I’ve been cooking on the Grilla Grills Primate for a little over a year now, and it’s become one of the most used pieces of equipment on my patio. I’ve fired it up for weekend breakfasts, weeknight smash burgers, family cookouts, and everything in between. The griddle has handled countless pancakes, and the grill has seen plenty of chicken.
After cooking on it for a while, I’m ready to share my experience with it, the good and the bad.
Why I don’t usually recommend a combo grill:
In most cases, I’m not a fan of combo grill/griddle units. The main problem is space. Most of them give you too little grilling area and too little griddle area, so neither side really performs the way it should.
That’s why my answer to “Is a grill-griddle combo worth it?” is usually no.
The Primate is different. This isn’t a half-and-half combo. It’s a completely switchable system. When it’s a grill, it’s a real grill. When it’s a griddle, it’s a real flat top. It gives you the best of both worlds.
The Primate is both a grill and a griddle — not in a “split the surface and compromise both” kind of way, but in a fully convertible way. But you can also get a 2/3 griddle surface if you want to use the griddle and grill at the same time.
Grilla Grills Primate Specs at a glance:
| Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
|
Burners |
4 Stainless Steel (15,000 BTUs each) |
|
Total BTUs |
60,000 |
|
Main Cooking Area |
490 sq in. |
|
Weight |
190 lbs |
|
Dimensions |
41.5” H x 62” W x 25” D |
|
Construction |
Heavy-duty 304 Stainless Steel |
|
Warranty |
4 years |
It has 4 burners each producing 15,000 BTUs (Total of 60,000 BTUs). It can cook at high temperatures so you can get that nice sear. It has an insulated hood and a double walled cooking chamber which helps trap heat very efficiently.
It has a cooking height of 36.5”. I remember looking at the cooking height before finalizing this grill because some of the other options were 38” or above which is too high for my 5’1” wife. Or the other options were around 34” which was too low for me, I’m around 5’11”. The cooking height on the primate just felt right.
The main cooking area on the primate is 490 sq. inches. It’s not a small cooking surface. I have enough space on my primate to cook a large batch of pancakes or make smash burgers for a large group without feeling cramped.
I attach a propane tank to my primate, but you can attach it to a natural gas supply if that’s what you prefer. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to get a separate kit for that. The primate also comes with a 4-year warranty.
What I Think of Its Build Quality:
The Primate feels like a serious, heavy-duty piece of equipment. The cart, lid, and body are all stainless steel, and it has that solid, premium feel when you open and close the lid or roll it around the patio.
One small detail I genuinely appreciate is the built-in paper towel holder. It sounds minor, but when you’re cooking greasy food on a griddle, having towels right there is a big convenience.
Overall, the build quality is excellent, and it looks every bit like a premium grill.
Assembly:
It took me a little more than half an hour to put this thing together (I was excited about unboxing this thing and putting it together). It’s a simple process and Grilla Grills provide very clear instructions, which can be done with simple tools.
All you need is:
- A simple wrench
- A Phillips head screwdriver
- An 8mm socket driver
It’s mostly a one-person job but you’ll need another pair of hands to pick up the grill head onto the cart but the rest you can do by yourself.
Here’s a picture of the Primate when I assembled it fresh out of the box:
How to change between a grill and the griddle:
Setting up the griddle is very easy. You simply place the griddle top over the burners and secure it using the four screws located at each corner. Make sure the grease drain hole is positioned in the lower left corner so the runoff flows into the collection tray correctly (the grease collection bucket is located on the left side under the side table). Once it’s mounted, all that’s left is to season the surface with a high–smoke point oil, and you’re ready to start cooking (If you aren’t sure which oil to use, check out my guide on the best oil for seasoning cast iron).
Switching back to grill mode is just as easy. You remove the griddle top (keep the screws somewhere safe, they’re easy to lose), place the flame tamers over each burner (they come included with the grill), and then set the three grill grates into position using the grooves on the back side as guides. The grates don’t require any screws — they drop in snugly and sit firmly in place, and within a couple of minutes you’re ready to start grilling.
