Captiva Designs 27 in Flat Top Griddle Grill with Ceramic Coated Cast Iron Pan, 3-Burner Propane Gas Griddle Grill, 33,000 BTU Output Flattop Grills for Outdoor Barbecue, Cooking and Party

Why I chose this flat-top

I cook outside a lot—weekday breakfasts on the patio, burgers for a crowd on weekends, and the occasional campsite dinner—so a compact, capable griddle is more useful to me than a traditional grate grill. The Captiva Designs 27-inch griddle hit a sweet spot on paper: three burners, a ceramic-coated cast iron plate, and the option to run it either freestanding or on a tabletop. After putting it through several weeks of mixed-use cooking, here’s how it actually performs.

Setup, build, and form factor

Assembly is straightforward. The chassis comes together cleanly, and the hardware and fitment feel a step better than the budget end of the category. I had the freestanding cart built and the cooktop set in under an hour without needing extra tools. The griddle plate is substantial—heavy enough to inspire confidence but still manageable if you’re moving it between cart and tabletop modes. As with any cast iron, plan on two hands (and ideally two people) for lifting.

The freestanding cart is more stable than it looks. The propane cylinder sits in the center of the base rather than hanging off one side, which keeps the center of gravity low and resists tipping when you’re scraping or moving food around. The rubber feet didn’t slide on my concrete patio, and the unit stayed put even when I was smash-pressing burgers near the front edge.

If you prefer to travel light, the head unit detaches and works as a tabletop griddle. On a sturdy picnic table it felt appropriately planted, and the burner controls are positioned so you’re not fumbling under the plate to reach them.

Burners and heat performance

Three burners with a combined 33,000 BTU output give this griddle real authority. It heats quickly—about 6–8 minutes to get a medium preheat across the plate in mild weather—and it doesn’t struggle to recover after a cold batch of burger patties hits the surface. Ignition has been reliable, and the knobs give you reasonable, if not surgical, control.

Heat distribution is better than average for the category but not perfectly uniform. On my unit, the rear of the plate runs hotter than the front, and the center stays a touch hotter than the extreme corners. I actually found this helpful: I used the back half for searing proteins and kept the front half as a “holding” or sauté zone for onions, eggs, and buns. Once you learn your plate’s map, you can cook a whole breakfast in one pass without shuffling burner settings.

One thing to know: this griddle runs hot. Even on the low end, it prefers to cook rather than coddle. That’s great for smash burgers, fajitas, and fried rice, but it can make gentle, low-and-slow pancakes or crepes tricky until you dial in your approach. A few tactics that worked for me:
- Preheat on low and keep one burner off to create a true cool zone.
- Use an infrared thermometer to find your sweet spot; for me, 325–350°F across the front was the pancake zone.
- In windy conditions, shield the back of the griddle; wind will spike heat and can exaggerate the rear hot zone.
- If you consistently find the surface too fierce, a small stainless washer under each plate foot will raise the slab slightly and tame intensity without hurting stability.

Cooking results

This is where the griddle shines. It puts hard, even browning on proteins and vegetables without the flare-ups you get on open grates. Smash burgers get the textbook crust. Steak tips and sliced chicken for fajitas sear fast enough to stay juicy. Hash browns crisp edge-to-edge. I’ve cooked for a family of six comfortably, and with a bit of choreography (using those front/back zones), I could feed a dozen in waves.

The 27-inch plate is a practical size. It’s large enough to handle breakfast for a crowd—bacon, eggs, and pancakes in rotation—without dominating your deck or requiring a dedicated corner of the garage. If you regularly host 20+ people, you might want a wider top; for most home cooks, this hits a sensible balance.

