Victory takes a plunge into the griddle wave that is sweeping the outdoor cooking world. This trend has been building for years and now everyone is getting in on the action. Griddle cooking is easy and fun and the possibilities are almost limitless when it comes to what you can do on them. The Victory Gas Griddle VCT-G4B-LP is Victory’s first griddle entry and I would say they have done well.
The price is competitive, especially considering the all-stainless steel construction. I love the low-maintenance porcelain-coated cooking surface that, unlike most griddles, doesn’t need seasoning (more on that later). The stainless steel is on the light side but is more than adequate for this price point and for most backyard cooks and weekend warriors. I think folks in areas where corrosion from the elements is a concern will really appreciate both the stainless and porcelain-coated cooktop.
Run Down of the Victory Gas Griddle
The 36″ Victory Gas Griddle VCT-G4B-LP is a stainless steel-bodied, 36” griddle with 4 burners fueled by liquid propane. Including the heavy cooktop, the assembled unit weighs 102 pounds. The cooktop is a porcelain-coated steel griddle that distributes heat fairly well. The cooking surface measures 36” wide X 18.5” deep, with a total grilling area of 665 square inches. The overall unit’s dimensions are 60″W x 21″D x 36″H. Victory provides two fold-down side shelves, a bottom shelf for storage, and a convenient carriage for the propane tank.
The Cooktop
The cooktop itself is removable in case you need to access the burners.
The cooktop has a half-inch lip on the edge which tapers up to one inch back. This makes it ideal for scooping ingredients onto your spatula while cooking. It also helps to keep the food on the griddle while things are being moved around to chase the heat.
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There is a handy grease tray at the front right side of the griddle top. The grease flows down through an opening to a catch pan under the griddle which can easily be removed for disposal. This worked pretty well, however I prefer the grease tray on my Blackstone which has a larger opening and is located at the back. But with a hair more caution, this really is not a huge issue with Victory.
Lighting and Burners
Victory’s piezoelectric ignition is simple and easy. No batteries are needed, just turn the control knob to generate a spark and light the burners. Victory fired right up each time I went to light it.
The unit also includes left and right side shelves with tool hooks that fold down when not in use. They are large enough to hold utensils, food trays, or anything else you may need while cooking.
A storage area on the left side is a convenient nesting place for your LP fuel tank.
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No Reason to Season!
Most griddles need seasoning before use. Seasoning consists of applying thin coats of cooking oil all over the cooktop and then burning it off. Several coats are required and it can be a tedious process that needs to be repeated periodically to prevent rust. There is no reason to season Victory’s porcelain-coated cooktop. Out of the box, it only required a quick cleaning of the surface with soapy water to remove any factory grease, plus a spray of cooking oil before you are ready to get cooking.
Cooking with the Victory Gas Griddle
To kick things off, I chose to make my favorite griddle delicacy — Minnesota Steak Sandwiches. I started by heating the griddle surface with all four burners on high. This allowed the cooktop to reach 400°F in about 8 minutes. I thought that heat-up time was pretty quick. The heavy steel griddle with four 12,000 BTU burners kept the cooking surface hot while cooking piles of steak, onions, peppers, and mushrooms.
Onions, mushrooms, and peppers contain a lot of water, which Victory had no problem cooking down and browning. As for the steak, I was able to achieve a great level of tasty, brown crust from the Maillard Reaction. I did need to chase the heat across the griddle surface, but that is why you have 36” of space. There was more than enough real estate to make this a breeze. I never felt like I was losing heat or not able to cook the way I wanted to. For the most part, I did not notice any hot spots. The corners were a little cooler, this is normal for any gas griddle that I have used. I thought it performed well with this much food on the cooking surface. Once I had all the ingredients crisped up nicely, I combined everything and added cheese.
When finished, I was easily able to move the ingredients into a bowl by using a large spatula to scoop them against that lip on the sides of the cooktop.
Some say you shouldn’t use metal cooking tools on porcelain coated cook surfaces, but I’m always careful not to scrape or gouge the coating and it hasn’t been an issue. If you really want to be extra safe, use synthetic or wood tools instead.
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Clean up
Clean-up was a breeze. None of the food stuck to the porcelain cooking surface and it was totally clean after wiping it down with a wet rag after the griddle cooled a bit.
Spinaker’s request
One thing that I really wish Victory and other griddle manufacturers would do is place windblocks on the sides of the griddle. Wind can easily enter between the griddle surface and the frame of the grill. This can suck away heat and limit your cook. I was cooking on a warm, summer day in Minnesota. However, had it been November or December I may have run into issues. Third-party griddle wind guards are available to remedy this problem.
Packaging and Assembling the Victory Gas Griddle
Victory did a fine job packaging this griddle. It arrived undamaged and in excellent condition. Everything was individually wrapped in foam and styrofoam, and the product was easy to unpack from the box.
Assembly was fast and easy. The directions provided were intuitive and easy to follow. The griddle came with a screwdriver, wrench, and hardware to assemble the whole unit.
Conclusion
I cooked a variety of griddled delicacies on Victory and got great results on everything that hit that porcelain-coated surface. The Victory griddle cooked as well as any gas griddle, including the Blackstone Griddle I have used over the years. In addition to that, my Blackstone Griddle is harder to clean and maintain than the Victory. Overall, I was satisfied with this unit at this price point. Setting up the griddle was easy and headache-free. The unit is easy to light and reaches and maintains temperatures, even while cooking mass quantities of meat and veggies.
The porcelain-coated cooktop didn’t need seasoning, was a breeze to cook on, and was super easy to clean and maintain. I found the build quality to be in line with this price point and with the porcelain-coated cooktop and stainless steel body, this unit should last a while on anyone’s patio. This griddle is perfect for anyone who is looking to break into the backyard griddle game. I give the Victory Gas Griddle VCT-G4B-LP a Gold Medal rating for ease of use, build quality, and price point.
Warranty on Parts
- Exterior – Lifetime
- Cooking Top – 15 Years
- Burners – 15 Years
- Valves – 2 Years
- Ignition – 1 Year
We thank Victory for providing their griddle for this review.
