Flat top vs charbroiler for burger production, the difference is night and day

I ran a 3 month comparison at my buddy's place in Phoenix switching his lunch rush from a charbroiler to a 36 inch flat top. The charbroiler gave us flare ups every 20 minutes and the burgers cooked uneven top to bottom, plus we had 15% more waste from overcooked edges. The flat top held steady at 375 and we pushed out 80 covers an hour without a single temp complaint. Anyone else ditch their charbroiler for a griddle and see the same thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiekim23d ago

You ever think griddles were just for breakfast places? I was totally team charbroiler for years, thought it gave that real smoky flavor. But after helping a friend swap his setup for a flat top I saw how much easier it was to crank out consistent burgers. The charbroiler just made too many burnt spots and we were always fighting grease fires. Now I get why the big chains use flat tops, they just work better for volume without the headache.

the_sam23d ago

Oh man I gotta push back hard on this. A charbroiler done right gives you that smoky crust you just cant get on a flat top no matter how much you season it. Ive been running a double stack charbroiler for five years and if youre having flare ups every 20 minutes youre either using too much fat in your blend or not cleaning your grates after every batch. Flat tops make every burger taste the same, like a diner patty, no character. And that 15% waste from overcooked edges? Thats the flavor, trim it off and use it in chili or grind it back into the next batch. Plus a charbroiler can handle a smashed burger patty with those crispy edges the flat top just kind of steams them if you dont have the heat cranked. Did you try different grate styles or just swap straight from one setup to the other?