Traeger Flatrock vs Arteflame: Gas Griddle or Wood Fire?

The Traeger Flatrock and Arteflame both cook on a flat steel surface, but they get their heat in completely different ways. The Flatrock is a propane griddle with three burners and three insulated cooking zones that you set with knobs. An Arteflame is a wood- or charcoal-fired grill: a live fire in a steel bowl, with a thick steel cooktop ring around it and an open grate over the flames. This page compares the two on the things that decide which one belongs on your patio: how they cook, how hot they get, how much they hold, what they cost and where they are made.

Traeger Flatrock vs Arteflame at a glance

Traeger details are from traeger.com as of October 2026 and refer to the Flatrock 3 Zone; a smaller Flatrock 2 Zone (468 sq in) is also sold. Prices change often.

The core difference: insulated zones vs. a live fire

The Flatrock is built around control. Three burners sit under one steel plate, and insulation separates the cooktop into three zones, so you can run one side hot for searing, the middle medium and the far side low to keep food warm. The heat is steady and repeatable, which is why gas griddles are so good at breakfasts, smash burgers and fried rice.

An Arteflame has no burners. You build a hardwood or charcoal fire in the center bowl. The heat rises through an open grate right above the flames and spreads outward through the steel cooktop ring, giving you a range of temperatures on one surface: over 1,000°F on the center grate, about 450–550°F next to the fire and 250–350°F toward the outer edge. Instead of turning a knob, you slide food to the temperature it needs.

Both give you several temperatures at once. The Flatrock does it with insulation and knobs; the Arteflame does it with the fire itself.

Searing: 600°F zones vs. a 1,000°F grate

Traeger lists the Flatrock's range as 350–600°F. That is plenty for a smash burger crust, eggs, vegetables and a good sear on thin cuts.

For a thick steak, an Arteflame gives you something a griddle does not: an open grate directly over a wood or charcoal fire at 1,000°F or more. You get a fast, deep crust and grill marks, then move the steak onto the cooler cooktop to finish. Read how the 1,000°F sear zone works.

Cooking area and cooking for a crowd

The Flatrock has 594 square inches of flat cooking surface. Arteflame's 40″ models have more than 1,250, and the cooktop is round, so people gather around it while you cook instead of standing in a line behind a rectangle. If you cook for two to four people, either one has plenty of room. For a big backyard cookout, the 40″ Arteflame has the bigger surface.

Flavor: propane vs. wood and charcoal

Propane burns clean, so food on a Flatrock tastes like the seasoning, the fat and the browning on the steel. An Arteflame cooks over a real wood or charcoal fire, so food on and near the center grate picks up smoke and char. Whether that matters to you is personal, but if you want wood-fired flavor, a gas griddle cannot give it to you.

Convenience and cleanup

This is where the Flatrock is strongest. You light it with a button, it heats up in minutes, there is no ash to empty and a grease keg collects the drippings. It also has folding side shelves and an accessory rail for tools.

An Arteflame asks more of you. You light a fire 30–45 minutes before you cook on a 40-inch model, you add fuel for longer cooks and you clear the ash afterwards. In return you get a fire to sit around when the cooking is done. Both cooktops are steel and need the same care: scrape them clean while warm and wipe on a light coat of oil, like a cast-iron pan.

Build, materials and lifespan

The Flatrock is a steel griddle plate over propane burners on a cart with folding side shelves, built for convenience and easy cleanup.

Arteflame fire bowls and bases are heavy Corten (weathering) steel, which forms a protective rust-colored patina instead of needing paint. The Stainless Series has a stainless steel bowl instead. The cooktop is a separate slab of hot-rolled steel, up to 1/2″ thick on the 40″ models, with no burners, valves or moving parts. Arteflames are built to stay outside in one place for many years. Every one is made in Phoenix, Arizona, and comes with a 3-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects. Read whether Corten steel is safe for cooking.

Price

The Flatrock is Traeger's premium gas griddle (Traeger also sells a cheaper Irontop line from $499.99). Traeger lists the Flatrock 3 Zone at $999.99 and the 2 Zone at $799.99, and retailers often sell it for less. An Arteflame costs more: it starts at $1,995 for the 40″ Fire Pit with Cooktop and $2,495 for the Classic 40″ grill, up to $3,995 for the Stainless Series.

So the Flatrock is the lower-cost choice. The Arteflame is for people who want more than a griddle: a wood fire, a 1,000°F grate and a fire pit in one piece of heavy American steel.

Which should you buy?

So is Arteflame better than the Traeger Flatrock? It depends on how you like to cook. The Flatrock wins on convenience and set-it-and-forget-it zone control. Arteflame wins on live-fire flavor, a 1,000°F+ searing grate and a fire pit that doubles as the centerpiece of your patio.

The Traeger Flatrock is the better fit if:

• You want to start cooking within minutes, with no fire to manage.
• You mostly griddle: breakfasts, smash burgers, cheesesteaks, fried rice.
• You want three independent, knob-controlled temperature zones.
• You want side shelves and an accessory rail built into the cart.

Arteflame is the better fit if:

• You want wood-fired or charcoal flavor.
• You want a 1,000°F+ grate for thick steaks as well as a flat top.
• You like cooking in zones that the fire creates, with everything ready at the same time.
• You want a fire pit grill combo: a grill to cook on, then a centerpiece to gather around after dinner.
• You want a heavy, American-made grill built to stay outside for years.

Still comparing? See Blackstone vs Arteflame, Camp Chef vs Arteflame, all our comparisons and the gas vs. wood-fired grill guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arteflame better than the Traeger Flatrock?

It depends on what you want. The Flatrock is better for convenience and knob-controlled zones. Arteflame is better for live-fire cooking, searing over a 1,000°F+ grate, and doubling as a fire pit.

How hot does the Traeger Flatrock get?

Traeger lists a temperature range of 350–600°F for the Flatrock.

How hot does an Arteflame get?

With a well-established hardwood fire, the center grate passes 1,000°F. The cooktop runs about 450–550°F toward the inner edge and 250–350°F toward the outer edge.

Does an Arteflame use propane?

No. Arteflame grills burn hardwood or lump charcoal. There is no propane tank or gas line.

Is an Arteflame a griddle?

Partly. The cooktop ring is a flat steel griddle surface, so you can cook eggs, pancakes, smash burgers and vegetables on it. The difference is the heat source: a wood or charcoal fire in the center instead of propane burners, plus an open grate over the fire for searing.

Which is easier to use?

The Flatrock. It lights with a button, heats up in minutes and you set each zone with a knob. An Arteflame takes 30–45 minutes for a 40-inch cooktop to heat through, and you control heat by moving food between zones.