Is this my new favorite griddle on a budget?? (Which One Comes Out on Top ?! )

[@Bigheadedwon]

I've never owned a Trager so I can't say anything about them. And I don't own a Halo griddle either. But, I bought their pizza oven last year and have been making 6-8 pizzas a week on it. While pizza ovens aren't close to griddles, the quality of it is really amazing, especially for the price. One reason I recommend Halo to anyone looking for backyard cooking stuff is they have some of the best customer service I've ever encountered. I had a few initial issues/questions about my pizza oven. And I've never got such quick and detailed emails back from a company. They're a new small new company and so far all their products look A1. I'm in the market for a griddle and was looking at a Blackstone that's the same price. I like that it has storage cabinets on the bottoms and an air fryer, but after this video, the Halo just looks better everywhere. No air fryer sucks but it offers a ton for the money. And the 8 cooking zones are fantastic. If I lived in Colorado I'd pop in your store. Thanks for making this video.

[@embersliving]

Thanks so much for the comment

[@ThatBeardedVeteran]

Couple questions: 1. How low of tempurature will it maintain? Any griddle can get hot, the real test is can it stay in the low to mid 300's for lots of eggs and pancakes. 2. How even does it cook? I assume pretty well with how those burners look. 3. How well is the zone cooking compaired to the Traeger?

[@embersliving]

wow we might need to do another video for this one

[@gosman949]

@@embersliving yes you do.

[@BeergrYT]

Great review! Love my Halo 4 burner! One thing to note though is that neither the Traeger or the Halo are cast iron griddle tops. The Traeger is carbon steel and the Halo is hot rolled steel. Both are very similar but the Halo's hot rolled steel can withstand higher temps for longer without warping. The hot rolled steel can also handle cooking at higher temps with the lid down which Traeger also does not recommend since their lid isn't designed for lid down cooking which is another killer feature of the Halo.

[@embersliving]

That's a great point BeergrYT!! Thanks for watching.

[@KSbbqguy10]

I prefer the Traeger Flatrock but the Halo is Second. You can use a 9v battery to light the burners on the Traeger if out tailgating without a power source. You also have the flame sensors that light up above the knob that shows you when its lit or not!!! The power cord only runs the flame sensor and propane gauge and will be the primary source of power for the igniters when plugged in. My personal feel on the Grease system is having it on the back is very inconvenient as 75+% of the time you have your griddle up against a railing or wall when on your back deck or patio so you then have to move it out to get behind it to clean it out. There is also no heat division like the Flatrock (has the True Zone Divider walls) and on the Halo all the heat just dilutes into one temp because there is no Division of heat and the front only function on the burner has no control its just a single set temp. you only have temp control when using the whole burner. FYI you have your PAL rail on the ends of the Traeger on backwards!

[@embersliving]

Oh dang thanks for letting us know

[@StealthJackson12B]

I don't have either but I do like both. That said, knowing how much propane is available and not having the grease shoot directly in the back are a plus. The Halo's ability to be a cook top and warming rack are nice. I would have like to see a demonstration showing if the cook zones were calibrated and consistant. These are to be cooked on - the bells and whistles are a plus. There will always be some give and takes but overall nice review.

[@embersliving]

Thank you

[@Bigheadedwon]

There's a good video of a guy testing out the cooking zones on this + a Blackstone + a Loco. He filled them with slices of bread and out of the 3 the Halo had by far the most even cooking.

[@kevinhargan]

Another big thing to note for the Halo is that it can be converted to natural gas and the Traeger can’t. I just picked one up and am very impressed with it

[@embersliving]

Wow great comment!

[@moisesreyes2421]

Perfect timing. I'm looking to get a griddle at some point and these are my two finalists.

[@embersliving]

Glad to help! Let us know what you choose?

[@moisesreyes2421]

@@embersliving Halo won me over

[@rfischer1984]

I ordered the Elite B3 now kind of hoping I got the B4 instead. But I am still super excited to try out this griddle.

[@embersliving]

Nice!

[@mariorock76]

Great video! But you forgot to mention one of the main characteristics. On the 4 burners, you have 8 temperature zones for cooking. You can only light the front burners. In addition that the cooking utensils are magnetic with the shelves aside. The designers are true.

[@embersliving]

Thanks for the comment!

[@TechTails]

Only reviewer I trust for grills etc - because he isn't being sponsored by Traeger or these companies to provide a glorified kiss-ass ad "review". Don't change this format. I also loved when you advised against the Timberline XL vs the IronWood XL. Way too real - go figure. I always go for those types of people in the comments. It's cringe when they try to say they aren't endorsed etc. but clearly they are or they won't get advanced product etc.

[@embersliving]

Thanks!

