Grill Pan Or Griddle: Which One Do You Need?

Grills and griddles are distinct cooking surfaces designed for different types of cooking. A grill has raised ridges that leave grill marks on your food, while a griddle has a smooth, flat surface, similar to a frying pan, that is perfect for cooking breakfast foods like bacon, sausages, and eggs. Grills expose your food directly to an open flame, achieving a deeper and more robust char, while griddles are placed over a heat source, keeping the flames from touching your food. Grills are typically used outdoors or under a commercial ventilation system, while griddles can be used indoors or outdoors and are available in various sizes, from tabletop models to freestanding units.

Griddle vs grill: which is better?

When it comes to choosing between a griddle and a grill, the answer depends on your specific needs and preferences. Both have their unique advantages and are suitable for high-heat cooking, making them excellent choices for various dishes. However, understanding the key differences between the two will help you decide which one suits your cooking style better.

The Griddle

A griddle is a flat cooking surface, usually made of cast iron or steel, heated from below. It provides even heating over a large area, making it perfect for cooking breakfast foods like bacon, sausages, pancakes, eggs, and French toast. The flat surface also allows for easy flipping and movement of food. Griddles are versatile and can be used to cook a wide range of dishes, from breakfast items to meats, vegetables, and even desserts. They are available in various sizes and types, including standalone units, built-in countertop models, and portable electric griddles. Griddles are ideal for cooking larger batches of food at once and are often used in busy commercial kitchens.

The Grill

On the other hand, a grill uses a grated or grooved surface and provides direct heat from below. It exposes food directly to an open flame, resulting in a deeper char and a smoky flavour. Grills are perfect for meats like steaks, burgers, and chicken, as the ridges allow grease and fat to drip away, creating distinct sear marks. They come in different types, including charcoal grills, gas grills, and electric grills, each offering unique benefits. Charcoal grills provide an authentic barbecue flavour, while gas grills offer convenience and quick heating. Electric grills are ideal for indoor use when an open flame or charcoal is not practical.

Now, to answer the question, "Which is better?" it really depends on your cooking needs and preferences. If you love cooking outdoors and want that distinct char and smoky flavour, a grill is the way to go. If you don't have the space for a grill or prefer indoor cooking, a griddle is a more versatile option. Griddles are also better for cooking larger batches of food and are easier to clean. However, if you're specifically looking for that classic steakhouse experience, a grill is the ideal choice. Ultimately, both the griddle and the grill have their pros and cons, and combining the two can even maximise your cooking options.

What are the pros and cons of a grill pan?

A grill pan is a heavy, cast-iron sauté pan that makes grill marks on your food. While it doesn't offer the same smoky flavour or fire-charred bits as an outdoor grill, it does have its pros and cons.

Pros

• The grill marks are nice, and food does look grilled.
• If you have a model that fits over two burners, you get a lot of surface area, which is great for cooking many chicken breasts, kabobs, or vegetables in one go.
• If your pan is reversible, you can use the flat side to make pancakes or bacon.
• The ridges allow fat to flow off the meat, so a burger doesn’t sit and boil in its juices.
• Most grill pans are heavy and heat evenly.
• They are great for cooking food that might fall through the grates of a grill, such as small pieces of food or liquid items like pancakes or eggs.

Cons

• You won't get the same smoky flavour or charred bits as you would on an outdoor grill.
• The double-burner style can fit awkwardly over gas stove grates, and the middle section may become a cooler zone.
• Cooking a lot of meat over pretty high heat will likely create a lot of smoke in a small kitchen.
• It can be challenging to cook some meats thoroughly without drying out or burning the outside.
• They can be a pain to clean and cumbersome to store.
• They are heavy and take up a lot of space.

What foods are best cooked on a grill?

Grills and griddle pans are two distinct cooking surfaces designed for different types of cooking. Grills are best for cooking foods that benefit from being exposed directly to an open flame, which achieves a deeper and more robust char. Grills are ideal for cooking proteins and vegetables, including more delicate ingredients like asparagus, and are also compatible with cast-iron or carbon steel pans.

Meats

Grills are perfect for cooking all kinds of meat, including burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chops, sausages, and ribs. The intense heat of a grill helps to create a beautiful crust on steaks and burgers, and the dry heat means you can get away with using little or no oil. Thinner burgers are healthier as they cook faster, and you can add vegetables like peppers, carrots, or onions to turkey burgers to keep them juicy.

