Nexgrill
Nexgrill Daytona 36" 4-Burner Griddle
The Daytona is Nexgrill's direct answer to the 36-inch Blackstone, and it undercuts it while adding a stainless lid as standard rather than as an upcharge. 792 sq in of hot-rolled steel over four stainless burners gives 38,000 BTU, with two side shelves and a lower rack on the cart. Nexgrill sells almost entirely through Home Depot, which is where the street price lives.
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Specifications
Pros
- ✓Stainless-steel lid is standard, where Blackstone's comparable 36-inch griddles charge extra or omit it
- ✓792 sq in is larger than the 36-inch Blackstone's cooking surface at a lower typical street price
- ✓Four independently controlled burners allow a genuine warm zone at one end while searing at the other
- ✓Hot-rolled steel plate seasons to a nonstick finish the same way the category leaders' do
- ✓Two side shelves plus a lower storage rack, so prep space is not an add-on
Cons
- ✗Nexgrill's griddle accessory ecosystem is far thinner than Blackstone's — covers and tools are harder to source
- ✗No published warranty terms on the maker's product page
- ✗Sold almost exclusively through Home Depot, so price shopping and returns funnel through one retailer
- ✗Nexgrill publishes two different Daytona 4-burner griddles with different BTU and area figures, making spec comparison confusing
- ✗No rear grease channel refinements or igniter niceties that the premium griddles have
Compare the Nexgrill Daytona 36" 4-Burner Griddle
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Blackstone
Blackstone 36-Inch Griddle
The Blackstone 36-inch is the best-selling outdoor flat-top griddle in America, a 4-burner propane cooking station with a huge rolled-steel cooktop. It's the go-to for smash burgers, breakfast, hibachi, and big-batch cooking.
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The GD401 splits the difference between a griddle and a grill: half the 606 sq in surface is a flat top, half is a grill grate, over four independently controlled burners totaling 48,000 BTU. The legs fold, so unlike most four-burner flat-tops it packs into a car. Royal Gourmet lists it at $428.99 on its own store, but it sells for roughly $260-300 at Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot and Tractor Supply, which is the real street price.