[@TechTails]

​@@embersliving😊 keep it up! It's not easy sourcing at retail but the level of objectivity you get when you arent partnered is incredible. I used to be a reviewer for hardware and there was advance provided product and it always came with invisible strings. Hated that and I refused to do it.

[@vipete1985]

9volt battery can operate the Traeger without plugging in. Also if you decide to plug it in. The light above the knobs is a burner indicator light. It only comes on if the burner ignites.

[@embersliving]

Nice!

[@reltius2993]

Deal breakers for me on the Traeger are the location of the grease trap hole and the handles on the sides. Those are all spots I’d want to be able to scoop up food and wouldn’t be able to.

[@skylerspartan9409]

How about the biggest feature of all...THE 2-ZONE BURNERS?!?!?

[@tedz.]

You had me at the burner design. Being a bit of a gear snob, this is the one I'd get! "Hold my beer..." 😂 as he walks towards the keg tap. I thought for sure you were going to pour one.

[@mefobills279]

Agree. The burners are going to distribute heat well.

[@JohnnyKawalski]

The Traeger has a pretty unique burger design also. Wish he showed that in the video if they are comparing them

[@grimreeper70]

@John Kawalski he only shows what he wants. Just like in his review of the webber and traeger, he doesn't even know the difference between the 2, kept calling the webber a traeger, then he doesn't even know that the traeger can have a 9 volt battery Installed in it. Then he says that it is made of cast iron, wrong the flat rock is carbon steel. With all his fake knowledge, it is a wonder he has customers.

[@Porchpup1]

@@grimreeper70 not to mention he still has the accessory rails mounted wrong.

[@johnhacker8121]

Thanks for the review on there HALO appreciated .

[@griddlecookeatandmore]

I vote for Halo.

[@embersliving]

same

[@chrism5455]

Halo has amazing products.

[@embersliving]

Yeah they make some quality griddles

[@ELEVOPR]

Thanks for sharing. To be fair you can also use a 9 Volt Battery on the Trager, you don't need to plug it in to ignite the burners, 9 Volt battery will ignite the burners. Grease Management in the back sucks, Every professional commercial grill I've seen have the grease Management in the front actually a whole channel for the grease to slide down into, not just a hole. Having to go around your grill to dump the grease is a PITA. That grease bucket in the back looks like a nightmare to clean unless it comes apart? Also the legs on that thing remind me of those Robot dogs police depts now have, Id probably have nightmares about my Halo coming alive and attacking me 😂 Two things i like about this Halo is, 1. Top is insulated so uou can cook with it on? Who really does long cooks with Griddles? 2. Can be put on a table top an disconnected from it's legs, which I dont think I would do with such ahuge griddle amdost probably wont either? A Smaller Halo version sure but not this beast. Looks like the griddle market is stepping it up some and the future of griddles look promissing. 🤗 Thanks for sharing.

[@embersliving]

Yes the griddle market is growing. Thanks for the insightful comment!

[@dr_flunks]

just spent 900 on the traeger, it warps about 50% of the time i cook. they won't replace it.

[@embersliving]

What?! No way.

[@FlightDoc]

Sounds good but griddle and halo are not on your website, guess I’ll need to stop by!

[@embersliving]

I'm working on getting that link fixed right now. You are more than welcome to stop by! We have a showroom full of grills, fireplaces, and golf equipment.

[@JohnS-um3lm]

You really need to educate yourself on the Traeger before doing a comparison review. You don’t need power to ignite the burners, there is a 9 volt battery for that. The power is to light which burners are on, where you said you can’t tell which burners are lit. The power is also for a propane weight system to let you know how much propane is left. But the biggest mistake is why tell people it’s OK to put the lid down while grilling when Traeger tells you 3 times that it can’t be closed during griddling. Maybe it could melt or warp but who wants to spend a $1,000 to find out.

[@johnnyscott9509]

for the difference in money between that Halo and the best Camp Chef you'd be nuts to buy the Halo or the Traeger...for $1,100 I got my CC 600 which can also be used as a grill and I also got the 18" pizza oven (which works great!) that slides right in after removing the griddle. All that being said when I finish building my new home I will be buying a $4K restaurant grade steel griddle to be built into the outdoor kitchen, I was an Executive Chef for 16 years and much prefer not dealing with the maintenance of the cast iron.

[@embersliving]

wow nice

[@grimreeper70]

Wow, you don't know much about traeger. Just put a 9 volt battery in it. That halo looks good, but their grease trap is at the back. You will never see a grease trap at the back on a griddle in a restaurant. It's easier to pull the grease, not push it.

[@embersliving]

hm intresting never knew that

[@johnlovestocookgrilleat]

So you say you want hot splattering grease being pulled toward you to pop and potentially burn you rather than going away from you? Not me.

