Buying The Best Pancake Electric Griddle
Electric Pancake Griddles are great for making the perfect pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches when you want speed, space and efficiency for cooking. They make the perfect small sized kitchen appliance to add to your collection so that you're able to make delicious food that is easy to cook and clean up after.
What makes electric griddles so appealing is that you get a flat cooking surface that has evenly and constant heat. That allows you to make foods such as bacon, sausage, pancakes and eggs that are cooked evenly through and through. Mainly constructed of either stainless steel or aluminum, they're very lightweight to allow you to move your unit from your storage cabinets to the counter and then for easy handling. The controls of the heat allow you to set a specific temperature, or set the heat to a low, medium or high range – depending on the model you select.
Some griddles have the option of installing a grilling grid, which is a insert that allows you to create grill marks on your food. This allows you to duplicate the same restaurant style cooking of steaks, chops and burgers the have the appearance to be cooked on an open flame grill.
Some models even allow you to modify the unit in order to choose whether you want to use the contact grill, griddle or Panini press options. With so many methods of cooking with electric griddles, you can prepare delicious meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, without having to use your oven or stove.
You can cook just about any of your favorite foods that you would normally cook in a pan, and not only will they taste just as good, but you can save yourself the time and hassle of using multiple cookware, creating a pile of dishes, and having an extensive setup and cleanup experience before and after food preparation. With just one electric griddle, you can complete your entire meal, and prepare it beautifully with very little cleanup afterwards.
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What To Look For In Your Pancake Electric Griddle
Before you make your selection of the electric griddle that you want to receive at home, there are some purchase considerations that you need to sort out first.
Size Of Surface
First and foremost, how large of a surface you have for cooking will be the main factor. For griddles, you have two options- the traditional flat, a large surface, or a contact grill that has the capability of transforming into a cook flat and is accompanied by a smooth insert that resembles a griddle.
Size Needed For Storage
Because of the length and width of the cooking surface, the amount of space that is needed in order to store your griddle must be big enough to accommodate those measurements. If you have limited space for storage in your kitchen, then instead of a large, flat grill, it may be more efficient for you to select a contact grill that has the ability to open into a flat cooking surface. This compact option will allow you to save storage space, but still get the benefits of electric griddle.
Cooking Surface
The most common and most preferred cooking surface is nonstick, especially since electric griddles are designed for the intention of cooking foods such as pancakes and egg's, that are breakfast foods that can be easily ruined when using the wrong type of cooking surface.
Grill Inserts
The most basic electric griddles have a smooth surface. The compact and advanced models are coping with inserts that can be use with the griddle in order to cook the foods with grill marks embedded into the surface, similar to foods cooked in restaurants or outside on the grill.
Heat Controls
Some of the controls electric griddles can allow you to set specific temperatures, similar to the way your stove or oven operates. But other models only have general settings that allow you to set the heat to low, medium and high temperatures, with some variations in between.
Dual Thermostats
The most common griddles have single thermostat controls, but more advanced models have dual thermostat controls which allow you to utilize different size of the griddle to cook different foods. Having a dual temperature griddle allows you to cook two different foods at two different temperatures at the same time without worrying about the difference in required heat ruining one disorder you. You also have the option of only using one half of the griddle at a time with the door he thermostat control, so if you only cooking a small portion of food, you do not have to use the entire surface.
Drip Trays
Many electric griddles have either drain holes, or drip tray that allows for the fat to run away from the food and into a separate container that is easy for removal. That means that not only is your food cooking in a pool of grease, making them more oily, but it also helps with the cleanup afterwards since all you have to do to remove the container underneath the griddle.
Warming Drawer
Once your food is done, you do not want it to get cold, but you also do not want the food to continue cooking. That is why electric griddles many times come with a warming drawer that is underneath the griddle to keep foods warm while you are still cooking the rest of your meal.
Easy To Clean
It is very fast and efficient to clean the nonstick cooking surface of the electric griddles. Some griddles even come with a movable surface that is he controlled, but yet dishwasher safe.
Cost
Depending on the model of electric griddle that you choose, the attachments, accessories, features and benefits that come along with it will determine the price of the griddle. The priciest models are those that have the most features and attachments, while the most basic features will be the least expensive.
Benefits of a Electric Pancake Griddle
An electric pancake griddle offers many benefits.
- First and foremost, it allows you to cook food to quickly without much preparation beforehand.
- Secondly, it offers her's move, large surface that does not limit you like a skillet does. Instead of being forced to cook only one item at a time, or use multiple pots and pans to cook those foods, you can cook your entire entrée on one surface simultaneously. That means that if your cooking pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast, the surface is large enough to accommodate all of those foods, while cooking them individually.
Being able to cook them individually requires the usage of dual thermostats, which are available on many models of electric griddles. These thermostats allow for you to split the unit virtually into two separate units that operate at different temperatures. So that means you can cook your foods that need to be cooked in different temperatures simultaneously using the surface by controlling the heat on either side.
Our Top Recommendations
Now that you are aware the different considerations that need to be made, as well as the benefits of owning an electric griddle, the time comes to select the model that works best for you. Of the best-selling electric pancake griddles that are on the market, these are the models that rank the highest in terms of popularity, features and comparisons when considered against each other.
