Griddles can do many things in the kitchen. The typically square or rectangular, heavy-weight pan with a flat surface can cook pancakes, bacon, and eggs in the morning, grilled cheese sandwiches in the afternoon, and meat fillets and vegetables in the evening.
Griddles are usually either square, fitting on top of one stove burner, or rectangular, spreading over two stove burners. Some very efficient and economical griddles are reversible, with a flat surface on one side and a ridged surface on the other side. The ridged side gives meats the traditional grill marks. Griddles are typically made from thick metals, such as cast iron or cast aluminium. Both of these materials conduct heat well. The thicker the griddle is, the better it will heat food evenly. The weight of the material, however, may be something to consider in what size griddle you purchase; a two-burner griddle in cast iron can weigh a lot. However, if you are trying to cook pancakes for three or more people, the extra space that a two-burner griddle provides can be very helpful.
Many griddles offer a non-stick lined option, which can be useful in easily allowing foods to release, although non-stick is certainly not necessary as a little butter, grease, or non-stick spray will work just as well. In addition, many foods you cook on a griddle, such as pancakes and bacon, already have enough fat content in them that they don’t stick to the surface too much. However, if you plan on cooking a lot of meat fillets, like chicken breasts, the non-stick might be beneficial. When purchasing non-stick coated griddles, it is important to remember that the griddle can not take high-heat, as that will break down the non-stick lining.
Most square griddles have one long handle, and some rectangular griddles have a handle at each short end. Handles can be useful, especially if you plan on moving the griddle from the stove into the oven, but are by no means required. If you plan on storing the griddle on it’s side, the handles will take up more room than a flat griddle would.
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