I do like that it has a removable grease trap, though, especially as it incorporates a removable metal tin that is easy to dispose of. This isn't a massive problem, but I would have liked it to be a little further to the side to keep it clear from the main cooking area. The hole for it is slightly off-center to the left and is straight where I move the food whenever I cook. My only other mild irritation is the placement of the oil catcher. I hope that, if the Flatrock is successful, we will see a more affordable version from Traeger at some point. I prefer the rounded construction of the Flatrock it feels more stable when I use it. The 28 XL has about 19 square inches more cooking space than the Flatrock, but the two units match each other in every other way. At $900, it puts itself squarely in the premium griddle category alongside the Blackstone 28 XL, one of that company's higher-end offerings. Each of them works hard to keep the heat even across the surface, but if you heat the entire thing on high when you start it up, it's hard to cool one section before everything has finished cooking. The Flatrock has three zones for cooking, each with a U-shaped burner. This adds the benefit of keeping the heat from the burners under the surface instead of it leaking out. The cooking surface itself is carbon steel and recessed into the Flatrock with very little in the way of gaps. Like all of Traeger's high-end offerings, the Flatrock is so well constructed I think it will outlast the deck it sits on. Even the dials have a knurling effect on them that feels sophisticated and classy. Often grills and griddles use that thin steel for their legs, which buckles under the pressure of a heavy lean, or plastic wheels that crack under the weight they're supposed to carry. Every bolt fits perfectly, and every part has a heft that suggests it will stand the test of time. The first thing I noticed when assembling the Flatrock was how well all components fit together.

Flat iron grill