Griddle | |
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![]() Lefse cooking on an electric griddle | |
Classification | Cooking equipment |
Industry | Various |
Application | Cooking |
Fuel source | Traditional fuels, natural gas, propane, electric |
A griddle, in the UK typically referred to simply as a frying pan or flat top, 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, [1] a flat heated cooking surface built into a stove or kitchen range, [2] or a compact cooking machine with its own heating system attached to an integrated griddle acting as a cooktop. [3]
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.[ citation needed ] A griddle can have both residential and commercial applications and can be heated directly or indirectly.[ citation needed ] The heating can be supplied either by a flame fuelled by wood, coal or gas; or by electrical elements.[ citation needed ] Commercial griddles run on electricity, natural gas or propane. [4]
Griddles can be made of cast iron, but there are also non-stick varieties. [2] A residential griddle may be made of cast iron, aluminium, chrome steel, or carbon steel.[ citation needed ] The vast majority of commercial-grade griddles are made from A36 steel,[ citation needed ] though some are stainless steel or composites of stainless and aluminium.[ citation needed ] The plate surfaces of commercial griddles can be made of cast iron, polished steel, cold-rolled steel or can have a chrome finish. [4]
The word griddle is attested in the 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), [1] possibly via the Latin craticulum, 'fine wickerwork'. [5]
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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.[ citation needed ] 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.[ citation needed ]
In traditional Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines, a saj is a convex griddle that is used to cook a variety of flatbread types.
In Latin America, one traditional style of griddle is a budare. Made from stone or clay, it is used to cook a variety of flat breads, such as tortilla, arepa and casabe. Modern versions for commercial use are metal and called comals.
In Britain, the griddle is also called girdle and is used for instance for making scones. [1] It can take the shape of a thick iron plate, round and held from above by a half-hoop handle. [1]
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. [6] Girdles are used for cooking scones, bannocks, pancakes and oatcakes. [7] [8]
The traditional Welsh bakestone is similar, circular with a one-piece handle, typically cast iron, 1 cm (0.4 in) in thickness. It is used to cook Welsh cakes, pikelets, and crepes. [9] [10]
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. [1]
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. [4]
Commercial griddles can be 2–6 feet wide and 18–30 inches deep, and their plates can be flat or grooved. [4] The burners on the griddle units can be controlled manually or with the help of a thermostat. [4]
A wok is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan of Chinese origin. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in Greater China, and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as being popular in other parts of the world.
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and vegetables quickly. Food to be grilled is cooked on a grill, using a cast iron/frying pan, or a grill pan.
Cookware and bakeware is food preparation equipment, such as cooking pots, pans, baking sheets etc. used in kitchens. Cookware is used on a stove or range cooktop, while bakeware is used in an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookware and bakeware.
Soda bread is a variety of quick bread made in many cuisines in which sodium bicarbonate is used as a leavening agent instead of yeast. The basic ingredients of soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form bubbles of carbon dioxide. Other ingredients can be added, such as butter, egg, raisins, or nuts. Quick breads can be prepared quickly and reliably, without requiring the time and labor needed for kneaded yeast breads.
A crumpet is a small griddle bread made from an unsweetened batter of water or milk, flour, and yeast, popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.
A farl is any of various quadrant-shaped flatbreads and cakes, traditionally made by cutting a round into four pieces. In Ulster, the term generally refers to soda bread and, less commonly, potato bread, which are also ingredients of an Ulster fry.
Induction cooking is performed using direct electrical induction heating of cooking vessels, rather than relying on indirect radiation, convection, or thermal conduction. Induction cooking allows high power and very rapid increases in temperature to be achieved: changes in heat settings are instantaneous.
Welsh cakes, also bakestones or pics, are a traditional sweet bread in Wales. They have been popular since the late 19th century with the addition of fat, sugar and dried fruit to a longer standing recipe for flat-bread baked on a griddle.
A tava(h) / tawa(h) (mainly on the Indian subcontinent), saj (in Arabic), sac (in Turkish), and other variations and combinations thereof, is a metal-made cooking utensil. The tawa is round and can be flat, but more commonly has a curved profile, and while the concave side can be used as a wok or frying pan, the convex side is used for cooking flatbreads and pancakes.
A flatbread is bread made usually with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pita bread.
A bakestone is a type of griddle, particularly associated with Wales, where they are used for cooking Welsh cakes.
Scottish cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but also shares much with other British and wider European cuisine as a result of local, regional, and continental influences—both ancient and modern.
A tattie scone or potato scone is a regional variant of the savoury griddle scone which is especially popular in Scotland. Many variations of the recipe exist. They generally include liberal quantities of boiled potatoes, butter and salt.
A Staffordshire oatcake is a type of dense, savoury pancake made from oatmeal, flour and yeast. It is cooked on a griddle, "backstone" or "baxton". The oatcake is a local speciality in the North Staffordshire area of England. They are normally referred to as Staffordshire oatcakes by non-locals, because they are made in and around Staffordshire and Cheshire; locally they are simply called "oatcakes".
A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight. This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface. Flattop grills have been around for hundreds of years in various forms and evolved in a number of cultures.
An oatcake is a type of flatbread similar to a cracker or biscuit, or in some versions takes the form of a pancake. They are prepared with oatmeal as the primary ingredient, and sometimes include plain or wholemeal flour as well. Oatcakes are cooked on a griddle or baked in an oven.
A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically 20 to 30 cm in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab handle opposite the main handle. A pan of similar dimensions, but with less flared, more vertical sides and often with a lid, is called a sauté pan. While a sauté pan can be used as a frying pan, it is designed for lower-heat cooking.
A pancake machine is an electrically-powered machine that automatically produces cooked pancakes. It is believed that the earliest known pancake machine was invented in the United States in 1928. Several types of pancake machines exist that perform in various manners, for both commercial and home use. Some are fully automatic in operation, while others are semi-automatic. Some companies mass-produce pancake machines, and some have been homemade.
griddle (ˈɡrɪdəl) n 1. (Cookery) Also called: girdleBrit a thick round iron plate with a half hoop handle over the top, for making scones, etc