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Are you looking to maximize your cooking space with a griddle? We researched, purchased, and tested 10 of the best griddles on the market to help you find the perfect one for your kitchen. The rigorous testing (to our delight) resulted in dozens of fluffy pancakes, eggs, and pounds of crispy bacon. Throughout our in-depth testing process, we took stock of non-stick properties, ease of cleaning, grease management, and other key aspects of a great griddle. Whether you're looking for an electric or stovetop model, our comprehensive review will guide you to the right purchase for your needs and budget.
Our teams of culinary experts are big fans of breakfast, so we've tested some of the best kitchen gear on the market. From staples like the best toasters to Sunday brunch stars like the best waffle makers, as well as specialty items like best citrus juicers and our favorite cookware sets, we've done the grunt work to help you discern the best products in every category.
Editor's Note: We updated our griddle review on April 5, 2024, to remove a discontinued cast iron model and to provide extra advice on what to look for when purchasing a griddle.
Incredibly large cooking space, thoughtful design allows for fast cleaning, grease cup works very well
The tilt feature makes draining grease a breeze, expansive cooking space for groups
Great shape for cooking bacon, solid design, sturdy stainless steel handle
Beautiful aesthetic, superior non-stick surface, fantastic heat distribution
Fun color options, grease tray is removable and sink/dishwasher washable
Cons
No on/off indicator, a bit bulky for storage even with collapsible handles
Heavy and bulky, pricier than other options
Fairly small for cooking for larger groups, shallow sides make it challenging for certain runnier items
Not the easiest to clean, less versatile than other griddles
Hard to get completely clean, less effective non-stick than other options
Bottom Line
This intelligently designed griddle offers excellent heat distribution across an extra-large, non-stick cooking surface, which makes putting out breakfast for large groups fun and easy
If production cooking is your aim, this grill offers tons of real estate and great grease management
Simple and versatile, this square stovetop grill is a great addition to any kitchen arsenal
Economic and effective, this griddle will satisfy all but the most demanding home cooks
Multiple color options and great heat distribution make this model a good choice for most home cooks
The Presto Ceramic 22" is an oversized, heavy-duty electric model that is easy to operate and clean. We love that the handles are easy to remove without using tools, a feature that helps save space on the countertop and when stored. The unit has even heat distribution for consistent cooking, and the temperature control covers a wide range (160 - 400 ºF) for everything from slow-cooking sunny-side-up eggs to searing steaks.
We didn't find too many faults with this product, though the texture of the non-stick surface was a bit rough, resulting in some food retention on the scrambled eggs. Additionally, this is a pretty big appliance and may not be appropriate for smaller kitchens, even with the removable handles for better storage. If you're in the market for a much smaller cooktop, then it's best to consider a stovetop model like the All-Clad HA1 Square Griddle. That said, we really like the grease tray design on the Presto 22", and the grill's edge is great for scraping off your spatula if it has food stuck to it.
The All-Clad HA1 Square Griddle is a single burner non-stick grill with a sharp look. We found that the square shape, compared with round models, makes it easier to utilize the entire surface area. In particular, bacon fits this shape much better. The non-stick coating worked great, most notably with pancakes where no oil was needed. Additionally, this model had some of the best heat distribution across its surface that we have seen.
On the downside, the All-Clad HA1 has no grease management, so foods like bacon are left to sit in their fat until removed. If you cook a lot of bacon (as some of us do), the Lodge Cast Iron Griddle offers a well-designed, integrated grease trap, despite its other limitations. The non-stick coating on the HA1 tends to hold on to scrambled eggs, and while they easily release, we were left with some flaky material in the mix. Critiques aside, we really liked that you can pop this model into the oven if need be, and it's also a breeze to clean. All in all, the HA1 is a solid product and a good fit for most kitchens.
Missing photo ID#463347~best griddle for the stovetop
The Bella Copper Titanium Electric Griddle offers consumers a whole lot of performance at a very competitive price. First off, it has an effective, non-stick surface and plenty of real estate to cook for the whole family. Grease is relatively easy to manage, thanks to the removable grease cup, and its heat distribution is among the best of the models we've tested.
