What materials or coatings should you choose for your electric griddle?

Cooking food with an electric griddle has entered the kitchen and gardens. The type of coating and/or material of your griddle plate affects how food is cooked. Maintaining a cast iron griddle is more demanding than a stainless steel griddle. So, how do you choose between a stainless steel or enameled cast iron griddle?

How does the coating affect the use of your electric griddle?

High-end enameled steel and chrome offer good durability for a griddle. However, a stainless steel cooking plate, machined from a solid piece, guarantees successful cooking. Indeed, the inertia of stainless steel is lower than other types of coatings. With low inertia, it is easier to change the cooking temperature of food.

Furthermore, stainless steel is more resistant to large temperature variations and impacts, unlike enameled cast iron, whose surface treatment is prone to chipping. Also, since a stainless steel griddle doesn't stick, the flavor of the food being cooked is preserved.

The Different Coatings of Electric Griddles

The most commonly used materials and coatings for electric griddle cooking plates are stainless steel, cast iron/enameled steel, and chrome. Some lower-priced griddle models have a coating of enameled steel, enameled cast iron, or Teflon. The use of solid stainless steel, as on our models, makes your griddle more durable and easier to clean. Other hard chrome products are more expensive. The use of your griddle will vary depending on its coating type.

Differences between stainless steel and cast iron griddles

Can't decide between cast iron and stainless steel? Here are some tips to help you identify the differences between a stainless steel griddle and a cast iron griddle. They lie in their characteristics, use, and maintenance. Planchaelec helps you make the right choice among griddle coatings.

Advantages of a Stainless Steel Griddle

The first advantage of a stainless steel griddle is its lightness. It's easy to move your electric griddle using a cart. The second advantage of a stainless steel griddle is that this material withstands thermal shocks well: cleaning with ice water is therefore possible between cooking sessions. Stainless steel is also not subject to corrosion, unlike cast iron.

The professional quality of the stainless steel of the Planchaelec electric griddles allows you to handle food with all types of utensils. There's no need to worry about damaging the griddle with tongs or a spatula. It can get scratched, which will blend into each other over time, but these are generally beneficial for cooking, as they create a kind of patina on your griddle.

Furthermore, maintaining stainless steel griddles is simple. Stainless steel allows for hygienic cleaning of the griddle surface. Hygiene regulations are more easily respected in a semi-professional kitchen with a stainless steel griddle.

Advantages of the Enameled Cast Iron Griddle

It's important to differentiate between raw cast iron and enameled cast iron, which has undergone a surface treatment. Only enameled cast iron has non-stick properties. Without enamel, cast iron rusts easily and sticks, significantly reducing the flavor of food and the lifespan of your cooktops. Enameled materials (steel or cast iron) also provide inertia and heat distribution, allowing for the preparation of numerous recipes.

Check out our guide to learn everything about stainless steel electric griddles:

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