Evo Grill Review – Is an Evo Flat Top Grill Worth the Money?

I’m taking a look at the Evo Grill today. They cost a pretty penny, so let’s find out whether they’re worth the money.

This is a full Evo Grill review, including a comparison of all the drop-in and freestanding Evo flat top grill models. I’m only reviewing Evo’s outdoor grill models today. There’s an infographic at the bottom you can share too.

But, before going any further, check this out:

I mean, wow, just wow! Have you ever seen a drop-in grill look better than that?

As always, here’s a table of contents so you can skip ahead if you want to.

In a nutshell…

Are Evo Grills Worth the Money?

Short answer – maybe. It depends on what you’re looking for. Evo Grills are of exceptional quality. You won’t find another grill that looks as good in a custom outdoor kitchen.

You most likely won’t find another grill with such amazing heat control and one that has NO hot spots.

However…

Look at the price on the Evo (I’m using one of its most popular models as an example, the Affinity 30G):

Now, let’s look at a fairly comparable option from Cuisinart, the CGG888:

We could technically buy 17 Cuisinart grills for every Evo Affinity 30G…

Or, check out Blackstone’s option. Yeah, it’s not round, but that could work in your favor too – a circle is notoriously hard to nearly incorporate in any building design, right?!

Blackstone’s grill (and Cuisinart’s, for that matter) has a crazy number of awesome reviews – if you click on the product above you can read nearly 5000 of them on Amazon.

As savvy homesteaders, we must consider whether we can really justify the cost of such an appliance?

Potentially, if it offered a lifetime warranty, it could be worth it, especially if you got 17 years out of it. Is that realistic? That’s a darned long time to keep the same grill.

And, although it kinda sounds like they come with a lifetime warranty, reading the actual warranty description proves different (I think so anyway).

There’s a lot of tricky text there, but as far as I can tell, they only offer a 1-year warranty and there are quite a few exceptions to this warranty as well.

Compared with Cuisinart’s 3-year limited warranty, that doesn’t sound so amazing.

One major thing Evo has going for it is Sam the Cooking Guy. Have you seen this guy?

I just watched him fry up a burger on his Evo with a bacon pattie on top – it’s really cool! Check him out:

One thing you’ll notice in the video is that it’s HUGE. That’s by far the biggest flat top grilling surface I’ve seen.

The Affinity 30G offers a 30″ cooking diameter. That’s unreal!

Cuisinart’s is 22″. Not to fret though, they too offer a 30″ model:

Twice the price of the 22″ model, but still a tenth of the price of the Evo.

Moving on…

Let’s imagine we want the absolute best. The top of the range flat top griddle that will (hopefully, fingers crossed) last us a lifetime and looks ridiculously good in our outdoor kitchen.

Money is also no issue. We just want the best.

In this case – do I recommend Evo Grills?

Heck yes! Splurge fellow burger warrior, splurge!

As far as cooking investments go, this is rather cool and you’ll be cooking up a storm (without hot spots, hooray!) in no time.

I’m focusing on outdoor Evo flat top grills today, but Evo offers indoor grills as well.

You Can Cook Anything on the Evo Flat Top Grill

You can seriously cook anything on the Evo flat top grill.

Cook a full breakfast with eggs, pancakes, and sausages. A full lunch of cheesesteaks and kebabs. Awesome dinners of tacos, fajitas, stir-fries…

Or fry up a bacon pork bagel burger like Sam did above!

Have a look at this video, it shows you a whole lot of possibilities for meals cooked on an Evo Grill!

Which Evo Grill Should You Buy?

I’ll run through the Evo Grill models below, but here’s a simple guide:

• Best drop-in Evo grill for large outdoor kitchens: Evo Affinity 30G
• Best drop-in Evo grill for small outdoor kitchens: Evo Affinity 25G
• Best Evo grill for moving around the patio and backyard: Evo Professional Cart Grill (this doesn’t have great reviews at all, read them before purchasing!)
• Best Evo grill for tabletop cooking and taking with you on the road: Evo Professional Tabletop Grill

Why Are Evo Flat Top Grills So Expensive?

The first thing that will stand out with these grills is that they’re built to last a lifetime. Our grills last us a few years before they start to rust pretty bad and we end up replacing them.

The Evo flat top grill is not like that. They’re designed and built in America, and done so to last a lifetime (despite the warranty not quite reflecting this, as we discussed above).

• Designed and built in America
• Built to last a lifetime
• Professional quality
• Cooking surface is a single piece of steel with flanged edge (traps heat for ultra-performance)
• Pre-seasoned for a natural non-stick surface
• No hot spots. You’ve got edge-to-edge even heat, ranging from 225°F to 550°F
• Extremely stylish – have a look at the video of the Affinity 30G below!

Oh, and those nifty steel covers the chef uses in the video above are like these:

Evo Grill Models: Drop-In, Tabletop, and Cart

Evo Grills come in drop-ins and freestanding models.

