Griddle
Lefse cooking on an electric griddle
Classification	Cooking equipment
Industry	Various
Application	Cooking
Fuel source	Traditional fuels, natural gas, propane, electric

A griddle, in the UK typically referred to simply as a frying pan or flat top, is a cooking device consisting mainly of a broad, usually flat cooking surface. Nowadays it can be either a movable metal pan- or plate-like utensil,^[1] a flat heated cooking surface built into a stove or kitchen range,^[2] or a compact cooking machine with its own heating system attached to an integrated griddle acting as a cooktop.^[3]

A traditional griddle can either be a brick slab or tablet, or a flat or curved metal disc, while in industrialized countries a griddle is most commonly a flat metal plate.^{[citation needed]} A griddle can have both residential and commercial applications, and can be heated directly or indirectly.^{[citation needed]} The heating can be supplied either by a flame fuelled by wood, coal, or gas; or by electrical elements.^{[citation needed]} Commercial griddles run on electricity, natural gas or propane.^[4]

Griddles can be made of cast iron, but there are also non-stick varieties.^[2] A residential griddle may be made of cast iron, aluminium, chrome steel, or carbon steel.^{[citation needed]} The vast majority of commercial-grade griddles are made from A36 steel,^{[citation needed]} though some are stainless steel or composites of stainless and aluminium.^{[citation needed]} The plate surfaces of commercial griddles can be made of cast iron, polished steel, cold-rolled steel or can have a chrome finish.^[4]

Etymology[edit]

The word griddle is attested in 13th-century English and it probably comes from Anglo-French gridil, which had developed over time from the Latin word craticula, 'small griddle' (craticula – graille – gredil – gridil),^[1] possibly via the Latin craticulum, 'fine wickerwork'.^[5]

Traditional and early modern[edit]

Traditional griddles include a stone or brick slab or tablet, and a shallow platter filled with sand. The former are usually heated to cooking temperature before the food is placed on them, the latter heated after.^{[citation needed]} Later versions were sometimes integrated into the tops of wood-fired cookstoves as a removable iron plate, and later as a separate, typically handle-less plate covering one or more burners on a gas or electric stove.^{[citation needed]}

Middle East[edit]

In traditional Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines, a saj is a convex griddle that is used to cook a variety of flatbread types.

Latin America[edit]

In Latin America one traditional style of griddle is a budare. Made from stone or clay, it is used to cook a variety of flatbreads, such as tortilla, arepa and casabe. Modern versions for commercial use are metal and called comals.

Great Britain[edit]

In Britain the griddle is also called girdle, and is used for instance for making scones.^[1] It can take the shape of a thick iron plate, round and held from above by a half-hoop handle.^[1]

The traditional Scottish griddle (or girdle) has a flat wrought iron disk with an upturned rim to which a semicircular hoop handle is attached, allowing it to be suspended over the fire from a central chain and hook.^[6] Girdles are used for cooking scones, bannocks, pancakes and oatcakes.^[7][8]

The traditional Welsh bakestone is similar, circular with a one-piece handle, typically cast iron, 1 cm (0.4 in) in thickness. It is used to cook Welsh cakes, pikelets, and crepes.^[9][10]

United States[edit]

In Upstate New York, a griddle used to be the lid covering a round opening on the cooking surface of a wood- or coal-burning stove.^[1]

Commercial griddles[edit]

Dishes[edit]

Griddles are often used to prepare breakfast items such as pancakes, French toast, eggs and bacon, as well as stir-fries and meat dishes like hamburgers, steak and chicken breasts.^[4]

Technical details[edit]

Commercial griddles can be 2–6 feet wide and 18–30 inches deep, and their plates can be flat or grooved.^[4] The burners on the griddle units can be controlled manually or with the help of a thermostat.^[4]

Gallery[edit]

• 
  A basic consumer electric griddle with temperature control
• 
  Griddle with ridged surface
• 
  Pancakes cooking on a commercial griddle
• 
  Catering griddle in a warship galley

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Griddles at Wikimedia Commons
• Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S): the FE&S website has hundreds of pages on commercial griddles. Accessed 23 Dec 2021.
• "A Flash in the Pan": broad technical presentation of commercial griddles. Dan Bendall, 1 July 2006, Food Management, US. Accessed 23 Dec 2021.