Cooktop - Flat Top Grill

What Is a Cooktop?

A cooktop is the cooking surface on Traeger's flat top grill. It sits on top of the grill above the grills burners, has two handles on either side for easy removal and a grease chute hole near the front-left of the cooktop for easy cleanup into the grill's grease keg.

Cooktop Features

Carbon Steel: 

• Carbon Steel vs Cast Iron: When identical in geometry (shape, thickness, size), cast iron and carbon steel properties that affect thermal performance are practically the same. Carbon steel has added benefit of strength and durability, being less prone to cracking if banged, dropped or subjected to thermal shock (adding cold to hot surface). Flatrock cooktops are hot rolled steel.

• Recessed to Block Wind: Traeger's griddle's cooktop sits slightly recessed in order to block out wind and lock in heat.

• Grease Chute Placement: While other flat top grills put their grease chute in the back of the grill, Traeger has moved it to the front. This is because working with grease in inherently a messy experience. Moving the extra-large grease keg to the front of the grill has the benefit of not having to move your grill to clean and empty the keg.

Rough Cooktop

If your cooktop will arrive with some roughness. Some may even arrive rougher than others, but with proper seasoning will result in a more durable cooktop. Cooking on it will also smooth it out over time. See Seasoning a Flat Top Grill.

Installing a Cooktop

1. Open the griddle lid.
2. Place new cooktop into the grill cavity, allowing it to rest on the border edges. 
   
3. Season new cooktop following initial seasoning instructions.
   • You may experience a rough cooktop, but it should smooth out after the initial seasoning. It will eventually become smoother as you cook on it. 

Cleaning a Griddle Cooktop

See Cleaning & Maintaining a Flat Top Grill for full cleaning instructions.