The drop-ins include the Affinity 30G for large outdoor kitchens and the Affinity 25G for smaller outdoor kitchens. There’s not much difference between the two, but the 30G has a 30″ cooking surface and the 25G a 25″ cooking surface.

At first glance, Evo Grills models are confusing so I’ve built a table for an overview.

Evo Grill Affinity 30G – Best for Large Outdoor Kitchens

• For large outdoor kitchens
• Natural gas or propane
• BTUs on propane: 37,638 BTUs
• BTUs on natural gas: 36,267 BTUs
• Pre-seasoned with black oil
• 30″ diameter cooking surface
• Independent heat adjustment for inner and outer cooking zones
• No hot spots, even heat across the surface
• Heat range 225°F to 550°F

The Evo Affinity 30G is a drop-in grill for large, outdoor kitchens. It comes in natural gas and propane.

The cooking surface is made of a single piece of steel that has a flanged edge. That edge traps heat, which contributes to its awesome performance. Evo flat top grills come pre-seasoned for a natural non-stick surface.

All Evo Grills look incredibly professional and stylish in your outdoor kitchen, have a look at a slideshow of the Affinity 30G here:

You can cook straight on the non-stick surface, or you can use pots and pans on it like a traditional stovetop. The steel flat top has a 30″ diameter and is seasoned with black oil.

There are inner and outer gas tube burners that guarantee even heat across the flat plate, no hot spots!

You can adjust the heat of the inner and outer tubes independently, so you’ve got full control over the temperature with separate control knobs.

Temperates on the Evo Grill range from 225°F to 550°F, from one edge to the other. The Affinity 30G is easy to start with push-button electronic ignition. Both burners are lit at the same time with one button.

The Affinity 30G is a no-mess grill. It’s surrounded by a stainless steel drip pan and spillover trays, as well as a drip pan for when you’re having a huge cook-up.

Evo Flat Top Grill Affinity 25G – Best for Small Outdoor Kitchens

The Evo Affinity 25G is your go-to flat top grill for smaller outdoor kitchens.

It has a 25″ diameter cooking surface with the same steel pre-seasoned plate as the 30G. Except for the smaller size, it does everything the 30G does.

• For small outdoor kitchens
• Natural gas or propane
• 36,000 BTUs
• Pre-seasoned with black oil
• 25″ diameter cooking surface
• Independent heat adjustment for inner and outer cooking zones
• No hot spots, even heat across the surface
• Heat range 225°F to 550°F

Evo Grill Professional Wheeled Cart – Best Portable Grill

The Evo Grill Professional Wheeled Cart gives you a professional flattop grill that you can move around the patio or the backyard. It sits on a solid steel frame with wheels. It has a rear handle to move it around easily.

This portable flat top grill has an awesome 48,000 BTU output, which is more than the drop-in models!

Almost comparable with our beastie highest BTU burners!

• For portability around the patio and backyard
• Natural gas or propane
• 48,000 BTUs
• Pre-seasoned with black oil
• 30″ diameter cooking surface
• Independent heat adjustment for inner and outer cooking zones
• No hot spots, even heat across the surface
• Heat range 225°F to 550°F
• Rear handle for pushing or pulling.
• Stainless steel sleeve to hide your gas tank.

Evo Flat Top Grill Professional Tabletop – Best Tabletop Grill + Portable

If you want a professional, high-quality tabletop grill, this is it. You can move this Evo flat top grill around from table to table or sit it on a bench.

Bring it with you, too, on picnics, camping, visiting friends.

It’s a friend that’ll be welcome wherever you take it. Great BTU output of 48,000 BTUs so you won’t lack power, even when you’re on the go.

• For tabletop use and taking with you; camping, picnics, the beach, a friend’s house…
• Natural gas or propane
• 48,000 BTUs
• Pre-seasoned with black oil
• 30″ diameter cooking surface
• Independent heat adjustment for inner and outer cooking zones
• No hot spots, even heat across the surface
• Heat range 225°F to 550°F

Evo Flat Top Grill Summary

The Evo Flat Top Grill is made to last and built in the US. It gives you even heat and you can cook pretty much anything. You can take them with you or drop-in.

You can gather friends around and cook together, Evo flat top grills are a great size and everyone has plenty of space to cook their own food.

You can fry your food straight on the grill or use pots and pans. You’ll have no more hot spots, these grills have even temperature control all around, from edge to edge.

The one issue, really, is the price. And its limited warranty. If top quality is what you’re looking for, these could well be the stuff of your dreams. If you’re looking for a good flat top at a great price, look at the other options below.

For me, personally, that price is hard to justify. Unless I was Sam the Cooking Guy and this thing was going to make me money.

Which, I suppose, it kinda does if you all buy a grill through my links. I get a small commission on each grill sold. Except, at the percentage I get, it would take approximately 2,321 years to earn the price of one.

Do you think it would last that long?

Evo Grill Resources

• Evo Grill booklet with features

I hope that helped you choose your Evo Grill! Which one’s your favorite and are you using it for a custom outdoor kitchen or to take with you?