Commercial griddles are a great investment for any restaurant or food service business. Griddles are perfect for cooking a wide variety of foods, including pancakes, bacon, eggs, burgers, and much more. They come in a range of sizes, styles, and power options, making it easy to find one that fits your specific needs. In this buying guide, we will take a closer look at the different factors you should consider when selecting a commercial griddle.
Table of Contents
- What is a Griddle?
- Gas or Electric Griddles - Which is Best?
- Griddle Plates - What are the Options?
- Commercial Griddles - Key Features to Consider
- How to Clean a Commercial Griddle - Cleaning Tips
- Griddles & Kitchen Extraction
- Commercial Griddle Brands
- Griddle Commercial Warranty
- What is the Best Commercial Griddle?
What is a Griddle?
A griddle, sometimes known as a plancha, is a flat cooking surface typically made of cast iron, steel, with a chrome plated finish or in some instances ceramic glass. The cooking surface is heated from below using gas or electric power. The heat is transferred to the griddle plate, which cooks the food. Griddles have a solid cooking surface meaning that, unlike a chargrill, it cannot be used for controlled flaring.
Griddles are a versatile addition to any commercial kitchen, allowing multiple foods to be cooked simultaneously to increase cooking flexibility and improve output without compromising on delicious results.
Gas or Electric Griddles - Which is Best?
Commercial griddles can be powered by gas or electric. Each has its own benefits which should be considered when choosing a griddle.
Gas Griddles
Commercial gas griddles use natural or LPG gas. They feature burners directly beneath the cooking plate, directing heat towards food. Commercial gas griddles heat quickly and provide an even heat across the entire surface. They are also easy to control when it comes to cooking temperatures for different types of food.
Electric Griddles
Commercial electric griddles are available with single phase or 3 phase electrical connections. This will often depend on the size of the equipment. Electric models are easy to use and, if opting for a single phase unit, require minimal installation. Electric griddles tend to be more affordable than gas alternatives.
Top Tip: Before buying a 3 phase griddle make sure that your premises is set up to accept the commercial power load. If a three phase supply is required this will add additional expense.
Griddle Plates - What are the Options?
There's much more to commercial griddle plates than a cooking surface. Here we look at key areas including size, material, thickness and style.
Griddle Plate Size
Commercial griddles come in a range of sizes, from small tabletop models to large, freestanding units. The size of the griddle plate you choose will depend on your specific needs. Consider the amount of food you need to cook at once and the size of your kitchen. The larger the production requirements, generally the larger the plate needed to meet demand. Although there are no compromises on the size that your business requires, always bear in mind that the larger the cooking plate, the bigger the amount of energy required to heat it.
To increase the efficiency and enhance the flexibility, large griddles will typically feature multiple heat zones. This allows different foods to be cooked at different temperatures in different sections for cooking versatility. Heat zones also allow the whole griddle to be fired up during the busiest services where demand is high but facilitates shutting down individual sections during quieter periods for energy saving and efficiency.
Griddle Plate Material
Griddle plates are typically made of cast iron, steel, or with a chrome plated finish. Some models may also be found with ceramic glass cooking tops, although these are newer additions to the market. Here we look at the plate materials available and the benefits they offer, as well as any potential issues to consider.
Cast Iron
Cast iron griddle plates, such as on the Lincat LGR2 Lynx 400 Electric Griddle are durable and retain heat well, but they can be heavy and so are better suited for static placement rather than in areas where they may need to be moved frequently. Cast iron griddle plates will require occasional seasoning to prevent sticking. Read more about how to season a new commercial griddle - Basic Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware & Equipment.
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Lincat LGR2 Lynx 400 Electric GriddleRegular Price £638.00 Special Price £378.97 Ex VAT
Steel
Steel plates are lighter and easier to clean due their non-stick properties. Steel plate griddles, such as the Parry 3014 Electric Griddle will generally heat-up quickly however depending on the thickness of the cooking surface may have varying levels of heat retention - thinner plates offer less heat retention than thicker alternatives.
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Parry 3014 Electric GriddleRegular Price £1,372.00 Special Price £626.83 Ex VAT
Chrome Plate
Chrome plate griddles, such as the Lincat GS6/C Silverlink 600 Electric Griddle offer superb heat transference from the cooking plate to the food, meaning reduced energy radiation to the surrounding kitchen environment. This helps the kitchen to remain cooler when equipment is in use. Also offering good non-stick properties, cleaning of chrome griddle plates is easy.
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Lincat GS6/C Silverlink 600 Electric GriddleRegular Price £2,330.00 Special Price £1,384.02 Ex VAT
Ceramic Glass
Relatively new to the market, ceramic glass griddles are considered an efficient solution as heat is passed directly to the food rather than focused on heating the cooking plate itself. The ceramic glass is easy to clean, although specialist tools must be used to prevent scratching.
Griddle Plate Thickness
Griddles are designed with varying plate thickness. Depending on the material this will determine the level of heat retention that can be expected. Thicker griddle plates will hold more heat, generally making these models capable of withstanding more heavy-duty use while still achieving the same standard and quality of results.
Griddle Plate Surface
The surface of griddle plates can vary from smooth to ribbed, some models offering a combination of surfaces for ultimate versatility. Consider the types of food you will be cooking when choosing the surface texture of your griddle plate.
Griddles with smooth plates, such as the Blizzard BG2A Electric Griddle and Parry PGG7 Gas Griddle are ideal for cooking delicate foods like pancakes and eggs, the flat surface delivering even heat to every part of the food.
Ribbed plates have small grooves, ideal for searing meats and can produce branding or grilling marks similar to that of a chargrill. The ribs also allow fat and grease to drain away from foods during cooking.
