I need a new griddle. Advice?

Hi All,

I did a google search for "griddle" on this site and 1390 hits came up! So, I'm sorry if this is old territory.

I currently use a Calphalon non-stick round griddle that is about 11 inches wide. It's served me well when we were a family of two, but now that I have a tiny pancake monster living in my house, I need to upgrade the size I use.

So, which brand is the best? Should I go with a two burner cooktop model or invest in an electric griddle?

I value a non-stick finish and ease of maintenance, so I don't think cast iron is the best fit for me.

Thanks!
Kim

How about this?

nr706 wrote:How about this?

If you want frozen pancakes, it's a lot cheaper to buy them that way.

You can't get much better than a two-burner cast iron griddle. Lodge Logic Reversible Iron Griddle has grill pan ridges on one side and a griddle on the other, and it's pre-seasoned.

nr706 wrote:How about this?

Umm, so what happens if my griddle and anti-griddle meet up? Does the universe implode?

Kim

Kim3 wrote:

nr706 wrote:How about this?

Umm, so what happens if my griddle and anti-griddle meet up? Does the universe implode?

Kim

Same thing as what happens if you put a humidified and a de-humidifier in the room. Just let them fight it out.

We have an electric griddle, mostly because I have a stupid stove with burners on angles, but I digress.

This is ours: Presto Electric Griddle

I've been very happy with it. It holds about 8 good sized pancakes, 8 grilled cheese sandwiches, or 6 fried eggs. It cleans easily, too. If storage isn't a problem, I'd go this route.

I got this All-Clad LTD double burner non-stick griddle at William-Sonoma as I had a gift card. Not cheap at $99 but I do like it.
Jamie

BTW-> They had this in the store as well.

$99 isn't bad for the quality. We have had one of these All-Clad griddles for 20 years and it is still as good as new.

I've got both an electriv griddle (Presto) and a cast iron griddle (Lodge). I like each of them for different reasons.

The electric griddle gets a lot more use because the heat distribution is more even and it's easy to clean. The even heat is better for pancakes and such but we use it for bacon, eggs, pancakes, potatoes and so on. You might find an electric griddle more suited to your needs. They're non-stick and require little maintenance. You just need a place to store it, which can prove challenging in some kitchens.

I use the cast iron griddle for roasting chiles or onions when I can't grill them outside. That doesn't happen very often since we've moved south. It takes some time to heat up but does hold the heat nicely. Stay away from the cheap versions that weigh nothing; they're not cast iron and won't distribute heat the same way.

We love our Cuisinart Griddler. Comes with two sets of interchangeable top and bottom plates -- one ridged for paninis, one flat for griddle use, which is our default setting. While you can use it as a panini press/contact grill, you can open it so both sides lay flat on the countertop which gives you a nice-sized griddle area for pancakes. Prices vary w i d e l y -- we got ours at the kitchen outlet store at Lakeside in Kenosha for about $89, and I've seen them elsewhere for usually $129 or so.



>>Brent

We discovered a real need for a griddle. I investigated stovetop units that lie on burners. Lots of complaints, typically involving uneven heating, hot spots, cold spots, etc. The best ones (Lodge, etc.) are really heavy. So I turned to looking at stand alone electric units. Cook's and other sources were perused, and it eventually emerged that the Broil King pro was an excellent unit. So I bought one. Tried it. Yessss! It really is a fine piece of equipment and I'm really pleased to have it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BKXE02/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Geo

I just got the uneven heating problem solved for my Lodge griddle. I cut two 6" squares of sheet metal (left over from a 55 gallon drum project) and put those on the burners and set the griddle on those. The theory was that it would block direct flame contact with the griddle directly above the burner. It worked a treat! Evenness is not perfect but is pretty close - a lot better than before.

Yes, the cast iron is HEAVY but I really like that I can use a regular metal spatula for flipping the pancakes.

With the drum, I needed to burn off the coating outside the house and then use a wire wheel to clean it up. If you start with clean metal that won't be an issue.