If you are switching from gas or charcoal to a flat-top grill, you are not just buying a different outdoor cooker. You are buying a tool built for volume, high heat and foods that need a flat cooking surface, like pancakes, eggs and smashburgers. That is why Consumer Reports’ latest flat-top results are drawing attention, especially because the top pick is not Blackstone or Weber.
Consumer Reports says LoCo’s 36-inch flat-top grill delivered the best performance in the categories that matter most. The publication tested convenience of use, preheating ability, evenness of cooking and temperature range, and LoCo scored from decent to excellent across the board. The biggest strengths were even heating and temperature range, two qualities that can make or break actual cooking performance.
LoCo’s 36-inch model was one of only two grills to earn an excellent score for heat distribution. It also had the widest temperature range of any grill Consumer Reports tested and the largest cooking surface in the group. That makes it a strong option for batch cooking, which is one of the biggest advantages of flat-top grills in the first place.
Price also helps LoCo’s case. The 36-inch model is currently around $600, while the smaller 26-inch two-burner version runs about $300 at standard pricing. By comparison, a 28-inch Blackstone runs about $400 and a 28-inch Weber about $550, which makes LoCo look like a strong value if performance is the priority.
Consumer Reports declared the LoCo flat-top griddle a top performer, even above Blackstone and Weber. It heats evenly and has an accurate temperature range. https://t.co/luJdLUr6IL
— Tasting Table (@TastingTable) July 30, 2026
The tradeoff is that LoCo was not perfect in every category. Consumer Reports said the grill was a little slower to preheat than some rivals and that assembly could be confusing. Even so, those were not deal-breakers in the testing, and the model still finished at the top overall.
Reddit users who own the grill have largely praised the cooking performance. One user said, “Got the 36-inch loco Gen 2 precise griddle with digital knobs and so far, so good! Beautiful grill and heats evenly and stays at temp”. Another wrote, “As a Blackstone owner ... Nearly everything is better quality than a Blackstone”.
But not every owner is sold on the brand. One Reddit discussion warned that the cooking surface was good, but the cabinet and shelves felt flimsy, and the burners had issues after only a few cooks. Another owner said the 1-year limited warranty was a concern and that build quality kept LoCo from being their top choice.
LoCo’s warranty is limited to one year for the original purchaser. That does not make it a bad buy, but it does mean shoppers may want to read the warranty closely before deciding whether the performance benefits are worth the tradeoffs. For buyers who care most about cooking results, Consumer Reports says LoCo deserves a serious look.