Non-stick griddle riddle

If you’re shopping for an iron online, you’d better be specific in your query because plates come in all sizes and shapes and for all sorts of different uses. Just to prove the point: the best-selling griddle on Amazon, the Calphalon 10-Inch Nonstick Griddle, is actually a crepe pan. The short, gently sloping sides give it away. It’s still a great buy as a nonstick griddle, especially when it’s on sale for around $ 20 as is at the time of writing.

Grill and Griddle

Let’s figure out the difference between a grill and a griddle. A grill or broiler pan has a raised-edged rack that prevents food from cooking directly in the oil and drips that collect on the bottom of the pan. If the stove heat gets raised high enough, you can get the same desirable brands for grilling on steaks, chops, and burgers that you see when cooking on charcoal and gas grills outdoors.

A griddle has a smooth, flat cooking surface, which makes it ideal for things like pancakes, omelettes, and crepes. A stovetop, double griddle, or dual-burner griddle (they all mean the same thing) are often reversible, with a flat griddle surface on one side and broiler flanges on the reversible side. These plates are often advertised as a reversible plate or as a grill / griddle.

A reversible iron is likely to be a 20 x 11-inch rectangle with short handles at each end. These griddles are called dual burner griddles because they are large enough to cover and be heated by two burners at the same time. Coleman and Camp Chef make 24-inch and larger griddles that are a bit large for a griddle, but are great for outdoor use.

Round and Square

A round griddle is most likely a roasting pan. A flat-bottomed 10-inch or larger skillet with sides high enough to prevent oil and drips from spilling onto the burner, and with a conventional long handle. The short sides are designed for easy spatula access to food. You can appreciate this if you’ve tried flipping a pancake with an angled spatula. Since heat can only be applied to one side, round plates will likely have non-stick surfaces.

Most likely, a square griddle is also a grill pan with short sides and a conventional handle. The advantage of the square shape is that it can fit more pieces. An 11-inch square griddle will fit four hamburgers or cheese sandwiches, while three is the practical limit for a round griddle.

Steel, aluminum, stainless steel and cast iron

Steel griddles are typically the largest rectangular type, most measuring over 24 inches and suitable for cooking for large groups. Nothing that you use a steel plate prevents on your stove if it fits, but most are made for camp stoves. The steel construction is sturdy and can withstand the use of metal kitchen utensils and knives.

Aluminum is less popular than it used to be, but you can still find many sizes and shapes of aluminum griddle from major manufacturers, including the Farberware Dual Burner Nonstick Griddle. Thick aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, although if it is not hard anodized it can become discolored and pitted if cleaned with metal pads and harsh chemicals. Most aluminum plates have at least one nonstick surface.

Variations of the cast iron plate probably date back to the beginning of the Iron Age. Cooks who use cast iron cookware on a regular basis have no problem keeping cookware to produce a nonstick cooking surface, although newcomers still seem intimidated by the seasoning process. A cast iron griddle can be used indoors or outdoors, it can be dropped and thoroughly abused with utensils and scorching cooking temperatures without any ill effects. Cast iron directly on charcoal is the only way the home cook can raise the temperature high enough to achieve a real blackened effect. Cast iron can be heavy, so check the weight specs if it’s a tiny size.

Unexpectedly, a stainless steel plate is rare. Even the All-Clad Stainless Steel Champion makes only one hard anodized aluminum sheet. There are a few models of 12-inch round stainless steel griddles, but even these excellent kitchen tools, from different manufacturers, for the same odd reason have insignificant side handles that disqualify them from serious consideration.