Sitting at the bar of a barbeque joint or an open kitchen restaurant is always a delight – the sight of the chef doing their magic, the sizzle of the meat when it touches the surface of that scorching hot griddle, and the smells: the magnificent, mouthwatering aroma wafting through the air.
A griddle seems like a piece of magical equipment that belongs to restaurants. Most of us can’t even imagine using one for personal use. Ever wonder why restaurant barbeque meat somehow always tastes better?
A griddle is a versatile equipment. It can become a barbeque grill and give you more space for other items. This way of cooking had become incredibly popular. Here’s why you should also consider grilling on a griddle.
Using Griddle At Home
The reason why we tend to think that griddles are only used at restaurants is that the ones we have seen are huge. Commercial griddles take up a lot of space as they are made for running at restaurant capacity. They are large, expensive, need ventilation, and are basically made for commercial use.
But don’t get disheartened. If you want to use griddles at home, you have two options to choose from.
Outdoor Gas Griddles
Outdoor gas griddle “grills” as amazing for barbeque parties. They are small enough to be efficient and portable. They also run on propane gas and don’t need a natural gas line. You use them outdoors, so you don’t have to worry about ventilation.
Outdoor gas griddles are excellent for outdoor parties and camping trips. You can grill burger patties and still have space for cooking mushrooms or frying those eggs.
Don’t you just hate it when some of the food gets cold as the other items are cooking? With a gas griddle, you can serve more people or cook more things at the same time. Find what’s best for you and your next outdoor cooking experience will be a breeze.
Electric Griddle
Electric griddles are great for indoor use. They are electric like induction cookers. You can use it for basically everything you cook on an outdoor griddle. It is a comparatively inexpensive purchase, and you can do various types of cooking with it.
In East Asian countries like Japan and Korea, people use electric griddles for eating fresh, as they end up cooking right on the dinner table. You can eat your food piping hot, right off the griddle!
They are smoke-free and can come in various sizes. They are also smaller and more portable. Hence you can use them anywhere with an electric connection. However, they might use a lot of electricity, depending on how long you use them.
Griddle Plates
If you have already invested in a good grill, but you still want to do griddle cooking, just get a griddle plate. A griddle plate can be placed on top of a grill. Griddle plates are an amazing option if you don’t want to spend on another appliance.
You can put your griddle plate on any grill. If you use wood on your grill, you can get that smoky flavor. Griddle plates are comparatively less expensive. You can also find plates and pans that can be used on stovetops.
Why Is Grilling On A Griddle Better Than Regular Grilling?
You Have More Space For Cooking
Griddles provide a large area for cooking. You can cook large batches of food, such as grilled sandwiches or pancakes. You can also do multiple types of cooking at the same time.
Griddles have different heat zones you can use for different items. This is a great option for cooking a few things at the same time. You can have that perfect steak, while your vegetables are cooking or your prawns are sautéed.
Evenly Cooked Food
The grill marks on your grill make the food attractive. You want those uneven stripes on your meat. However, this also means your food cooks and browns unevenly.
On a griddle, your food cooks evenly at the same pace. This results in perfectly cooked steaks or patties. This is why restaurant-cooked griddle top steaks taste more flavorful. Griddles brown your food to perfection.
No Spilling
The biggest problem with grilling is food spilling into the fire. This makes it almost impossible to cook small items like cut vegetables or prawns. Small pieces of meat can also slip through the crack. It’s a shame when you lose that item you wanted to eat to fire.
On a griddle, you don’t have to worry about food slipping. The large, even surface ensures your food stays secure and cooks perfectly.
More Versatile Use
A griddle has more uses than a grill. A grill mostly performs one function. On a griddle, you can make pancakes, taco shells, stir fry, eggs and bacon, and anything else you can think of. It expands your outdoor cooking options and ensures that you can cook anything while on that camping trip.
Maintaining Your Griddle
Maintaining your griddle is a must if you want to keep it functional for long-term use. You should never slash your scorching griddle with cold water because it will damage its surface. Always use warm or room temperature water.
Use a spatula to scrape off bits of food from the surface. If the bits are hard stuck on the surface, use water first. Try not to use soap on your griddle as it will damage the surface. Use mild soapy water if you are worried about hygiene.
Make sure it is cooled down enough before wiping it down. Otherwise, you will get burnt badly. After wiping dry, you can apply a protective oil coating to keep its surface protected.
Final Thoughts
To bring versatility to your cooking, you can start griddle grilling. Not only does it give your outdoor cooking more options, but you can also cook at a higher capacity. This is great for party cooking or cooking more food.
You can do so much with a griddle grill, and you can do that all at once. There are so many options for griddles, and you can get them in various price ranges.
Whether it is for outdoor use or indoors, if you have not added a griddle to your cooking equipment, you are missing out. Get one today for making the most evenly-cooked steaks you can imagine!