Consider the following:
Bella 2-In-1 Reversible Frill Griddle Non-Stick
The Bella 2-In-1 Reversible electric griddle is a two and one model which includes a double-sided removable plate that is also reversible so that you can use it as a griddle or a grill. It is part with 1500 W that allows you to cook your food quickly but evenly. The nonstick coating ensures that you will have even coating while being able to release your food from the surface without sticking or peeling.
The coating is made with BPA free materials which ensures healthy cooking. On the largest surface griddle available that measures 15.5" x 11.3" of cooking surface, you can make as many as 10 burgers at one time using this griddle. This model features a drip tray on the side that slides out, as well as drain holes which allows you to cook your food with the minimum amount of unwanted fat and grease, as it drips away and collects and easy to remove container. The heatingsurface as well as the heating probe are both removable, with the cooking surface also being dishwasher safe which allows for easy, simple and fast cleanup.
What Buyers liked (pros)
- After reviewing customer feedback online, most buyers enjoy the fact that the two surfaces are independent from each other, allowing them to easily cook the foods they want at different temperatures.
- Most people enjoy the fact that the nonstick material used to coat the surface is health-conscious, smooth flat and easy to clean.
- Many buyers have commented that this is the best grilled they have ever had, embedding beautiful grill marks on food and always knowing that you are dishes will come out exactly as intended once you get used to how the grill works.
What buyers didn't like (cons)
- One of the things that consumers reported was that the grill works best when using one type of food at a time, rather than multiple types of food.
- The heating controls seem to not be as accurate as the stove, so there is some adjustment needed into figuring out the change in temperature from what you're used to, to the change in temperature you will need to operate the griddle effectively.
- The only other request that's consumers had was that the grill came along with a lid that would allow you to seal in the juices of certain meats when cooking
Conclusion
All in all, this grill is one of the favorites of consumers, and is highly recommended for those who need a unit that is versatile, healthy to use and allows for easy cleaning.
Morning Star - Crepe Maker Pro - 13 Inch Crepe Maker & Electric Griddle - Non-stick Pancake Maker
This Morning Star Ceramic Electric Griddle is one the most popular of all options, as it has a large surface space, and it can cook food quickly and efficiently. It features a 10 x 18.5" cooking space, dripping pan, warming capacity underneath, as well as dual thermostat controls.
What Buyers liked (pros)
- Buyers enjoyed the smoothness and slickness of the cooking surface the most.
- They also enjoyed the compact size that allows this to be stored easily, even in a small kitchen
What buyers didn't like (cons)
- The most significant complaint that was found is that you have to work a little bit on getting the temperature just right, as it isn't as accurate as other models, and sometimes the heat can be too high or too low for the reading.
Conclusion
All in all, this is a good griddle for those who are looking for an electric griddle that can cook pancakes, and don't care about a little bit extra adjustment on the heating temperature settings.
Presto 07046 Tilt 'n Drain Big Griddle Cool-Touch Electric Griddle
The Presto 07046 Tilt 'n Drain Big Electric Griddle features a heavy cast aluminum base that has a premium nonstick surface that is very easy to clean, and cook foods without sticking. The master heat allows you to set the cooking temperature automatically, and the drain feature allows you to use gravity in order to allow the grease and oils to run away from the food.
What Buyers liked (pros)
- This is a large electric griddle, that is easily stored, and does not take up a lot of space on the counters.
What buyers didn't like (cons)
- Because the unit is not as bulky and heavy as others.
Conclusion
The nonstick surface, and tilts and drain feature allows you to cook your food exactly the way you want.
Oster CKSTGRFM18W-ECO DuraCeramic Griddle with Warming Tray, Black/Creme
The Oster CKSTGRFM18W-ECO DuraCeramic Griddle With Warming Tray features the non-stick nonstick ceramic coating called Dura Ceramic, that is both unique and innovative and four times more durable than its counterparts, the material does not peel or flake, so you do not have to worry about particles contaminating your food.
The natural ceramic coating is efficient for cleaning, and it is free of PTFE and PFAO chemicals so it is safe and healthy for you to cook on the surface without using oils or Greece. The surface cooks your food up to 20{bc4d6a90a0dac3d487e60dc86702d1e738871a7fcbac05f5666299ea11b9374c} faster than other options, and features a 10" x 18 is cooking surface. Unlike many of his competitors, there is a convenient warming tray underneath the unit allows food to remain warm without being overcooked while waiting for the rest of your food to finish cooking on the grill.
What Buyers liked (pros)
- Cleaning is easy.
- Many were impressed with the ceramic coating's performance.
What buyers didn't like (cons)
- Not as durable as expected.
- Heat damage to the tray
- Temperature not accurate
Conclusion
All in all, this is a good griddle for those who are looking for an electric griddle that's will help you feed a large family, or cook a large amount of food at one time, as it offers the space similar of an outdoor grill.
Conclusion
While the most important consideration for some may be price, but it actually should be size.
If storage space is not your biggest concern, then your objective should be to buy the electric griddle with the largest amount of cooking space, the best control over temperature and features that allow you to drain the fat, insert grill components, and even splits the unit to operate in two different cooking temperatures. Having the complete package like that will give you the most flexibility in cooking, while making cooking enjoyable again.
