A griddle is a cooking appliance that has a large, flat surface. Mostly, it is made from aluminum, steel, and cast iron, and the surface gets heated evenly to cook all sorts of food. It can be used for cooking tortillas, crepes, pancakes, and French toast. In search of the best electric griddle to cook a hot and crispy meal for your breakfast, lunch, or evening snack? The following guide will tell you all the essential points that will help you make the right purchase. You will see different varieties and specifications to keep in mind while you browse potential products.
What Are Different Types of Electric Griddles?
You will find electric griddles in different styles and designs. There are three main types present:
Griddle
This type is the traditional model, which has a smooth and flat surface. It is large compared to a regular kitchen pan or skillet and allows you to heat most of the items at once. More importantly, the heating across the appliance will be uniform and cooking will be easier. You can easily cook eggs, pancakes, grilled cheese, sandwiches, and more on a classic griddle.
Multi-purpose Griddles
These griddles offer more than just one function. With a grill and griddle combo function, this type will work as a panini press or closed grill. Note that this type has interchangeable plates, which will offer you different cooking options and make it easy to clean.
Griddle and Grill Combo
This type of skillet has a grill insert, which will be providing more cooking options. You can happily and easily perform outdoor cooking within your kitchen. The grill insert will make burgers, hot dogs, and many other items that need to be grilled. Remember that these grill inserts come with ridges and provide grill marks similar to the standard grill.
What Are Some Key Benefits of an Electric Griddle?
Some important key benefits which you need to know are as follows:
Flat Surface Area
This appliance has a flat surface which makes the tossing and turning of your food very easy. You can use a spatula to flip the food freely.
Large Surface Area
As discussed earlier, an electric griddle provides a large surface in contrast to regular pots and pans. The large surface means that there is the possibility of cooking many foods at once. For instance, you can cook 2 to 3 tortillas at once instead of just one at a time.
Uniform Heating
This appliance will provide you uniform heating across the area for equal, even cooking. You will not get this functionality on a stovetop. Moreover, temperature adjustment is much easier on a griddle.
Keep Food Warm
Some skillets have a warming tray underneath them that can keep cooked food warm while you cook more. Say goodbye to some of your food being cold by the time it is time to eat.
Other benefits to electric griddles include easy cleanup, the ability to store your griddle away when it's not needed, and ease of use.
What Are Some General Features You Should Look for in an Electric Griddle?
Different appliance companies like Oster, Black & Decker, Broil King, and many more make griddles in various designs and styles. Some of the general features you should care about:
Surface Coating
The electric griddles are used for preparing breakfast food like eggs and pancakes. Most griddles come with a nonstick surface so that food doesn’t stick. Note that nonstick griddles are out there too, so be careful when making a decision and check to see if the one you are buying is nonstick or not.
Dual Temperature Control
Griddles most commonly have one temperature control, but a few products have dual thermostats. This feature allows the users to use both sides of the griddle at different temperatures— you can turn off or lower the heat on one side while cooking on high heat on the other side.
Warming or Drip Tray
This part is really useful. With these trays, you can keep already cooked food warm while cooking the rest of your food. A drip tray is also helpful as it keeps your kitchen and cooking area cleaner.
How Do You Clean an Electric Griddle?
For cleaning, you have to keep the following points:
- After cooking, remove the food from the skillet and turn it off. Unplug your grill from the wall and let it cool down. After that, unplug the power cord
- Remove the drip tray once it cools down. You have to soak it in soapy water and rinse it with hot water or put it in the dishwasher
- Clean the full griddle in hot soapy water if you can remove the cooking surface (you can also put it in the dishwasher). If you can't remove the surface, use a gentle cloth with warm water and a bit of dish soap
- Don’t use an abrasive cleaner or steel wool for cleaning the skillet as it will scratch and damage the nonstick surface
- Ensure that the power cord and heat controls are completely dry. You can wipe the cord with the help of a dry rag.
Best Electric Griddles FAQs
Q: Do you need to season the electric griddle?
A: An electric skillet does not always need to be seasoned. To keep it easy to clean and prevent your food from sticking, be sure to use a bit of oil or butter while cooking.
Q: Can you put aluminum foil on it?
A: Yes, you can use aluminum foil to protect the surface and prevent the food from sticking. Electric griddles will never get hot enough to melt aluminum.
Q: Are you able to cook steak on this appliance?
A: For cooking steak, you have to preheat the griddle to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the steak on the appliance and cook each side for three minutes. Keep on flipping until you get the desired result.