If you don’t have much time and just want to find out what the best electric griddle is, then I recommend the Presto 07061 as the best one.
The best way to cook up a feast on a single cooking surface, electric griddles are brilliantly effective and incredibly easy to use. For us foodies, they are quite simply indispensable!
Why clutter up your kitchen with countless pots and pans when you can cook up a storm on one simple surface? Sausages, eggs, muffins, pancakes, burgers… you name it. The best electric griddles are as versatile as they are practical.
What Is an Electric Griddle?
An electric griddle is a flat, rectangular, portable cooking surface that is plug-in powered. A built-in heating element provides the heat to cook food. This heat is controlled by a few temperature controls.
Unlike appliances like range burners, the best electric griddles are made to have an even cooking surface. So, ideally, there should be no hot spots or cold spots in sight!
If you’re tired of complicated cooking and dealing with a mountain of washing up, the simplicity of an electric griddle might be what you’re looking for.
Cooking Meat on a Griddle
Electric griddles are great for cooking killer pancakes. But where this gizmos really shine is when cooking meat.
From burgers and hotdogs to steaks and sausages, cooking meat on a griddle is a cinch. The best electric griddles have a stable surface that stops meat sliding around, plus a griddle tray to collect all the grease that runs off. This is why cooking meat on an electric griddle is much better than cooking it in a frying pan.
Electric griddles with sear functionality are great for cooking steaks. They enable you to get that extra flavor and tender texture demanded by a good steak.
What Makes a Good Electric Griddle?
There are a few elements that are really important when choosing your electric griddle:
Size
Electric griddles vary quite a bit when it comes to size. Some have fold-up and removable parts, which make them very easy to store. These types of griddles are great if you’re looking for something to make paninis for two.
Others are just a large flat surface, ideal for cooking up a full-on breakfast at the weekend. For those with a large hungry family to feed, these large electric griddles are a lifesaver.
Easy to Clean
One of the main reasons to own an electric griddle is to not have to worry about the cleanup. That’s why it’s important to get an electric flat top grill that is super simple to clean. This is not always the case, even with grills that are otherwise very impressive.
Drip Tray
If you’re going to be cooking up burgers and sausages and other meats where grease runs free, a good drip tray is essential. They should be deep enough to collect the grease and easy to remove without spilling it everywhere.
Efficiency
How powerful is the griddle? Does it heat up quickly? Does the surface heat completely evenly? These are all things I considered when reviewing the best griddles.
Durability
There’s no point in splashing out on something that cooks up perfect pancakes for a month, then falls apart. The top rated griddles last the distance, while many of the poorer ones are cheaply made and will let you down before too long.
Electric Griddles Review
So, what is the best electric griddle to buy? I’ve tested out some of the top rated electric griddles, to give you a better idea of which one suits you best.
Cuisinart GR-4NP1 5-in-1 Griddler
This is a great looking electric griddle! Its super sleek design immediately grabs hold of you. It’s not all style over substance though – this versatile electric tabletop grill gives you five different cooking options. It does a good job at cooking steaks, sausages and burgers, but it definitely specializes in one area – this thing makes a killer panini!
The panini-style handle and hinged floating cover make this a particularly good panini grill. In fact, there’s a specific panini temperature control. So if you’re a panini lover, this might be the ideal electric griddle.
With a cooking space of 9 x 11 inches when closed (doubled when open) this foldable electric griddle is great when cooking for a small family. It might not be the best choice for those with large families though. There’s also an issue with the plastic side buttons that pop the grill out. They seem a little cheaply made and might not last.
All in all, it’s a well-built grill that’s easy to clean and easy to use, all for an affordable price.
Pros:
- Great panini maker
- Flexible
- Easy to use and clean
Cons:
- The cooking surface is quite small
- Buttons seems a little cheaply made
Presto 07061
This is a great grill! It’s got a lot of great features and its price is surprisingly low. This has got to be the best value-for-money electric griddle on the market.
