Starting up a grill on any typical day is arduous, as time is golden. The griddle comes to your rescue at times like these when you are absolutely in a mood for a BBQ but don't have time and patience to start one. This incredible BBQ tool helps you grill up some memorable BBQs in a whiff.  

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The griddle is a great BBQ tool that quickly prepares a dish with authentic grill marks, similar to those made while grilling. Although they are famed for prepping breakfast, their use spans far and wide, making them a versatile kitchen tool. It differs from skillet, pan, and grill and has its own advantages.

Cooking a variety of dishes to satisfy everyone's palate can be hard work for many - besides the overwhelming chore of cleaning up afterward. The good news is that your griddle is the magic wand in any cook's hand. Cooking is fun and easy with this kitchen whiz which can make an assortment of dishes in no time.

Let's cut the chase and read on further to find more about them in detail, and most importantly, pick a suitable one for your kitchen while on the go.

What are the different types of griddles available in the market?

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Griddles can fascinate us in their outfits - electrical, stovetop, and so on. In addition, they can be flat, ridged, or a combo of both. So, which one is the best buy? 

When should you opt for an electrical griddle?

If electricity is cheap in your place or you don't have a gas alternative, this is a good option. These can cut corners and comfortably cater to a home meal. 

Why should you go for a stovetop griddle?

The stovetop version is your best bet if you frequently serve a large crowd - family or friends. Your cooking chore will be effortless and quick, thanks to its broad base!   

This one usually comes with two handles. In addition, there are reversible ones with a flat surface on one side and the ridged ones on the other.

Be careful when you have a glass top or ceramic top. Use lightweight griddles on these as a precaution.

Can a griddle be used on a BBQ?

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Yes, why not! When you are throwing a party in your backyard and need to replenish plenty of plates constantly, there is no better way than to pop on a griddle over your BBQ. While your BBQ sizzles with smoky barbecues, you can cook alongside with the help of your grill top to feed an army. 

Cooking is easy peasy with the uniform heat distribution over the flat surface of the griller. There's no fear of food falling off through the grill or getting burnt. 

Well, there are a few things to remember before putting on your griddle over your grill. 

• Make sure that there's enough room between the BBQ grill and the griller, so you don't end up cutting off the air supply and putting off the live coal.
• If your griddle is seasoned or nonstick, you don't have to worry; your food will easily slide out. But otherwise, the food can stick to the surface of the metal, so it needs a light oil spray coating from time to time. Instead, you can coat the grill top with some butter before tossing the food on it for cooking.   
• Lastly, exercise caution while spraying and don't cause a fire hazard. In case of fire, put off the heat source. Cut off the gas or cut off air supply for the coal.

What metal are griddles made of?

The Blackstone griddle is made up of steel, which is carbon and iron. The stainless steel griddles are of excellent quality and are safe. So if you don't mind paying for real value, go for it as they are worth the money.

The cast iron heats up slowly but retains heat for a long time. Also, it heats uniformly, cooking the meals to perfection. Once seasoned, they will be a natural nonstick and are great to have around in your kitchen.

The nonstick griddle requires no added grease, but I would rather avoid them, considering the ambiguous opinions about nonstick cookware. Better safe than sorry!

Carbon steel and titanium are among the other good options.

What can I cook on a BBQ grill?

Griddles are famed for making breakfast, but that's a terrible understatement. Instead, they come in handy for making other meals as well.

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• Burger
• Fish fillets
• French fries
• French toast
• Cutlet
• Kebabs
• Sausages
• Bacon
• Grilled steak
• Crab cakes
• Hashbrowns
• Waffles
• English muffins 
• Quesadillas
• Sandwiches of all sorts, and
• An exhaustively long list of egg recipes

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The inventory is endless for fried veggies like broccoli, potato, corn, capsicum, tomato, lemon wedges, onion, and so on. So, don your chef's hat and try out grilling different veggies. You will surely be thrilled with the outcome.

Are steaks better on a griddle?

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Well, the griddle is both labor-saving and time-saving while they grill the steaks for you.

• First, the griddle cooks the steaks way faster than the grill.
• Secondly, the heat spreads evenly throughout the griddle pan, enabling even cooking and browning.
• Last but not least, griddle cooking on a seasoned pan requires very little oil, rendering it a healthy cooking option. 

Why is food sticking to my Blackstone griddle?

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Even a well-seasoned Blackstone griddle can stick food to it. The main reasons for this mess up are oil buildup and improper cleaning.

Remove Accumulated Oil: Pouring too much oil on the cooktop will make them burn at high temperatures and cause a coat of grease to build on your griddle. The proper way to apply grease is to coat the food with an oil with a high smoking point. As for the grill top, drizzle or gently rub oil over the surface before placing the food on it.

Clean and Reseason: After cooking, gently scrape off any excess food or grease stuck in it while the Blackstone is still warm. Wash it with soap and water. Let it dry. Now pour a little hot oil and spread it evenly over its surface. Wipe off the excess oil. Heat the Blackstone till it is smoking hot. Turn off the flame. Your seasoned pan is now ready for use.

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Tips to avoid food sticking:

1. Don't flip the meat immediately after putting it on the hot surface. Instead, please wait for the food to cook and release itself from the cooktop before flipping it over to the other side. Keep turning it over and stop once it has turned into a golden brown.
2. Your thawed food may be soaking wet on the outside. Don't let them go into the hot oil while they are dripping. Rather, pat them dry with a paper towel before tossing them into the hot oil.
3. Make sure your grill top is hot enough before adding your grub. A hot Blackstone griddle will prevent the food from sticking to it.

Why use a griddle instead of a pan?

Early morning rush hours are when you need to make a lot of dishes quickly. Making a typical American breakfast of French toast, eggs, bacon, sandwiches, cereal, and coffee takes considerable time. The sooner you can prep this, the better. We don't want anyone leaving home on an empty stomach.

Time Factor: The griddle is your knight in its shining armor for the breakfast prep. Once it is hot enough, you can fix most of your breakfast in a matter of 5-10 minutes.

 Crowd Cook - The sweetest thing is that it caters to a large family with absolutely no difficulty. Since its flat surface is big enough to cook various dishes, we can make most of the space and cook a few pancakes alongside the frying bacon. The high heat cooks the dishes and moves them out fast, so the new dishes can come in quickly to get prepared. You can even cook up an elaborate feast quickly when you have this one in hand.

Pan or Griddle - While the pan can efficiently broil, shallow or deep fry, and roast, a griddle is a quick cooking alternative. So, it largely depends on what's cooking in your kitchen.

With that said, griddles have deep ridges, which allow airflow beneath the food and help drain off excess oil that accumulates while cooking, making the food less oily. It's a delightful alternative for the grill, which takes ages to get the cooking done.

Is cooking on a griddle a healthier option?

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A typical griddle cooks food with uniform heating and with the food having no direct contact with the heat source. This kind of cooking prevents the formation of undesirable chemical changes in your food, thus making it a better choice.

A well-seasoned griddle doesn't give you the necessity of adding too much oil to it.

If you learn by seeing, you will know that almost all restaurants worldwide have one. And you can cook nearly anything under the sky on the griddle, not just the breakfast. 

Cooking is effortless and requires no real skill with the griddle. Therefore, anyone interested in buying a griddle can master the art of cooking on it with zero experience. The best perk of using a griddle is that it can give you the same experience of grilling with the hash marks on your grilled food, only way quicker. Joy and pride are yours when you have a griddle at your disposal. You both are made for each other.

Happy BBQing!