Hot and Cold Spots on the Griddle:
It doesn’t have any notable cold spots. Which means you get an even cook from front to back and side to side. The four burners keep the cook pretty even. I can vouch for this point because I cook my signature pancakes on the griddle a lot. And I cook a lot of breakfast on my griddle. The sides are obviously going to be a little cold but nothing too drastic. I usually keep one burner off even when I’m cooking large batches as a zone to keep the food warm.
Another thing that I feel like I should mention is the recessed design of the griddle surface. It blocks the wind much better than any previous griddles I’ve used, so the primate provides an even cook even on windy days.
Low and High Temperature Performance:
I was curious about the lowest and highest temperature the griddle could go so I performed a little test.
On the lowest setting, after about 15–20 minutes of preheating, the surface settles around 400°F (I used an infrared thermometer to check the temperature). I know that’s warmer than some dedicated low-and-slow setups, but still usable for foods that don’t need extreme heat.
On the highest setting, it really shines. I’ve measured temps around 625-650°F after letting the burners burn on high for around 15-20 minutes. That’s more than enough for a hard sear on smash burgers and steaks.
Downsides:
With all its advantages, there are some downsides to it too and here’s what I think about them.
Short lid height:
I’ve read some people complaining about the short lid on the internet, they say that it doesn’t have a tall lid like other grills on the market. Which can limit very tall cuts of meat. Personally, it hasn’t been an issue for me. But maybe it’ll be a problem when I try to cook a very large turkey on it.
Side shelves get very hot:
Another thing that I have noticed while cooking on it on high flames is that after a while the side shelves get really hot (hot enough to melt plastic bottles of dry rub, believe me it’s happened to me).
No rotisserie option in the primate:
There is no rotisserie option in the primate like in most other grills available on the market. It isn’t an issue for me because I can’t remember the last time I used the rotisserie option on a grill, even when I had them. I use grills a lot like this pollo asado chicken that my family loves, but I hardly ever used the rotisserie option on any grill. If rotisserie cooking is important to you, this could be a drawback.
No place to store the griddle top:
There is no place for you to store the griddle top when switching to the grill. The grill is in three separate pieces so they can be stored easily in the cabinet below. But storing the griddle top when it’s not in use is a problem. I just store it in the garage when it’s not in use. This problem is solved in the built-in outdoor kitchen version of the primate, because that has designated storage in the cabinets below. Future versions should address this.
Condition after one year of use:
The griddle has seen its fair share of breakfast and satisfied a lot of late-night smash burger cravings. I’ve used the grill to cook for a large group of people too. And I don’t have many bad things to say about it apart from some downsides that I have mentioned above.
The stainless steel did not stain even a little, the burners still ignite on the first push. It’s rust resistant but not rust free. So don’t leave it in the rain or uncovered all season. I’ve heard from some users about rust building on the griddle top but nothing a good seasoning can’t fix. I keep mine covered with the same cover I bought from Grilla grills with the primate. I don’t have any serious complaints after a little over a year of use.
This is what my Primate looks like after a year of use:
Price:
It’s priced in the upper-mid range. But compared to buying a Weber and a Blackstone separately, the price starts to look really attractive. You’re getting a full-size grill and griddle in the price of one. When you look at it that way, the price makes a lot of sense.
That was a huge upside for me. Compared to buying two separate high-quality units, the Primate offers solid value, and that’s one of the main reasons I chose it in the first place. And I haven’t regretted my decision once.
Final verdict:
It really saves you the space on your patio as you don’t need a separate grill and griddle. If you want one unit that does both well, this is it. Why get one when you can get both in the price and space of one.
After more than a year of regular use, I can say I don’t regret the purchase — and that, in my book, is the best recommendation a piece of cooking equipment can get.
3 thoughts on “Grilla grills primate review: Sharing my experience with the grill/griddle.”
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