While there is plenty to praise this cooktop for, it is not perfect. One bone of contention is that the gap between the grill surface and frame filled with batter and grease and was difficult to clean. If your breakfasts regularly consist of pancakes and bacon, it may be worth considering spending a bit more on the easy-to-clean Presto Tilt 'n Drain. In our scrambled egg tests with the Bella Copper, the cooking surface retained a thin film of egg that later came up and created an undesirable texture. Shortcomings aside, this model remains effective and offers great value for the cost.
Missing photo ID#463328~griddle - best bang for your buck
The Nordic Ware 2-Burner Griddle is a great addition to any camp kitchen kit. This aluminum sheet is coated with an effective, non-stick surface that makes cooking for a large group a breeze. Since the heat comes from whatever double burner it's placed on, it has no moving parts, and thus, nothing can break or malfunction. However, that is not to say the design is not without flaws.
Our main gripe with the Nordic Ware is that it lacks a grease-draining system. As it is, bacon and the like are cooked in a pool of their fat. Draining the griddle, with its shallow edges, is somewhat precarious. Additionally, the heat distribution across the surface can vary greatly. It takes two separate burners to heat this up, yet the griddle is too short to fit well over many two-burner stoves. Despite these limitations, the Nordic Ware proved its worth in making plenty of food to feed a small camp.
Missing photo ID#463374~griddle - great value for camp cooking
The Presto Tilt 'n Drain's name says it all: this griddle boasts ample cooking space, and its surface tilts forward when the handles are pulled apart so that it will conveniently drain grease. The drain works nicely, too — a helpful feature when cooking large quantities of anything that produces excess oil. The heat distribution of this cooktop is excellent, turning out evenly cooked food across the entire cook surface.
Though we love this model for cooking for big groups, it's hard to clean. The grease drains into the removable catch through a channel that tends to make a mess in a tricky-to-clean spot. While heat is evenly distributed across the cooktop, we observed even better performance in more affordable options like the Bella Copper Titanium Coated Non-Stick Electric. Still, this behemoth has a very effective non-stick coating and is a godsend when you need to crank out large quantities of pancakes, eggs, or bacon.
The ability to keep this griddle level for pancakes or tilted to drain grease is unique in the class.
Credit: Laura Casner
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How We Test Griddles
We created a gauntlet of straightforward but telling tests for this group of griddles, intended to replicate the rigors you'll likely put them through in your own busy kitchen. Tests consisted of repeatedly whipping up large quantities of eggs, bacon, and pancakes to scrutinize every aspect of the cooking process. We noted important aspects like the propensity of scrambled eggs to stick, the ability to produce perfect golden-brown pancakes, and the crisp quality of each piece of bacon.
We objectively measured heat distribution across the cooktop and evaluated the durability and quality of their non-stick coatings. We had ample opportunities to clean these griddles between tests, taking into account their ease and efficacy of cleanup. To gauge versatility, we also assessed their abilities to cook other foods aside from just breakfast. Finally, we used these cooktops for non-traditional cooking, like in the oven or over an open flame.
Testing griddles is divided across six rating metrics:
Heat Distribution (20% of overall score weighting)
With an infrared thermometer, we measured spots in four quadrants and at the center of the cooking surface and calculated a surface average. While cooking, we also made notes of how evenly food cooked across the surface.
Eggs (20% weighting)
We cracked dozens of eggs and assessed cooking them in a variety of styles — from sunny-side-up to scrambled — to judge how well eggs released from the pan.
Bacon (20% weighting)
We cooked delicious, thick-cut bacon to gauge the grease-draining properties, and attempted to cook it to a perfect crisp as another way to assess the consistency of heat distribution across the cooking surface.
Pancakes (20% weighting)
Pancakes were our metric for testing the non-stick capabilities of each pan, and yet another way to judge heat distribution. The coloration of pancakes doesn't lie: they're either an even, golden-brown color or they're not.
Versatility (10% weighting)
While griddles are typically used for breakfast foods, we tested these products to cook other foods, like sandwiches and steaks. We also used the stovetop models in non-traditional ways, like baking in an oven or cooking over a campfire.
