griddle

A griddle, in the UK also called a girdle, 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, a flat heated cooking surface built onto a stove as a kitchen range, or a compact cooking machine with its own heating system attached to an integrated griddle acting as a cooktop.

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. A griddle can have both residential and commercial applications and can be heated directly or indirectly. The heating can be supplied either by a flame fuelled by wood, coal or gas; or by electrical elements. Commercial griddles run on electricity, natural gas or propane."A Guide to Grills & Griddles"
general technical and construction details at the Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S) website. Accessed 23 Dec 2021.

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

Etymology

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''), possibly via the Latin ''craticulum'', 'fine wickerwork'.

In British English it is also called girdle.

Traditional and early modern

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. 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.

Middle East

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

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

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

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. Girdles are used for cooking scones, bannocks, pancakes and oatcakes.

The traditional Welsh bakestone is similar, circular with a one-piece handle, typically cast iron, in thickness. It is used to cook Welsh cakes, pikelets, and crepes.

United States

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.

Commercial griddles

Dishes

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.

Technical details

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

Gallery

File:Electric griddle.jpg, alt=A basic electric griddle with temperature control, A basic consumer electric griddle with temperature control
File:Hamburgers à la Lindström in making (2646002595).jpg, Griddle with ridged surface
File:Pancakesongriddle.jpg, Pancakes cooking on a commercial griddle
File:US Navy 100821-N-2686K-030 Culinary Specialist Seaman Cody D. Cunningham prepares pork chops for lunch in the galley aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).jpg, Catering griddle in a warship's galley

See also

*
*
*
*
*
*
* — a sandwich maker.

References

External links

*
* Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S): the FE&S website ha
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.

{{Cooking Techniques, state=collapsed

Cookware and bakeware
Baking
Barbecue