Ceramic coating and cleanup

The ceramic-coated cast iron is the headline feature, and it largely delivers. With a thin film of oil, eggs slide and pancakes flip cleanly. I don’t need to season the plate as I would with raw cast iron, and it’s far less fussy about moisture or storage between cooks. Post-cook cleanup is straightforward: scrape with a nylon or wood scraper toward the drain, nudge the debris into the slide-out grease cup, then wipe down with a damp paper towel. For sticky residues (sugary marinades, teriyaki), I pour a small splash of water on while the plate is warm, steam for 10–20 seconds, and scrape. Avoid abrasive pads and don’t cut directly on the coating; treat it like nonstick cookware and it should stay slick.

It’s not magic. If you try to fry eggs on a dry, smoking-hot surface, they’ll grab. A teaspoon of oil goes a long way, and keeping the surface in the right temperature band matters more with ceramic than with well-seasoned steel. Get those two things right and the cleanup advantage over raw iron is real.

The slide-out grease cup is simple and effective. I line mine with foil for quick disposal on high-volume cooks. Just keep an eye on it during bacon-heavy sessions; it fills faster than you think.

Everyday usability

• Controls and readout: The knob action is smooth, with enough resistance to avoid accidental bumps. There’s no built-in thermometer, so an inexpensive IR gun is your friend.
• Workspace: The footprint is compact, which I like, but it means you’ll want a small side table or tray for trays, oils, and tools.
• Accessories: There’s no cooking hood for trapping convection heat. A basting dome is a useful companion if you like to melt cheese or steam-finish vegetables.
• Noise and vibration: Burners are quiet, and the chassis doesn’t rattle when scraping.

Safety and fuel

Central cylinder placement is a smart design choice. It keeps the unit planted and makes tank swaps quick. The regulator and hose on my unit worked as expected with a standard 20-pound propane tank. I recommend checking fittings with soapy water on first assembly, just as you would with any gas appliance, and storing the griddle with the tank valve closed and the grease cup emptied.

One note: like many compact griddles, parts seem fairly specific to the brand. I’d keep your purchase record handy and register the product so support can help if you need replacements down the line.

Maintenance and longevity

Apart from routine wipe-downs, there isn’t much to fuss over. Don’t store the plate wet; if you cook in the rain or wash it down, heat it briefly to drive off moisture. The ceramic coating reduces the need for heavy oiling, but I rub a drop of neutral oil across the surface before covering it for extended storage. Inspect the igniters and burner ports every few months and clear any debris with a soft brush.

Strengths

• Serious heat with quick preheat and good recovery
• Useful front/back heat gradient for multi-zone cooking
• Ceramic-coated cast iron largely eliminates seasoning and speeds cleanup
• Stable freestanding base with low center of gravity; easy tabletop conversion
• Simple, effective grease management

Trade-offs

• Runs hot, with limited finesse at the very low end
• No hood; you’ll need a dome for melting/steaming and indirect-style cooking
• Ceramic is durable but not invincible—treat it like nonstick cookware
• Minimal built-in workspace; plan for a side table
• Replacement parts may not be widely available through big-box channels

Who it’s for

If your outdoor cooking leans toward hot-and-fast—smash burgers, fried rice, fajitas, breakfast spreads—and you want a manageable footprint that can pivot between backyard and campsite, this 27-inch griddle is a strong fit. It rewards cooks who appreciate heat-on-demand and are happy to use zones rather than ultra-precise low-end control.

If you want to smoke, roast, or do covered, convection-style cooking without extra accessories, or if you value a built-in hood and abundant prep space above all else, a larger unit or a lidded grill may suit you better.

Recommendation

I recommend the Captiva Designs 27-inch griddle. It’s a compact, stable, and genuinely capable flat-top that delivers excellent searing power and practical multi-zone cooking in a manageable size. The ceramic-coated cast iron surface saves time on maintenance without sacrificing results, and the freestanding/tabletop flexibility adds real utility. Be mindful that it runs hot and arrives without a cooking hood; pair it with a basting dome and a small side table, and you’ll have a versatile outdoor station that handles weeknight breakfasts and weekend gatherings with ease.