WEBER SLATE GP 71 CM Premium Griddle Gas Grill – 1501779

The Slate cooktop comes pre-seasoned at the factory with food-safe oils, so technically you can cook on it straight out of the box. That said, most owners — and we agree — recommend laying down 2–3 light coats of high-heat oil before the first cook. It builds a more durable nonstick layer and helps protect the steel long-term.

The included quick-start guide walks you through it in about 30 minutes.

A regular grill cooks food over flames on grates — the Slate cooks food on a solid steel surface, like a giant cast-iron pan. That changes everything: no flare-ups, no grate marks, no food falling through. You can cook eggs, pancakes, smashed burgers, fajitas, stir-fry, bacon — anything you'd cook in a pan, but eight portions at a time.

Most Slate owners keep their regular grill too. Use the gas grill for whole chickens and steaks; use the Slate for breakfast, smash burgers, and weeknight cookouts.

The 76 cm Slate has three independently controlled burner zones and roughly cooks for 4–6 people comfortably. You can fit eight smashed burgers at once, a full pound of bacon, or about ten pancakes in a single batch.

If you regularly cook for 8+ people or host larger parties, the larger 91 cm model is worth considering. For most families and small dinner parties, the 76 cm hits the sweet spot.

The Slate's case-hardened cooktop resists rust far better than a standard carbon-steel griddle, but no outdoor cooking surface is fully weatherproof against snow and freezing rain. We recommend:

Best: Store the unit under cover (garage, shed, balcony with overhang) during winter, with a Weber-branded cover.
Acceptable: Outside year-round with a quality cover, raised slightly off the ground, with the cooktop wiped down with oil before storage.

The lid is designed to protect the surface from rain and debris but isn't a substitute for a full cover.

This Slate model runs on liquid propane (LPG) — the standard removable gas bottle setup that most Latvian customers already use for their grills. It's the most flexible option: take the griddle to the summer house, the dacha, or anywhere you don't have a fixed gas line.

If you have natural gas plumbed to your patio, ask us about the natural-gas conversion kit before ordering — we'll confirm fitment for your setup.

Cleaning the Slate is faster than cleaning a regular pan. After cooking:

1. While the surface is still warm, scrape food residue toward the front grease slot with a metal spatula or scraper.
2. Wipe the surface with paper towels.
3. Apply a thin layer of high-heat oil while still warm — protects the seasoning and prevents rust.
4. Empty the drip tray (replaceable disposable liners available).

Avoid: Pouring cold water on a hot cooktop — it can warp the steel. Let it cool partially first if you need to deep-clean.

Both are excellent flat-top griddles. The key differences:

Weber Slate: Case-hardened, rust-resistant cooktop (Weber's headline innovation). Pre-seasoned. Premium build quality. Smooth precision burner control. Higher price.

Blackstone: Established griddle brand with a huge accessory ecosystem. Standard carbon-steel cooktop that needs more maintenance. Wider price range.

If you want minimal maintenance and Weber's build quality, choose Slate. If you want the largest accessory ecosystem at a lower starting price, Blackstone is hard to beat.

We deliver the Slate across Latvia in 1–4 working days and across the Baltics and EU in 4–7 days, fully insured.

The Slate comes with a 5-year warranty on the cooktop and burners and a 2-year warranty on other components. We're an authorised Weber dealer in Latvia, so warranty claims and service requests go through us — no need to ship parts back to Germany or the US.

Our service workshop in Riga handles assembly, gas-line setup, and seasonal maintenance.