Non-stick griddle puzzle

If you’re buying a flat iron online, it’s best to be specific in your inquiry because flat irons 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 it is at the time of this writing.

grill and grill

Let’s solve the difference between a grill and a griddle. A grill or roasting pan has a grid of raised ridges that prevent food from cooking directly in the oil and drippings from collecting on the bottom of the pan. If the stovetop heat gets high enough, you can get the same desirable sear marks on steaks, chops, and burgers that you see when cooking on outdoor gas and charcoal grills.

A griddle has a smooth, flat cooking surface, making it ideal for pancakes, omelettes, and crepes. A griddle, double griddle, or two-burner griddle (they all mean the same thing) are often reversible, with a flat griddle surface on one side and grilling ridges on the reversible side. These griddles are often advertised as a reversible griddle or grill/griddle.

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

round and square

A round griddle is most likely a grill. A smooth-bottomed skillet about 10 inches with sides high enough to prevent oil and drippings from spilling onto the burner, and with a conventional long handle. The short sides are designed to make it easier for the spatula to access the food. You can tell if you’ve tried to flip a pancake with a spatula at an angle. Since the heat can be applied to only one side, round griddles are likely to have non-stick surfaces.

A square griddle is also probably a grill 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 burgers or cheese sandwiches, while three is the practical limit for a round griddle.

Steel, Aluminum, Stainless Steel and Cast Iron

Steel griddles are usually the larger rectangular type, most are over 24 inches and are well suited for large group cooking. Nothing stops you from using a steel griddle on your stove if it fits, but most are made for camping stoves. The steel construction is sturdy and can withstand some abuse from metal knives and cookware.

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

Variations of the cast iron griddle probably date back to the beginning of the iron age. Cooks who use cast iron cookware regularly have no problem maintaining 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, can be dropped, and can be fully abused with scorching utensils and cooking temperatures with no ill effects. Casting iron directly over charcoal is the only way the home cook can get the temperature high enough to achieve a truly blackened effect. Cast iron can be heavy, so check the weight specs if you’re a tiny size.

Unexpectedly, a stainless steel griddle is rare. Even the all-clad stainless steel champion only makes a plate of hard-anodized aluminum. There are a few models of 12-inch round stainless steel griddles, but even these excellent kitchen tools, from different manufacturers, for the same strange reason have puny side handles that disqualify them for serious consideration.

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