Griddles are perfect for various types of kitchens. Griddles have flat surfaces for cooking. You can sear meat and scorch vegetables on griddles. Foods cooked on griddles are healthier than traditional frying pans and skillets. Thanks to the wide range of grills and griddles, You can choose the perfect gas grill and gas griddle for your kitchen needs.
In this article, we discuss what a restaurant griddle is, how to cook various dishes on google, the primary differences between electric vs. gas griddle, and the pros and cons of griddle vs. grill.
What Is A Restaurant Griddle?
Griddles are restaurant workhorses. Most commercial fast food joints, breakfast places, and restaurants have restaurant griddles in their kitchen equipment checklist. Griddles are flat metal plates that are heated from below. You can place any food item on the surface of a griddle to cook it thoroughly. Mostly, a layer of oil and grease gets separated from the cooked food, preventing it from sticking to the surface. Griddles are perfect for preparing delicious breakfast dishes. You can effortlessly cook meats, veggies, and seafood on griddles.
Additionally, you can use the hot griddle to heat food. Some advanced griddles come equipped with plates placed above a cooking surface. The top surface of the food is exposed to radiant energy, which cooks the food faster. The process essentially seals the juices in for an improved taste and reduces shrinkage.
You can prepare various dishes and recipes on a commercial kitchen griddle. Preparing and cooking food on a griddle is also healthy, as foods cooked on griddles use less oil. You can choose healthy oils like avocado and olive oil to cook food. You can also reduce the number of saturated fats in foods cooked on a griddle. Food is baked with oil on griddles, which is healthier than frying the food.
How To Cook Various Dishes On A Griddle
Here is a list of various dishes and food items you can cook on a griddle:
Pancakes: You can cook delicious pancakes in the morning. You can mix pancake batter and place it on a griddle. You can also use a pancake mold to prevent the batter from scattering.
Eggs: Griddles are ideal for cooking eggs. You can make an omelet and fry eggs easily on a griddle.
Hash Browns: Hash browns are the perfect accompaniment with eggs and bacon. Make perfect hash browns with commercial kitchen griddles.
Sausages: You can also cook sausages on griddles. Just place uncooked sausages on a griddle and fry them until they are brown.
Grilled Cheese: You can prepare grilled cheese on a griddle. You can place cheese on bread and melt them on the griddle.
Burgers: Easily prepare juicy burgers on griddles. The burger remains soft from the inside and crispy from the outside.
Steak: Steaks can also be cooked on griddles. Steaks remain juicy and sumptuous on a griddle. You can cook steak for under 3 minutes on each side.
Chicken: Griddles are ideal for cooking chicken. Cook the chicken thoroughly until all the pink bits are cooked properly. Ideally, you should cook chicken at lower temperatures. To obtain the BBQ flavor, you can also wrap chicken legs and thighs in tinfoil with marinade.
Seafood: Seafood can be cooked perfectly on a griddle. The griddle allows you to bake the fish instead of frying it. You can marinade your fish with lemon juice, herbs, and spices in tin foil. To extract the juices, you can place the tin foil on the griddle and bake it with maximum heat. Many chefs recommend cooking shrimp and salmon on a griddle. You can wrap the salmon with lemon and lime juice in tin foil. Shrimp can be browned directly on the griddle. Additionally, you can marinade shrimp in garlic butter sauce for enhanced flavors.
The Key Differences Between Electric Vs. Gas Griddle
There are some differences between gas vs. electric griddle. Here, we list the key differences:
Gas Griddles: The burners are placed below the griddle plate in gas griddles. The griddle burners heat up quickly and warm the cooking surface. Gas griddles heat up faster than electric griddles. Additionally, the cooling process is also faster with gas griddles. Gas griddles are perfect for searing foods to perfection. The burners can heat up to 60,000 BTUs in a short period. Most countertop gas griddles take up a lot of available kitchen space. You will also need a professional to install a gas griddle in your commercial kitchen.
Electric Griddles: The heating element is embedded in the griddle plate in electric griddles. They are mostly slower than regular gas griddles. However, electric griddles are more portable than gas griddles. Electric griddles are also more accurate when it comes to heating the overall surface of the griddle. You can also take electric griddles for outdoor catering events for your cooking needs. Electric griddles are also ideal where there is a lack of proper ventilation. They are also more energy-efficient and economical. The initial setup cost is lower than gas griddles. Additionally, you can install an electric griddle without professional help.
The Pros And Cons of Griddle Vs. Grill
The primary differences between a griddle vs. grill begin with the surface. Griddles have smooth and flat surfaces that are ideal for baking and cooking food items. While solid plate grills have ridges, and regular grills have bars with gaps between the plates. You can easily cook food directly over a heat source. The heat source for griddles and grills is mostly gas, electricity, or charcoal.
Griddles are easier to clean than grills. Most grills have surfaces with crannies, nooks, spaces, and gaps that have burnt grease. You will mostly need water and soap to clean the grill. At the same time, griddles can be cleaned easily with a flat scraper and water.
Grills cook at higher temperatures than griddles. Grills mostly need a high-quality ventilation system to reduce excess smoke and heat.
Gas Grill Vs. Gas Griddle
Depending on your cooking needs, you can choose a gas grill or a gas griddle. Gas griddles are safer than gas grills, as the food does not touch the open flames. Gas griddles are ideal for cooking diced small food items and batters. You can cook fatty meats like poultry with a gas grill. The fat drips off and creates a layer of excess smoke.
Every successful restaurant owner needs a list of essential kitchen equipment for their business. WIth commercial griddles, walk-in refrigerators and coolers, reach-in freezers, ranges, and kitchen equipment, you can serve your patrons efficiently. Depending on your cooking needs, you can choose from gas vs. electric variants for commercial griddles. Electric griddles are more convenient and economical. In comparison, gas griddles are the real workhorses that are ideal for high-volume food service establishments.