Marinating meat before grilling can add flavour and help to tenderise lean meats, and dry rubs are a mouth-watering, low-calorie alternative to heavy sauces. Grilled meats can also be healthier if you allow the fat to drip away from the meat, and by precooking in the oven, microwave, or stove to reduce grilling time and exposure to smoke.

Fish

Grilling is almost a tradition for salmon, as its oils keep it moist and help prevent sticking. Other good fish to grill include halibut, tuna, trout, and swordfish. Grilling whole small fish like sardines is also easy, and you can grill them on skewers.

Vegetables

Grilling is a great way to cook vegetables, as high temperatures and quick cooking times help to preserve their nutrients. The best vegetables for grilling are those that are sturdy and develop sweet flavours, such as sweet peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash, and portabella mushrooms. You can also grill delicate vegetables like eggplant slices, mushrooms, or flaky fish in a hinged grilling basket or foil packet.

Fruit

Grilling intensifies the sweetness of fruits like strawberries, peaches, pineapples, bananas, apples, and pears. Cut fruit into pieces and skewer them, or wrap the pieces in foil and cook with indirect heat.

Pizza

The intense heat of a grill is similar to a restaurant pizza oven, and you can easily grill pizza by lightly brushing the crust with oil and searing both sides before adding toppings and covering the grill.

What foods are best cooked on a griddle?

Griddles are ideal for cooking foods that you would normally cook in a sauté pan, wok, skillet, or on an electric griddle. The large, flat surface area of a griddle is perfect for cooking breakfast foods like bacon, sausages, pancakes, french toast, and eggs. You can also use a griddle to make grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and stir-fries.

• Pancakes
• Bacon
• Fajitas
• Burgers
• Steak
• Chops
• Chicken breast
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Vegetables
• Fried rice
• French toast
• Crab cakes
• Tacos
• Crepes
• Pizza
• Bratwursts
• Chicken wings
• Corn on the cob
• Popcorn
• Eggs

What are the differences between a grill and a griddle?

Grills and griddles are distinct cooking surfaces designed for different types of cooking. They are not completely interchangeable, but both can be used to cook a wide variety of foods, from steaks and seafood to stir-fries and paella.

Grills

A grill uses dry heat and direct flame to cook food, which is placed directly onto metal grates. Grills come in two types: charcoal and gas. The two main differences between a grill and a griddle are the cooking surface and how the heat is applied to the food. Grills have raised ridges or bars that leave distinct "grill marks" on the food. The raised ridges also allow grease and water to run off the food, reducing the overall fat content. The heat is transferred from the fire directly to the food and intensified by the metal grill grates, which absorb and intensify the heat, leaving grill marks.

Grills are ideal for cooking larger, robust cuts of meat, fish, poultry, sausages, or whole vegetables. They are also suitable for delicate ingredients like asparagus or ramps. Grills are compatible with high-heat-capable cookware, such as cast-iron or carbon steel pans.

Griddles

A griddle has a smooth, flat surface, similar to a hotplate, and is perfect for cooking breakfast foods like bacon, sausages, pancakes, eggs, and French toast. Griddles can also be used for cooking hot sandwiches, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and quesadillas. Griddles are typically made with high-heat-resistant materials like carbon steel or cast iron. They can be used on a stovetop or as a countertop appliance.

The heat source for a griddle can be gas, charcoal, or electricity, and the heat is transferred from the entire metal surface to the food, cooking and browning it evenly. Griddles offer more surface area, allowing for more contact between the cooking surface and the food. This makes griddles ideal for foods like steaks or smash burgers, as they produce better browning and a crispier crust than grills. Griddles are also easier to clean than grills due to their flat surface.

In summary, the main differences between a grill and a griddle lie in their cooking surfaces and heat transfer methods. Grills have raised ridges or bars, while griddles have smooth, flat surfaces. Grills use direct flame and intense heat, while griddles provide more even heating without direct flame contact. Grills are ideal for foods that benefit from direct heat and grill marks, while griddles are more versatile and suitable for a wider range of dishes, including delicate foods that require a flat surface.

Frequently asked questions