoCo SmartTemp Griddle, I was excited to get my hands on one. I love having family over for Sunday morning breakfast, and when the weather is nice, cooking and hanging out outside makes it even better. Naturally, I couldn’t wait for a Sunday gathering to break my LoCo Griddle in, so my partner and I tested the grill by making breakfast-for-dinner for ourselves first.

MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN

While I prepped food, my partner wheeled the grill from our garage around the side of our house and through the backyard to the patio. Thankfully, the LoCo flat top grill has four large wheels, so moving it over concrete and grass was easy. Once it was where we wanted it, we hooked up a tank of propane and plugged it in.

At first, I was a little put off by the cord that has to be plugged in (for the digital temperature controls with an LED display to work) because we do not have an outdoor outlet. However, the cord is long and slim enough that we were able to easily plug it in inside with a short extension cord. We even let the door close on it to keep bugs from getting inside, and it didn’t cause any issues.

After a smooth setup (our LoCo Griddle came fully assembled thanks to our local hardware store), it was time to get cooking. Well, almost—there’s a little bit of prep work that goes into using an outdoor griddle for the first time. First, we wiped down the cooktop with a damp towel to clean it, then we turned on the gas and lit the griddle (which was incredibly easy with the one-touch ignite button). You’ll want to set the controls to sear for about 10 to 15 minutes before seasoning your griddle.

The surface of a griddle is just like an unseasoned cast iron skillet, so it’s important to season the grill top before you cook on it. This process is easy (and necessary). Just take some cooking oil on a rag and rub down your griddle. Be sure to hold the rag with a set of tongs to keep from burning yourself! We did this a few times until the top of the griddle was shiny.

When it came time to cook, I tested the new flat top grill with meat (sausage), bread (French toast) and a veggie (hashbrowns) to see how it performed on a variety of food types. On the right side, I cooked French toast to a perfect golden brown between 350 and 375 degrees, on the left side, I cooked sausages at 400 degrees. I placed the hashbrowns at the top where more oil was concentrated, and the temperature ranged between 350 and 400 degrees depending on where I shuffled the hashbrowns.

Mary Henn/Family Handyman

Cooking breakfast on the patio on a cool evening beats cooking inside, no doubt. Sure, a nice breeze helped, but having a large griddle cooktop allowed me to cook everything (and a lot of it) at once, so cooking time was cut in half. Additionally, food (especially breakfast food) just tastes better over a gas griddle—IYKYK.

The hashbrowns were perfectly crisp (and not soggy), the French toast had a great flavor, and the sausages were grilled to perfection (which, in my opinion, leans into burnt territory because that’s how breakfast sausage should be cooked). However and whatever you decide to cook, I guarantee you’re going to love how it tastes on the LoCo Griddle. It’s like a restaurant-quality cooking surface in your backyard.

Lastly, I think the LoCo Griddle looks nicer than even some of the best grills on the market. It has a glossy chalk finish from top to bottom, an enclosed cart with a cabinet door and two folding shelves. It blends seamlessly with existing patio decor or into any outdoor kitchen setup. The base of the grill cart keeps everything enclosed, so you don’t have to look at an ugly propane tank or wires.

LoCo Cookers makes LoCo Griddles and was founded in 2022. The company is based in the state of Georgia. However, the people behind the brand have spent more than 25 years combined in the outdoor cooking industry. LoCo Cookers manufactures griddles, griddle accessories, fryers and more.

I described the seasoning process above, but I’ll break it down here step-by-step for convenience:

MARY HENN/FAMILY HANDYMAN

The main difference between LoCo griddles and standard griddles from the competitor brand Blackstone is that the LoCo SmartTemp griddle plugs in to enable an LED display on its dials. The dials provide temperature readings so you know how hot your cooking surface is. Wes Wright, founder and CEO of CookOut News, says, “For beginners, I would steer them towards LoCo because the temperature control is very helpful. Have you ever noticed when cooking with a pan on the stove that it gradually gets hotter while you cook? SmartTemp solves that problem by regulating the burners to keep the griddle surface at a set temperature.”

Apart from SmartTemp, both grills run on propane and have similar designs regarding storage and side shelves. However, Blackstone just launched a pellet-fuel grill if that’s something you’re into. The brand also frequently launches new products and product updates.

If you’re interested in shopping LoCo’s lineup of griddles, you should know it includes a 36-inch, 3-burner griddle and a 16-inch tabletop griddle. The 26-inch, 2-burner griddle was convenient for my small backyard patio and had enough space to cook for about five to 10 people at once. If you want the same features as the 26-inch LoCo SmartTemp Griddle but have more outdoor space or plan on cooking for large groups of people frequently, I recommend looking at the 36-inch grill.

If you plan on traveling with your grill or using it for camping or tailgating, the 16-inch griddle packs the power of smart temperature control in a portable grill top. The digital LED display is battery-powered on this smaller model, so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to plug in if you’re on the go or in the wilderness.

I 100% recommend the LoCo SmartTemp Griddle. As someone who likes following a recipe and cooking with precision, I don’t think there’s another outdoor griddle on the market that comes close to the LoCo flat top grill in terms of temperature control, easy ignition, prep space and overall appearance. I did not think I would prefer it over my Blackstone, but most days I do.

We’ve reviewed countless grills here at Family Handyman, from this fire pit grill top to this portable grill and every grill in between. We love everything outdoors and consider ourselves experts in outdoor home products such as grills, fire pits, patio furniture and more. And we’re always trying to learn more. That’s why we consulted expert Wes Wright, a mechanical engineer who is constantly testing grills and griddles for CookOut News.

Not only did I chat with grill expert Wes Wright, but I also tested the LoCo grill in my backyard, cooking real food for my family and friends. I tested it multiple times before writing this review, and I came back to update it after nearly a year of using the griddle.

Shop on Home Depot

Shop on Lowe's

Shop on Cabela's

Shop on Bass Pro Shops

This flat top griddle's technology cooks food at precise temperatures.

Shop on Home Depot

Shop on Lowe's

Shop on Cabela's

Shop on Bass Pro Shops

The 26-inch LoCo SmartTemp Griddle (Series II) retails for $599 and is available for purchase at The Home Depot, Lowe’s and other hardware stores. You can also check out the griddle accessories that every cook should own. Cool weather is made for cooking outdoors—make the most of autumn and tailgate season with a LoCo griddle.