For those who need to feed a small army and feed them quickly, this is a great tool. If you camp with a small group (under 10) , then this might be overkill. I could also see this being very useful for an outdoor caterer, family re-unions, or maybe even a food truck. If you watch Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, then the first thing you'll notice is that the surface is comparable to anything you'd see on that show.This flat top grill is pretty amazing and really speaks to the versatility of the camp chef stoves. I have many kids, and when we go camping it's usually with multiple families across 2-4 camp sites, so the total number of people who need to be fed can range into the 20s. Breakfast is usually the trickiest meal, as everyone takes out their portable camp stoves, cook wear, etc. to make the usual fare of bacon, eggs, pancakes, etc. This gets the job done, but takes up a lot of table space and creates a lot of mess. Having the flat top on a free-standing stove allows us to "centralize" breakfast, eliminating most of the morning chaos. This griddle also allows me to cook everything for everyone in just a couple passes, while eliminating the need to take up valuable table space with portable stoves, cook gear, ingredients/food, etc.I have the three-burner version of this griddle, and while it *seemed* big online, it is even bigger in person. The cooking area would let you serve a pretty large group in 2-3 passes, leaving only one thing that needs to be cleaned up, rather than 4-5 (or more) frying pans, pots, etc. The griddle itself is very heavy. The underside comes with heat diffusion plates to spread heat over the entire cooking surface better. Although I have not noticed any significant hot spots, it may be that I have not used the griddle long enough to find them yet. I would imagine that there are some, but if so, they are minimized. I know that in general, Camp Chef makes quality products, but I underestimated how thick heavy the steel surface would be. This is not made of the same cheap-o materials that you get at a big-box discount store. For a "real world" reference point, the steel is thicker and heavier than most car doors or hoods. Image a really nice frying pan, except it's HUGE. It's probably the nicest piece of cookwear I own, and seems like it can take a lot of use and abuse.Because it's so heavy, this may not be a good purchase for someone who has trouble lifting heavy things, but no matter what your strength, I suggest getting the carry bag at the same time. I thought I'd be able to keep it in the box, and I probably could for a while, but the bag will make it easier to carry and transport.As far as downsides are concerned, two things related to transporting it: (1) the welded-on handle is exceptionally durable, but not that comfortable. It does not bother me to carry it by the handle, but I see how the narrow, rounded steel "loop" could dig into people's hands if they have to carry it far or have small or really large hands. (It fits me fine, however.) (2) This should come with a carry bag, even if it means Camp Chef charges more. Camp Chef may even want to consider a wheeled carry bag for it as the optional add-on. It seems to weigh as much--if not more--than the three-burner stove itself and is would be difficult to manage by someone who is physically weak or has health problems that do not allow him or her to carry heavy objects. (I did not actually compare the specs online, so it may be lighter than the stove and just awkward to carry, but my point is that carrying the griddle is comparable to carrying the stove itself.For two people to carry the griddle, however, it should be a breeze.)