Griddles with a combination of smooth and ribbed plates, such as the Lincat OE8206/R Opus 800 Electric Griddle provide greater flexibility with the results that can be achieved. Be mindful however that the total cooking area will be split and reduced according to the plate surface when opting for the best of both worlds. Be sure that individual sections will be large enough to accommodate your production demands.
Commercial Griddles - Key Features to Consider
As with all commercial catering equipment, griddles have many features that should be considered before choosing the best commercial griddle for your business. When choosing a commercial griddle, look out for these key features.
Cooking Zones
As discussed earlier, large griddles will often have multiple heat zones. This is great for cooking different ingredients at different temperatures at the same time but is also a great way to save energy by shutting down sections that aren't needed during quieter services. Consider how many griddle zones will allow your kitchen to operate smoothly.
Positioning
Griddles are generally large countertop pieces of equipment and so ensuring that your kitchen has ample space to accommodate the unit is vital. Some kitchens struggling with available workspace position griddles on stands. Griddles will often have additional stand options available at the time of purchase, although some units are supplied with the stand as standard.
Top Tip: If you've found your perfect griddle but there isn't an option to purchase a corresponding stand, give our sales team a call and they'll be happy to help.
Heat Recovery Time
While initial heat-up times will vary on the thickness and material of the griddle plate, heat recovery is the process that happens when the griddle is actually in use.
Griddle heat recovery time is the time it takes for the griddle to return to the desired temperature after food is added. The quicker the heat recovery the faster meals can be served for a rapid turnaround of covers.
Top Tip: Factor in to estimated cooking times that heat recovery will be longer when placing refrigerated foods on the griddle.
Grease Drain & Fat Collection Drawers
Griddles are designed to allow grease and fat to drain away from foods during cooking. Collection drawers are where this accumulated grease and fat is held. Make sure that fat collection drawers are easily accessible for emptying and cleaning purposes.
Splash Guards
Rather than high splash guards that are seen on commercial fryers for example, griddles will tend to have small risers around the sides and back of the equipment. This not only offers some protection again grease splashes onto surrounding areas but also contains any grease and fats on the cooking surface during cooking, before draining off.
Multipurpose Equipment
Equipment is available that offers a combination of units. To optimise valuable kitchen space why not combine multiple pieces of equipment like the Imperial CIR-6-RG with hob burners, oven, griddle/plancha and grill. Where a griddle is combined with other pieces of cooking equipment, be aware that it will not offer the size and production capacity of a standard full size commercial griddle.
Ease of Cleaning
Commercial griddles experience heavy use in professional kitchens and so it's understandable that they will require a lot of cleaning. Consider the design of the griddle and cleaning accessibility. Fully welded frames are perfect - preventing fats and grease from seeping into hard to reach areas and carbon build-ups from forming.
How to Clean a Commercial Griddle - Cleaning Tips
Cleaning your commercial griddle is essential to ensure it stays in good working order. The method you use will depend on the type of plate material you have.
For cast iron griddles take a look at our general guide 'Basic Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware & Equipment'. (link above under cast iron section)
Here are some tips to keep in mind for cleaning steel and chrome plate griddles.
- Scrape the griddle regularly during use and while hot to prevent build up of grease, fats and food debris that may affect the taste and cooking results of subsequent food cooking.
- Clean the griddle after every service.
- Use a scraper or spatula to remove any food debris preferably while the griddle is still hot.
- When the griddle has cooled but is still warm, add a little water to the surface and scrape or brush the cooking surface depending on the material.
- Some manufacturers may recommend using a little oil or food safe polish at this point however only do this under manufacturer advise.
- Rinse the griddle thoroughly with hot water.
- Dry the griddle with a clean towel.
- Empty collection draws and wipe splash guards.
These are only general tips and will vary depending on the material of the griddle plate. Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions in your equipment manual.
Top Tip: Haven't got a manual? We have a number of information downloads available on our product pages. If we haven't got what you're looking for, give our sales team a call, and they can get that sorted for you.
Griddles & Kitchen Extraction
All commercial kitchens should have quality kitchen extraction and ventilation. As griddles produce heat, smoke, fumes and grease it is critical to have an appropriate extraction canopy. While extraction is recommended in every kitchen to create a safe and more comfortable working environment, it is a legal requirement to have the correct extraction installed when using gas cooking equipment.
Read more about 'Kitchen Extraction; Getting It Right'.
Commercial Griddle Brands
We have products from a number of well known catering equipment brands including British manufactured Parry and Lincat and, globally shipped, Blizzard. Each produce griddles in a range of sizes, with power options and different plate types. These brands are well recognised within the catering industry with strong reputations for using high quality materials and expert craftsmanship to deliver professional results.
Griddle Commercial Warranty
All griddles are supplied with a commercial warranty as standard however this will vary between manufacturers and brands. With warranties varying from 12 to 24 months of full parts and labour cover, you have the support you need if you should experience any issue. The level of cover may be dependent on the intended use for your equipment so be sure to check out any small print. Terms may vary when gas equipment is used in a mobile catering setting.
Read more about Understanding Commercial Warranties.
Top Tip: Manufacturers typically require equipment to be serviced every year for the warranty to be valid, so please check terms and conditions.
What is the Best Commercial Griddle?
Choosing the best commercial griddle is difficult as the answer ultimately depends on what is right for your business in terms of power, size, plate material, price etc. We always recommend investing in the best your budget allows with a full commercial warranty cover where possible.
If you need any advice about choosing the best griddle for your business, get in touch with our sales team. With years of experience helping customers find their perfect piece of catering equipment, you're in safe hands.
