Commercial BBQ Griddle LPG

Product Description

An 18kW commercial LPG flat-top griddle for outdoor catering, festival pitches, and event kitchens. The 800mm wide steel cooking surface gives chefs enough room to run continuous service — breakfast for 100 guests, a burger station for a festival crowd, or a mixed grill at a corporate outdoor event. High-power burners maintain even heat across the full cooking surface. No electrical hookup required — runs entirely on LPG propane.

What You Can Cook on a Commercial Gas Griddle

• Breakfast service: Bacon, sausages, eggs, and hash browns across the full 800mm surface simultaneously. A single griddle handles 100+ guests through a 90-minute morning service window. The flat steel surface cooks multiple items at different temperatures by using hotter and cooler zones across the plate.
• Burgers and hot food at festivals: High-volume flat-top cooking on a festival street food pitch. The flat steel surface is more versatile than a grated grill — you can cook thin burgers, chicken thighs, and vegetables without small pieces falling through. Press down on burgers with a spatula for a faster sear and better contact.
• Steak and protein service: Even heat retention across the full steel plate allows back-to-back steak cooking without the temperature recovery delay you get on a domestic grill or thin flat-top. The steel stores heat and recovers between portions faster than thinner-gauge commercial alternatives.
• Vegetarian and vegan options: Halloumi, peppers, mushrooms, and courgettes cook quickly on a properly heated flat-top and cook more evenly than on a grated grill where heat concentrates on the bars only. A single griddle can run a mixed vegan and meat station by using one end for each.
• Bacon rolls and served snacks: The standard format at outdoor corporate events where hot food is served alongside drinks. A single griddle and one operator can run a steady service of 150+ bacon rolls over two hours.

How to Plan Your Outdoor Catering Setup

For festival-style catering, one 800mm griddle suits a service point producing up to 80 portions per hour. Two griddles are needed for full-scale festival pitches with queuing demand. Consider the layout — the griddle needs to be level, sheltered from direct wind (which reduces burner efficiency), and positioned with clearance behind for the operator to work and for gas cylinder access.

Gas supply planning: a 13kg propane cylinder delivers approximately 4 to 6 hours of cooking at full output. For a full-day festival service running from 10am to 10pm, plan on two or three cylinders per griddle as a minimum. Change cylinders during a quiet period rather than running the burners down to low pressure, which reduces heat output before the cylinder actually empties.

Gas Supply and Connections

The griddle runs on LPG propane gas. A 13kg cylinder connects via a standard high-pressure propane regulator. Expo Hire can supply gas bottles with your order — select the option when booking. If you are sourcing your own gas, use a red propane cylinder (not blue butane, which is unsuitable for commercial equipment and performs poorly in cold weather).

For outdoor events in cold conditions, keep spare cylinders sheltered from wind. Cold temperatures reduce the gas pressure in the cylinder and reduce burner output. Warm the cylinders before use if they have been stored in cold vehicles overnight.

The burners require standard catering high-pressure propane regulators — the type supplied with the unit. Do not use camping or domestic regulators, which run at lower pressure and will not achieve the full 18kW output.

Building an Outdoor Kitchen

Pair this griddle with a 6-ring LPG burner and oven for a complete outdoor cooking setup with oven capacity alongside the flat-top. The burner unit handles large pot cooking (soups, sauces, curries) and the oven handles roasting and baking while the griddle manages the high-volume front-of-line service.

Add a prep table or stainless steel work surface alongside for workspace, and a food warming unit to hold cooked food at serving temperature during peak service rushes.

For a Cinders commercial gas BBQ alongside the griddle — use the Cinders for grill-finish items (sausages, corn, grill-marked chicken) and the flat-top for breakfast and burger service. The two units serve different purposes and complement each other well on a full outdoor catering pitch.

Cleaning and Return

After service, allow the griddle to cool completely. Scrape the cooking surface clean with the provided spatula and wipe down the stainless steel frame. Return the unit clean — the depot handles deep cleaning between hires, but the cooking surface should be scraped free of burnt-on residue before collection. A 15-minute cleanup at the end of service prevents the surface from baking on overnight.

Why Hire From Expo Hire?

• No deposit, no damage deposit. Ever.
• Sunday delivery and collection across England and Wales at no extra charge — important for festival caterers who set up on Saturday and clear on Sunday.
• Live stock at checkout — confirmed at the point of booking, not after.
• Real-time driver tracking on delivery and collection day.
• Free Minor Damage Waiver on every order — covers minor wear on a piece of catering equipment used outdoors.

Specifications

Power Output

18kW

Cooking Surface

800mm wide steel flat top

Overall Dimensions

1,291mm (W) x 672mm (D) x 1,025mm (H)

Frame Material

Stainless Steel

Cooking Surface Material

Steel

Fuel Type

LPG Propane Gas

Browse the full LPG cooking equipment hire range including gas ovens, burner units, and commercial BBQs. See the Catering Equipment Hire Guide for outdoor kitchen layouts and capacity planning by event type.