LITTLE GRIDDLE Sizzle-Q SQ180 100% Stainless Steel Universal Griddle with Even Heating Cross Bracing for Charcoal/Gas Grills, Camping, Tailgating, and Parties (18"x13"x3")

One of my friends has a full sized gas griddle at their summer place and a year ago I got to use it while I was visiting. We like to share recipes and cook together. Anyway I liked the versatility of that unit and so began a search for an add on griddle for my gas grill.I decided on the SIZZLE - Q first, because it was the perfect size to fit my grill. Second because of the stainless steel construction and the promise of even heat distribution and easy cleaning that stainless offers. And BTW, there is no need to season the griddle, just wash it and start cooking.When I received the package it was noticeably heavy, that's a good thing. Let me tell you, this is well constructed. Tight corners and no sharp edges.My first meal on my new outdoor griddle was fajitas. The surface heated up super fast. In fact I had it too hot and as you can see from the picture, the darkened places where the juices from the marinade were becoming a little burnt. But that was my fault not the product. I have since learned to better control the temp and use oils with a higher smoke point etc.The fajitas cooked up very quickly. And so good! Not enough "D's" in DEEEEELICIOUS! Since then I've done burgers, brats and have my sights set on Philly cheesesteaks and breakfast foods.Clean up is pretty easy. Heat the griddle and hit it with water and scrape all the stuff off (hint: buy a good quality griddle scraper). After it cools I take it in and give it a good wash in the sink which takes care of the edges and corners. Now that's something my friend can't do with their full size one.I'm learning how to master the SIZZLING - Q more every time I use it and falling in love with this quality versatile tool. Oh! And let's not forget, making super tasty meals while doing it.

I have a Weber Q200 portable grill, and while it fit the Little Griddle Sizzle-Q *pefectly*, the griddle just never got hot enough. I tried frozen hamburgers first, and they just sat there bubbling away in a sort of simmer. Some research later and I discovered that the regulator might be in "bypass" mode which is about 20% of it's capability, and despite the techniques to clear the bypass mode, I figured either the regulator was bad or the Weber Q200 just didn't put out enough heat. The specs on it are only 12,000 BTU over 280 sq in of surface area, which comes out to 43 BTU per sq inch.Figuring it was time for a new grill anyway, and that I love Weber grills, I bought a Weber Spirit E-210 for four-hundred dollars at the hardware store which has dual burners and is rated at 26,500 BTU over 450 sq in of surface area, which comes out to 59 BTU per sq inch, a 37% heat improvement over the Q200 grill. I'm not claiming to be an authority on this, but I just figured that getting the Sizzle-Q hotter was all about BTUs per sq inch. Plus the dome cover of the Spirit E-210 fits over the Sizzle-Q whereas the cover for the Q200 does not.OK, so now four-hundred dollars more out of pocket for a new grill, I was ready to start cooking on the Sizzle-Q! Now, let me say first that I worked as a fast-food cook at Roy Rogers when I was a teenager, and we had a flat-top grill to cook the burgers (no, not Trigger-burgers). I came to love cooking on flat-top grills because it was like a work area and cooking area all in one. I'm 45 now and cooking on the Sizzle-Q brought back fond memories of cooking on a flat-top. I've had the Sizzle-Q for 3 days and have cooked every meal on it. My favorite is breakfast. BACON COOKS FLAT. It does not curl-up like it does in a frying pan. This was a welcome surprise, but I suspect that because a frying pan is hotter in the middle and cooler towards the edge, that it causes the back to heat up unevenly and curl up. Omelettes on the Sizzle-Q are especially fun and easy. Do yourself a favor and get a turner, not fancy rubber handled spatula, a good ol' wooden handled rectangle-shaped seven-dollar turner, one the length of a folded up omelette, a 7-10 inch blade or so.The Sizzle-Q is solid, hasn't warped, and has been easy to clean up with water and a scotch-brite scrubber and scraper. I love that I can cook a whole meal -- bacon, omelette, sauteed onions and spinach, and garlic fried rice -- all on the same cooking surface all at the same time. No rinsing, no washing, no switching pans. I think I love this part the most.One side benefit is that the flavors intermingle. The bacon grease can't help getting itself into the sauteed spinach and fried rice as they're cooking side-by-side. I just have to periodically scrape the excess bacon grease into the trough with my seven-dollar turner. Oh, that's another thing -- the front top edge of the grease trough in the front is an excellent edge to scrape the schmutz off your turner if you need to clean it while cooking. Just pull your turner blade down across the top edge of the grease trough on both sides.Even at 59 BTU per sq in with my new four-hundred dollar Weber Spirit E-210 grill, I still wish I could get the Sizzle-Q hotter. It's not the fault of the Sizzle-Q, just an issue about the grill. I'm a loyal Weber customer, so I wouldn't consider another brand, and the top-of-the-line Weber Summit E-670 costs thousands more for 78 BTU per sq in. Instead, I'm going to experiment with letting the grill and Sizzle-Q heat up with the grill dome cover closed for awhile. Without the Sizzle-Q, the grill gets up to 500+ degrees with the dome closed. The Sizzle-Q acts as a sort of heat-sink dissipating some of the heat. Perhaps I just need to wait longer with the dome cover closed.The Sizzle-Q does great, reminds me of my days as a fast-food cook cooking on a flat-top grill, and I'm enjoying every meal I've cooked on it.

I'm using this review to address some questions I had when considering the SQ180. The other reviews are spot on when addressing quality and performance. It's a quality griddle that works well and looks to be built to last.I purchased my SQ180 specifically to use with my Weber Q 2200.The fit is perfect. The SQ180 sits on the grill grates with just a smidgen of space to spare. It is virtually a perfect fit, save for the fact that the lid can't close--so none of the baked alaska types of dishes Little Griddle touts on their website. Also, there's no room to spare on the grill. If you're griddling, you won't be grilling.When using a 16-ounce propane canister, I have to run the Weber on high nonstop while using the griddle, and that brings the griddle only up to acceptable levels of heat. So it's a little wimpy for searing. But it does great with pancakes, sausages, hash browns, or anything else that can cook at temps in the 300-325 range (which is what I estimate I'm getting consistently). I'll update my review with results when using a 20-lb propane tank.The heating is fairly even when used on the grill grates as intended. I tried removing the grates to get the griddle closer to the flame, and it helps a little with heat levels, but results in major hot spots. It works much better sitting on the grates.Overall, the SQ180 is an ideal companion for the Weber Q 2200, as long as you understand its limitations. It gives you plenty of griddle surface to cook up about 8 decent-sized pancakes at a time, or a good-sized mess of hash browns, or whatever else you and 2 or 3 other people like for breakfast on the patio.Also, cleanup is a breeze. Definitely get the scraper and scrubber from Little Griddle. I couldn't find the high-temp scrubbers cheaper anywhere else.Update: Using a 20 lb propane tank doesn't result in higher heat. Please note, however, that this is not a problem with the griddle, but rather with the way the griddle works with the Weber Q2200. Both are excellent products, but there is simply a limitation when it comes to getting the griddle much above 300 degrees using that combination.