Ease of Cleaning (10% weighting)
We'd be remiss not to consider the cleanup time of each griddle: we simply noted how long it took us to clean them all and averaged those times together. We offer bonus points if the cooktops are removable and dishwasher safe.
Griddle testing involves some serious pancake making.
Credit: Laura Casner
Why You Should Trust Us
Senior Research Analyst Michelle Powell is an ace in the kitchen — be it at her home or the artisan breakfast joints she managed throughout her twenties. Added to this background are years of product testing in our lab, and you can bet your bottom dollar she'll settle any quarrel on the quality and functionality of a kitchen appliance. Complementing Michelle's know-how is Senior Review Editor Nick Miley, who is no slouch in the kitchen either. Having spent many a summer day sweating over the grill at family get-togethers, he knows a good kitchen appliance when he uses one. Rounding out the culinary testing team is Review Editor Kaylee Walden. Kaylee spends most of her year working as a mountain guide, where she cooks for guests in a variety of alpine environments. She also moonlights as a full-service hut keeper and chef for private events. She spent many years working in fine dining, which gave her a discernable eye for quality cooking.
We made more pancakes than we could eat in a lifetime. Well, let's just say that we made a ton of them.
In addition to cooking, we objectively analyzed every griddle to compare design and specs.
Eggs sunny side up and perfect golden pancakes -- an all American breakfast.
How to Choose The Best Griddle
Here are four key buying considerations to help simplify your decision-making process.
How Much Space Do You Have?
The appropriate size griddle will depend on available counter space and the number of people you usually cook for. Consider how much space you have both on the counter and in storage while not in use. It's also worth noting what food types you typically cook and if the extra griddle space is a necessity. If you'll be using it sparingly and not as a jack of all trades for your cooking needs, consider a smaller size.
Electric or Stovetop?
The use of an electric griddle will provide cooking anywhere an electrical outlet is present, but that is also what can deter someone from choosing an electric griddle. Stovetop griddles are easy to stash and take along for camping trips and tailgates as long as you already have access to a portable stove. The biggest advantage of an electric griddle is its large surface area, which provides the ability to cook food simultaneously and fast all at once. Choosing between the two will come down to cooking preferences and how much you value portability vs surface area for cooking.
An electric griddle maximizes cooking space and provides even heat distribution to help make the perfect pancakes every time.
Credit: Laura Casner
Non-Stick or Cast Iron?
The convenience of a nonstick surface for cooking breakfast staples such as eggs and pancakes can be hard to beat in terms of ease of use and cleanup. A counter to nonstick is its limited lifespan and limited versatility. A cast iron griddle will take more time to learn if you have not cooked with cast iron before, and foods such as eggs can be a learning process to dial in. If you find yourself venturing outside of breakfast items and plan to cook foods such as burgers and steak, then a cast iron griddle is worth the learning curve. Ultimately if you value durability and more versatility, a cast iron griddle is a solid option. Those who want to scramble eggs without worry and are focused on crafting up breakfast items will appreciate a nonstick griddle.
What Features to Look For?
Certain features can make cooking and cleanup easier, resulting in better food and more use out of your griddle. Griddles with a grease catch are extra handy if you plan on cooking foods such as bacon. Griddles with the ability to be put in the oven or cranked up to high heat are fun to explore for other cooking possibilities outside of breakfast and can make for a more versatile piece in the kitchen. The shape of your griddle can also dictate how convenient certain foods will be to cook with. Deciding on the right features will come down to personal preference and your intended use of your griddle.
Grease traps are a great feature to help manage excess grease and oil.
Credit: Laura Casner
Analysis and Test Results
We always structure our testing with metrics that collectively analyze all practical uses and applications. This method allows us to directly compare a range of models in a particular product class. We assessed these griddles across a wide variety of attributes so that you can filter out your priorities and make a well-informed choice for the best option.