Removable handles and legs mean that it’s really easy to store away in a kitchen cupboard. The textured surface adds a bit of grip. It’s perfect to keep those fried eggs in place. The power cord can be removed for an easy cleanup. It’s also got a fairly large cooking surface. At 11 x 26 inches, this Presto griddle is perfect for feeding large families.
There’s a slight issue with the heat balance. It’s not quite even. No cold spots. Just ‘not so hot spots’, which isn’t a major problem, unless you’re cooking a large amount of meat – in which case you’ll want to get your rotation game on.
The other issue is the grill tray which, for a big griddle like this one, is a little on the shallow side.
Overall, the Presto 07061 is a fantastic electric griddle. For such a cheap electric griddle, it brings a lot of quality to the table.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Big cooking surface
- Impressive temperature range
- Easy to clean – non-stick plates and power cord are both removable
- Fairly large cooking surface
Cons:
- Slightly uneven temperature
- Grill tray a little too shallow
DASH DEG200GBAQ01
True to its name, the Dash heats up very quickly. It’s the second thing that really impresses you about this electric griddle. The first is the design – it’s nice and bright. This is a good griddle for those who want an eye-catching, as well as functional, electric griddle.
The cooking surface is 10.5 x 20 inches – large enough to cook for a family of four. It’s especially great for cooking up those weekend pancakes. There’s also a free recipe book, which makes a nice little extra.
There is a bit of a design flaw with this griddle though. There’s a little gap between the pan and the frame which can collect grease. This makes it difficult to clean, especially if you’re regularly cooking up burgers, sausages and eggs.
So, if you’re looking for a lean meat grilling machine, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you want a great pancake griddle, this is one of the best out there.
Pros:
- Good looking and comes in a variety of colors
- Heats up very fast and cools down quick too
- Cooks a mean pancake
- The free recipe book is a nice little extra
Cons:
- The cooking surface is a little on the small side
- The gap between pan and frame can make cleaning up grease difficult
BELLA Electric Ceramic 14606
If you’re looking for a durable, efficient electric griddle, this could be the one. The non-stick surface is second to none – it has a unique ceramic coating that stands out from the crowd. You won’t need oil with this griddle!
With a cooking surface of 10.5 x 20 inches, the BELLA 14606 can make up to 10 burgers, 10 eggs or 6 pancakes at once. It’s a very easy to clean ceramic griddle and, as it’s lightweight and super sleek, it’s nice and easy to store away.
Design features include cool-touch handles and base, as well as a built-in ledge with a backstop for easy flipping.
One minor grumble is that the drip tray is a bit small. If you cook up a lot of meat, you might find it spilling over with grease.
This one minor issue aside, the BELLA 14606 is one of the top electric griddles on the market. It would make a great choice for food enthusiasts.
Pros:
- Really good non-stick surface
- Light and sleek design makes it easy to store
- Very easy to clean
- Cool-touch handles are a nice design feature
Cons:
- The drip tray could be bigger
George Foreman 5-Serving Multi-Plate Evolve
Like its namesake, this grill packs a punch! A big, powerful electric griddle, it comes with ceramic grill plates for panini pressing and grilling, a dish for baking, sautéing, and griddling, and even a muffin pan. You can even buy extra pans if you want more flexibility.
It’s got an impressive temperature range. Thanks to an impressive sear function, it reaches a temperature of 500ºF. When it comes to the best griddle for burgers, this thing takes some beating. It’s also nice and easy to clean.
All this does come at a price though. The George Foreman Evolve is as much as four times the price as some of the other griddles on this list. For many, the price tag will be a little too lofty. The design might also be a little too bulky for some.
For others, it’ll be worth the money. Especially with great extra features that make it stand out, like the floating hinge that helps you get real precise with your cooking.
Pros:
- Easy to use and easy to clean
- Can cook lots of different types of food
- The sear function is a nice extra
- The floating hinge gives you extra control
- Great temperature range
Cons:
- Expensive
- A bit bulky
Conclusion
For me, there’s a clear winner. The Presto 07061 has a large cooking surface, it’s well made and is very easy to maintain. It slots away nicely in your kitchen cupboard when not in use and, best of all, it’s amazing value for money.