[@grimreeper70]

@johnlovestocookgrilleat I own a restaurant, I own a food truck. I've been using flat tops since I was 13. Every one has been front grease drains. The back ones are pointless when building an outdoor kitchen.

[@AsSiMiLaTeD77]

So you’ve decided it’s a better griddle without cooking on it or turning it on? lol How even is the temperature distribution? Does it handle low heat cooking well? Does it even turn on?

[@embersliving]

We have videos cooking on the traeger

[@jamesportee1102]

Budget? The Flat Rock or Halo are pretty much the best flat tops on the market rn unless your talking about commercial stuff.

[@embersliving]

Nice! We like the Halo as well

[@xsoto8902]

Great Review Thanks. Any thoughts on the Loco 36" Griddle? Thanks

[@embersliving]

Just looked it up it looks nice at first glance.

[@dv7548]

This griddle fires up 750'. That will make a rate steak.

[@embersliving]

id try it

[@robertmaza9679]

I just purchased by Halo Elite B4 yesterday!!! Super stoked about this griddle. I appreciate you for presenting it on your channel. I would have gotten the Traeger griddle if it didn’t required electricity to start it up.

[@JohnnyKawalski]

You can use a battery on the Traeger.

[@rfischer1984]

@@JohnnyKawalski but none of the lights work to show if the burners are lit and the gauge for the propane doesnt work. That can be annoying because you have no way of knowing if the burners are lit or not. The Halo Griddle has peep holes to see if they are lit or not.

[@gosman949]

after one month, how do you like the griddle?

[@younggunz4081]

Do you know if warping would be an issue?

[@embersliving]

no

[@paultripp1156]

What keeps the lid open if the wind is blowing on the halo?

[@matthewkralik9426]

So what brand of griddle do you sell that's 4k.

[@embersliving]

BLAZE,DCS,WILDFIRE

[@SN-cb9xj]

There is a battery on the Trager as well. lol

[@embersliving]

Thanks for watching!

[@albundy3929]

why not have a cabinet to hide the propane?

[@griddlecookeatandmore]

I'm not sure about the Traeger but the Halo does not have a cabinet since it is made to come off the legs and use as a table top unit. The legs then will fold flat for storage.

[@kippitykp]

This guy doesn’t read his comments, of all the Traeger videos. I’ve seen you post of the Flatrock every single time someone comments that it takes a 9 V battery also for ignition, but you don’t read the comments. I’d say read the operators manual but clearly that’s not an option for you either.

[@embersliving]

Sorry Reilly. Thanks for watching!

[@JustinChetta]

What do you get for cost difference to jump from these to Lynx/Le Griddle/etc?

[@billeverett4090]

In terms of cooking performance, nothing. In fact, well seasoned I’d argue some of these “budget” options are superior. Ability to handle wind tends to be the one issue with some designs - especially if you are trying to maintain a lower temperature. The higher end stainless griddles will last a lot longer and require less maintenance. The usually have good grease management, though I think the budget ones have gotten better on that front. And of course, look a lot better in a built in kitchen setup.

[@mefobills279]

Probably cold rolled steel, not cast iron.

[@griddlecookeatandmore]

The Halo is hot rolled steel and will not warp. Not sure about the Traeger.

[@mefobills279]

@@griddlecookeatandmore I dug around and it seems Traeger is cold rolled. Generally cold rolled has a smoother look due to additional rolling at lower temps.

[@IcyDeath91]

@@griddlecookeatandmore I'm pretty sure the Halo is also cold rolled.

[@peterphelps7969]

How does it compare to the Blackstone?

[@peterphelps7969]

Never Mind DUH

[@lukaszchechla9984]

when I grow up I wanna be like you! :) great video

[@embersliving]

haha thanks

[@spiritwolf7247]

The Traeger top is NOT cast iron nor is the Halo.. Shame he didn't know that. If you're going to try and sell something, Do some due diligence and know the product before you make a video

[@shanemb3]

I hear the halo gets way too hot.

[@embersliving]

i dont think so

[@spiritwolf7247]

This guy is nothing but a salesman. He doesn't know anything about what they are made out of, or even conducted any bread tests for even cooking. The Weber Slate and the Traeger by far have the BEST even cooking, bar none. Your bells and whistles are useless selling points.

[@davidberman1310]

Grease management in the back? Horrible! Traeger all day long

[@embersliving]

why is that bad

[@davidberman1310]

@@embersliving most users back their griddle against some sort of wall or into an island. Not so easy to remove the grease if that’s the case

[@1976Redhawk]

@@davidberman1310 Yep, I would never consider a griddle with the grease tray in the back. I back mine up against a brick wall in my courtyard and it would be a PITA to empty it every time.

[@robertjackson7089]

Sounds to me more like a product endorsement than an review, this should be disclosed at the first part of the video