Value
As griddles are considered a kitchen "extra" for exceptionally well-rounded chefs, it's essential to consider the options that performed particularly well in the ways you intend to use them. We didn't have the price in mind while testing each model, but we are always particularly impressed by high-quality products that don't break the bank. Keep in mind that premium products often cost a premium, but not all of those premium products are what we consider high-value items. For our team, it's all about the balance of price versus performance.
The Bella Copper is one such model: one of the top-rated electric models across all metrics at a very reasonable price point. A highly versatile stovetop option is the Nordic Ware, which offers substantial cooking space and performance for the price. As a bonus, it easily doubles as a baking sheet, only increasing its overall value.
The cornerstone of a good value is the intersection of price with performance. Here, the Nordic Ware griddle whips up an excellent batch of stuffed brioche French Toast.
Credit: Kaylee Walden
Heat Distribution
As the name suggests, the heat distribution metric evaluates the even spread of heat across the surface of a griddle. This property is important to all cooks, whether they know it or not, as it is the single biggest factor contributing to consistent food outcomes. The All-Clad HA1 and the Bella Copper presented exceptionally even heat across their respective surfaces. The DASH Everyday and the Presto Ceramic 22" were close behind in the ranking.
The astute reader might look at this and say: "Hey, wait a minute. Those are all different size models." And while you're right, the size of the cooktop doesn't actually matter; we want to assess the consistency of the heat across the surface, regardless of size. We use an infrared thermometer to take temperature readings at given points on the grill surface — at a point in four quadrants and in the center of the pan. We then assess the consistency of the temperature by calculating the standard deviation of those measurements.
Pouring a series of pancakes across the cook surface was an easy way to visualize heat distribution. The Presto Ceramic is a very evenly heated griddle.
Credit: Laura Casner
To put this into context, the All-Clad HA1 had a standard deviation of 12 ºF, whereas a low performer like the Nordic Ware has a standard deviation of 50 ºF. Finally, we look at whether there are any significant hot or cold spots. With this objective data, we rate each model. We also assessed this metric a bit more subjectively by noting if food cooked faster or slower or tended to burn when placed on a certain spot on each griddle.
We had the measuring of temperature distribution down to a science. Here, we tested the All-Clad Square Griddle with an infrared thermometer before putting it to the test with a batch of pancakes.
Credit: Kaylee Walden
Eggs
You can't beat a griddle if you need to crank out a lot of fried eggs at once. We tested each of these products for their ability to cook at the lower temperatures required to turn out an over-easy egg and their food release properties, as observed during the flip. For good measure, we also made scrambled eggs, which tend to stick. While none of them totally blew us away in these tests, the Bella Copper, Nordic Ware, Presto Tilt 'n Drain, DASH Everyday Griddle, and T-fal A92114 all delivered comparable and overall satisfactory results.
The main criticism of the models mentioned above is that they hold onto a film of egg when the scramble is poured onto the grill surface. This film hardens and then releases to be incorporated into the eggs, adding a subtle but notable crunchy texture that conflicts with the moist, fluffy texture characteristic of good scrambled eggs.
Level surface, great non-stick surface, ands easy food release on the Bella Cooper equal awesome eggs.
Credit: Laura Casner
It's worth mentioning that while cast iron is a poor surface for making scrambled eggs, they do great for making traditional fried eggs, so long as you use plenty of grease or oil. It's not surprising that the Lodge products, like the Lodge Cast Iron Griddle, did well in the fried egg portion of this evaluation but performed terribly in the scrambled egg test.
The Lodge Cast Iron griddle makes perfect fried eggs.
Credit: Laura Casner
Bacon
Similar to rice, cooking bacon is straightforward but easy to mess up. To get the best bacon, the cooking surface must have an even and consistent temperature, there must be plenty of room for the bacon to lay flat, and it's really nice — though not necessary — if the grease can be easily moved off the surface while cooking.
The Presto Ceramic 22" knocked the proverbial ball out of the park here. Even and consistent temperature? Check. Large surface area? Check. Grease management system? Check! This machine sets the bar for the class.
A good grease trap, like the one included on the Presto Ceramic 22", is an invaluable component to a griddle laden with sizzling bacon.
