Cooking outdoors is a favorite pastime for many of us, especially during the warm summer months. There’s nothing quite like the smell of charcoal or the sound of sizzling meat to get your mouth watering!
However, with so many outdoor cooking options available, it can be tough to choose the right equipment for your needs.
That’s why we’re here to help you understand the differences between griddles and grills and make an informed decision for your next backyard cooking adventure.
Griddles and grills are two of the most popular outdoor cooking appliances, each with their own unique benefits.
Grills are known for their signature grill marks and smoky flavor, while griddles offer a flat surface that’s ideal for cooking a variety of foods, from pancakes to stir-fry.
In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of both griddles and grills and help you decide which is the better choice for your backyard cooking needs.
Benefits of Griddles and Grills:
Grills are great for cooking meats, especially if you love that classic smoky flavor. Grilling is also a healthier cooking option, as excess fat and oil drips away from the food.
On the other hand, griddles offer more versatility and can be used to cook a wider range of foods, including vegetables, eggs, and even desserts.
Additionally, griddles are often easier to clean than grills, as they have a flat surface that doesn’t trap food debris as easily.
Don’t have time? Here you go:
While grills are a popular choice for outdoor cooking, we believe that owning a griddle provides more versatility and ease of use, making it the superior choice for backyard cooking. In the following sections, we’ll explore the benefits of griddles in more detail and explain why they’re the best choice for your next outdoor cooking adventure. So, let’s get cooking!
What Is A Griddle?
Today, its my favorite topic, we’re going to talk about one of the most versatile and useful tools for outdoor cooking: the griddle.
A griddle is a flat cooking surface that can be used to cook a variety of different foods, from pancakes and eggs to burgers and vegetables.
Griddles come in different shapes and sizes, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Some griddles are powered by gas or electricity, while others can be used on a stovetop or over an open flame.
Benefits of a Griddle
One of the great things about owning a griddle is its versatility. Unlike a traditional grill, which is designed primarily for cooking meat, a griddle can be used to cook a wide range of foods.
You can cook breakfast favorites like pancakes, eggs, and bacon, as well as stir-fries, grilled sandwiches, and even pizza. With a griddle, you’re only limited by your imagination.
Another benefit of owning a griddle is that it cooks food faster than a traditional grill.
Because the cooking surface is flat and heats evenly, you can cook multiple items at once without having to worry about hot spots or uneven cooking.
This makes it ideal for feeding a crowd or for preparing meals quickly and efficiently.
Cleaning a griddle is also easier than cleaning a traditional grill. Most griddles can be wiped clean with a damp cloth or paper towel, and some models even come with a removable drip tray for easy cleanup.
This means less time spent scrubbing and more time enjoying your food.
Finally, owning a griddle means that you can cook a wider variety of foods than you could with just a traditional grill.
Whether you’re cooking breakfast for the family, preparing a stir-fry for dinner, or making grilled sandwiches for lunch, a griddle is an incredibly versatile tool that can help you cook all of your favorite foods.
What is a Grill?
Grilling is a classic way of cooking that involves cooking food on a metal grate over an open flame or heat source.
It’s a popular method of cooking for many reasons – the flavor it imparts, the health benefits, and the versatility it offers.
But before we dive into the benefits of owning a grill, let’s first define what a grill is.
A grill is essentially a cooking surface that is used to cook food by direct heat.
The heat source can be an open flame, such as a campfire or a gas grill, or it can be an indoor electric grill that uses heat coils to cook the food.
Grills come in many shapes and sizes, from small portable grills that are perfect for camping trips or tailgating, to large outdoor grills that are designed to feed a crowd.
Types of Grills
There are several different types of grills to choose from. The most common types are:
- Open Flame Grills: These are the most traditional type of grill and are usually fueled by charcoal or propane. They offer a smoky flavor to the food and are perfect for outdoor cooking. Examples include charcoal grills, gas grills, and pellet grills.
- Indoor Grills: These are grills that are designed for indoor use and are usually electric. They are perfect for cooking food all year round, regardless of the weather outside. Examples include contact grills, panini presses, and electric griddles.
- Hybrid Grills: These are grills that can be used both indoors and outdoors. They offer the best of both worlds, allowing you to cook food indoors during inclement weather or outdoors during nice weather. Examples include portable grills and tabletop grills.
Benefits of a Grill
So why should you own a grill? Well, the benefits of grilling are many.
Grilling imparts a delicious smoky flavor to your food, and it’s a healthier way of cooking as it reduces the amount of added fats needed.
Additionally, grilling allows you to cook food quickly and evenly, making it a great option for busy weeknights or entertaining guests.
The Difference Between a Griddle and a Grill
Backyard cooking has come a long way since the days of simply throwing some hot dogs on the grill.
Nowadays, there are so many different cooking tools and techniques to choose from that it can be overwhelming for even the most experienced grill master.
One question that often comes up is: what’s the difference between a griddle and a grill?
Cooking Surfaces
First off, let’s talk about the cooking surface. A grill typically has metal grates with ridges or slats, while a griddle is a flat, smooth surface made of metal. This difference in surface affects the way that food is cooked.
On a grill, the ridges create char marks and allow for fat to drip away from the food, giving it that classic grilled flavor.
On a griddle, the flat surface provides consistent heat across the entire cooking surface, making it perfect for cooking foods that might fall through the grates on a grill, like small vegetables or delicate fish.
Temperatures
The temperature that each cooking tool operates best at is also different. Grills work best at high temperatures around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows for quick searing and charring of meats.
