Mack -- what are your thoughts on the "dumb" 7599 design? Asking because I want to get a griddle for a friend that has a Gen II S-310.
Is it dumb because the curved section takes up space making the cooking surface smaller than it needs to be? Or something else?
My alternative would be a half set of GrillGrates, the flat side of which is a decent griddle. Only issue with that is that those are that you'd have a bit of a gap. The 7599 would be a nicer fit.
Thanks.
Jim, I have a few gripes with the 7599. In order of importance to me:
The recessed cooking area is small because lots of space is wasted with the large flanges and grease trough. Especially on my 4-burner grill, they could have made the area much larger.
The hole in the trough is tiny, so you must lift junk out of it to clean it. Enlarging it would compromise the enamel.
Finally, it slopes towards the trough so eggs and oil run that way. I prefer a level griddle so I can move the oil as needed.
To Weber's credit, the enamel is smooth and even tougher than my Staub pans. It's also easy to clean. Mine looks new after maybe a dozen uses including searing steaks at very high temps, burning fajita marinades, etc. It's stored outside in humid NC.
A 17" Lodge skillet has more usable cooking area and can also be used for deep or shallow frying, baking and other things.
If you're feeling really generous, the new Crafted griddle and rack have lots more cooking area and will fit the 310, but it's $170 total and must be seasoned and maintained to avoid rust.