Credit: Laura Casner
Other models that did well in this metric are the Presto Tilt 'n Drain (for reasons made obvious by its name) and the Lodge Reversible, which features a great shape for bacon. It's worth noting that most of the models did reasonably well in this evaluation. The only exceptions are the Lodge Griddle, which leaves the bacon sitting in its own grease, and the Nordic Ware, which has such shallow sides that it quickly fills dangerously high with grease if cooking bacon for a crowd. The slightly deeper walls of OXO Good Grips 11" Square is a slight improvement over these other two pans but is still susceptible to turning out sopping bacon if you're not careful.
Despite the lack of a grease catch, the liberal-sized grease mote that surrounds the cook surface of the Lodge Reversible does a fairly good job.
Credit: Laura Casner
Pancakes
We repeatedly packed the grills full of these delicious morsels for the pancake evaluation, primarily to assess the non-stick properties. We wanted to know if the cooking surface became stickier after a couple of rounds, how evenly they cooked, and if any residue remained when the pancakes were removed.
In this evaluation, two products stood out: the All-Clad and the Presto Tilt 'n Drain. These models have very smooth, non-stick surfaces that release pancakes well from the first round to the last. Moreover, the even surface temperature helped the batter cook evenly, with tell-tale bubbles bursting evenly across the batter, clearly indicating the time to flip.
Those models with high-quality non-stick surfaces, like the All-Clad HA1, require little - if any - oil to release pancakes.
Credit: Laura Casner
The only downfall of the All-Clad is its relatively small size; if you try to cook too many pancakes at once, the ones at the sides of the pan will end up with square edges. A better choice for larger-capacity cooking would be the Bella Copper or DASH Everyday griddles.
Checking the bottom of a pancake is a sure-fire way to tell whether or not a griddle has hot spots.
Credit: Jenni Snead
Versatility
Everything in a well-equipped kitchen should serve a purpose, but we especially love items that excel for multiple uses. We rarely suggest adding something to your kitchen that is only good for a sole purpose. We put these griddles to the test by cooking other foods, too, like steaks. We also used the stovetop models in unconventional ways, like as a baking sheet in the oven or to cook over an open fire.
While not the top option for bacon or scrambled eggs, the Lodge Cast Iron Griddle can tackle a variety of cooking tasks, from baking bread to simmering bolognese. For electric options, the Presto Ceramic receives high versatility marks thanks to a wide temperature range. This griddle can manage a high-temperature sear on meats, and it produces grilled cheese and quesadillas with ease.
For those who really love the capacity of a large griddle or grill pan, the Lodge Reversible will find a perfect home on your stove.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Ease of Cleaning
We'd be remiss not to mention how much time it takes to clean these griddles because you'd be surprised how much it can vary. After all, as a busy cook with a group to feed, the last thing you want to tack on is tedious cleaning.
While stovetop options are undeniably much simpler and quicker to clean, the Presto Ceramic stands out as a great option for expeditious cleanup. The integrated grease cup collects all of the overflow oil in a convenient way that directs the oil away from the rest of the griddle. Additionally, the non-stick cooktop separates from the body and can be washed in the sink.
From the same brand, the Presto Tilt 'n' Drain is a runner-up for easy cleanup. This griddle features a handy integrated grease trap and is relatively simple to clean for an electric model. As for stovetop options, the All-Clad comes clean with little effort and is easily sink-washable. The Nordic Ware and T-fal are also quick-cleaning options. Though with its shallow sides, the Nordic Ware can be a bit precarious when it comes to draining bacon grease.
The Tilt 'n Drain has superior food release properties, particularly where pancakes are concerned.
Credit: Laura Casner
Conclusion
Throughout the testing process, we put the best griddles head-to-head while closely scrutinizing their key properties — heat distribution, non-stick capabilities, grease management, and cleaning time — all to help you choose the best possible addition to your kitchen. Our review features a few standout products for stovetop and electric models so that you can ultimately pick the best one to suit your needs. You can count on these griddles to reliably produce great results. So go forth to make perfectly fried eggs, fluffy, golden pancakes, and crispy bacon to keep your own breakfast table happy and well-fed.
