Griddle

Type of cooking device

For the fish, see Bowfin.

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

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The word griddle is attested in 13th-century English and 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

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Cooking flatbread on a griddle

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 stoves 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

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Flatbread on a convex Middle Eastern saj griddle

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

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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

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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 "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

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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

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### Dishes

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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

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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

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* A basic consumer electric griddle with temperature control

* Griddle with ridged surface

* Pancakes cooking on a commercial griddle

* Catering griddle in a warship's galley

## See also

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* Comal
* Flattop grill
* Hot plate
* Sheet pan
* Tava
* Teppan
* Pie iron — a sandwich maker.

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e Collins Dictionary griddle. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
2. ^ a b "All About Griddles". The Spruce Eats. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
3. ^ Vaculin, Kendra (12 March 2021). "The Best Griddles for Cooking Pancakes, Eggs, and Bacon (at the Same Time)". Epicurious. Condé Nast. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
4. ^ a b c d e "A Guide to Grills & Griddles": general technical and construction details at the Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S) website. Accessed 23 Dec 2021.
5. ^ "Griddle". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
6. ^ "Griddle". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015. "griddle (ˈɡrɪdəl) n 1\. (Cookery) Also called: girdle Brit a thick round iron plate with a half hoop handle over the top, for making scones, etc"
7. ^ "Archive - At Home on the Farm". NEFA - The North East Folklore Archive - Junior Section. Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
8. ^ "Scran - Cooking oatcakes, or bannocks, on a girdle. Turnabrain, Glenesk, Angus, 1967". Retrieved 2 August 2011.
9. ^ Barraud, Winifred K. (9 November 1962). "Bakestone tradition". The Guardian. London. p. 8.
10. ^ "Welsh Bakestone Or Planc". Antique Kitchenalia. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2013.

## External links

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* 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.

* v
* t
* e

Cooking techniques

List of cooking techniques

Dry|

| Conduction|

* Dry roasting
* Hot salt frying
* Searing

|

Convection|

* Baking
* Roasting (modern)
* Smoking
* Barbecue

Radiation|

* Charbroiler
* Grilling (charbroiling)
* Roasting (traditional)
* Rotisserie
* Toasting

Wet|

| High heat|

* Blanching
* Boiling
* Decoction
* Parboiling
* Shocking
* Reduction

|

Low heat|

* Coddling
* Creaming
* Infusion
* Poaching
* Simmering
* Slow cooking
* Smothering
* Steeping
* Stewing

Indirect heat|

* Bain-marie (Double boiling)
* Sous-vide
* Double steaming
* Steaming

Fat-based|

| High heat|

* Basting
* Blackening
* Browning
* Frying
* Deep frying
* Pan frying
* Shallow frying
* Stir frying
* Sautéing

|

Low heat|

* Gentle frying
* Sweating

Mixed medium|

* Carryover cooking
* Barbecuing
* Braising
* Caramelization
* Deglazing
* Flambé
* Fricassee
* Indirect grilling/Plank cooking
* Stir frying (chao)

Device-based|

* Air frying
* Microwaving
* Pressure cooking
* Pressure frying
* Slow cooker
* Thermal cooking

Non-heat|

* Aging
* Brining
* Curing
* Drying
* Fermenting
* Juicing
* Pickling
* Purée
* Salting
* Souring

See also|

* List of cooking appliances
* List of cooking vessels
* Outdoor cooking
* Food preparation
* Food preservation
* Food safety

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