Griddles, on the other hand, work best at lower temperatures around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for cooking foods like pancakes or eggs that require a gentler heat.
Types of Food Each Can Cook
When it comes to the types of foods that can be cooked on each, grills are typically associated with cooking meats like burgers, steaks, and chicken.
However, they can also be used to cook vegetables, fruits, and even pizzas. Griddles, on the other hand, are great for cooking breakfast foods like pancakes, bacon, and eggs, as well as stir-fries, quesadillas, and even grilled cheese sandwiches.
Cleaning and Maintain
Finally, let’s talk about maintenance and cleaning. Grills can be notoriously difficult to clean, with the metal grates requiring a lot of elbow grease to remove stuck-on food and grease.
Griddles, on the other hand, have a smooth surface that is much easier to clean with a flat scraper and warm water.
Plus, because griddles don’t have the nooks and crannies of a grill, there’s less chance of bacteria and other harmful substances lurking around.
Overall, the difference between a griddle and a grill comes down to the cooking surface and temperature, the types of foods that can be cooked on each, and the maintenance and cleaning required.
Depending on your cooking needs, one may be better suited for you than the other. But if you’re like many backyard cooks, you may just end up wanting both!
Why a Griddle is a Better Choice Than a Grill
If you’re in the market for a new outdoor cooking appliance, you’ve likely heard of grills and griddles.
While both offer a unique cooking experience, we’re here to tell you why a griddle is a better choice for your backyard cooking needs.
Additionally, griddles offer faster cooking times than traditional grills. You can cook more foods, quicker, on a griddle than on a grill, making it the perfect appliance for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings with friends.
Cleaning a griddle is also much easier than cleaning a grill. Warm water and a flat scraper are generally all you need to clean a griddle, whereas you need a stiff brush, soapy water, and elbow grease to clean a grill.
Finally, with a griddle, you can cook more foods than you can with a grill.
Traditional breakfasts featuring favorites like hash browns, French toast, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, and tomatoes, can all be cooked on a griddle.
Anything that can be cooked on a wok can be successfully cooked on a griddle.
The high heat required to cook these foods makes a griddle the perfect cooking tool for Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes.
And if you’re a fan of more traditional food like steaks, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken, you can cook them on your griddle too!
I’ll Miss My Grill Marks, Right?
But what about those classic grill marks and the smoky flavor that grills provide? Fear not! You can still achieve both with a griddle.
Simply place a griddle pan over your grill and use both cooking methods simultaneously.
This allows you to have the best of both worlds: the versatility and faster cooking times of a griddle, and the grill marks and smoky flavor of a traditional grill.
Personal experience
As someone who loves to cook outdoors, I can confidently say that owning a griddle has been a game-changer for me.
The versatility and faster cooking times make it my go-to appliance for weeknight dinners, weekend brunches, and impromptu gatherings with friends.
And while I still love the smoky flavor and grill marks of a traditional grill, using a griddle pan over my grill has allowed me to have the best of both worlds.
So if you’re in the market for a new outdoor cooking appliance, I highly recommend giving a griddle a try. It may just become your new favorite way to cook!
For The Skeptics
Are you a die-hard griller who thinks nothing can beat the taste of flame-grilled burgers and steaks?
Or maybe you’re just not sold on the idea of a griddle and think it’s only good for making pancakes and bacon?
Well, before you dismiss the idea of owning a griddle, check out our latest article, “7 Reasons You Don’t Want a Griddle .”
We’ll tackle some common misconceptions about griddles and show you why they might just be the better choice for your backyard cooking needs.
So, click on the link and let’s explore the world of griddles together!
Take a Look What Industry Pros Have to Say
- Serious Eats – “Why a Griddle Is the Secret Weapon of Any Outdoor Kitchen”: This article from Serious Eats explains the benefits of a griddle over a traditional grill, including its versatility and ability to cook a wide variety of foods quickly and evenly.
- Food Network – “5 Reasons a Griddle Is Better Than a Grill”: This article from Food Network highlights the advantages of a griddle over a grill, such as its ease of use and ability to cook more food at once.
- The Spruce Eats – “The 8 Best Griddles of 2022”: This article from The Spruce Eats provides a list of the best griddles on the market, along with a brief explanation of the benefits of using a griddle for outdoor cooking.
- Bon Appétit – “Why You Should Be Cooking on a Griddle”: This article from Bon Appétit explores the benefits of cooking on a griddle, including its versatility and ability to cook food quickly and evenly.
- Taste of Home – “Griddle vs. Grill: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Choose?”: This article from Taste of Home compares griddles and grills, highlighting the advantages of using a griddle for outdoor cooking.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after examining the benefits and drawbacks of griddles and grills, it’s clear that a griddle is a superior choice for backyard cooking.
Griddles offer versatility in cooking a wider range of foods, faster cooking times, and easier cleaning compared to grills. Additionally, griddles can be used in place of a grill by using a griddle pan over a grill.
In summary, griddles provide a more efficient and enjoyable cooking experience for backyard enthusiasts. They are the perfect tool for cooking traditional breakfast favorites, Asian-inspired dishes, and more.
They also make cooking for a crowd a breeze with their large cooking surfaces.
Overall, we highly recommend considering purchasing a griddle instead of a grill for your next backyard cookout. Not only will it enhance your cooking game, but it will also provide a fun and unique experience for your guests.
So, what are you waiting for? Invest in a griddle and start cooking up a storm!