Whether you are wanting to fry up your favorite comfort food or throw some steaks on a grill. Griddles and skillets are two vastly different types of cookware that can be very universal.
Choosing between a griddle or skillet can be tough. Are they basically the same? Or, can one do more than the other can?
Your choice will ultimately have an impact on the flavor of your food. And you will want to consider your personal cooking style before making a purchase.
Do you regularly grill? Do you cook for a lot of people? Do you mostly cook in the oven? Or maybe you want to grill, but don't want to pay for an expensive and hefty outside grill! Ask yourself these questions as you're figuring out which is best for you.
Let's take a look at the differences between the grill and skillet to help you narrow it down!
A griddle is a large, flat, cast-iron plate that is usually square or rectangular in shape. A griddle is ordinarily quite shallow, so you won't typically be cooking with a lot of liquids or overlapping ingredients.
With the choice between a flat or rigid surface, a cast iron reversible griddle is a great kitchen utensil to have on hand.
The angled grease slope on most griddle grills reduces the fat content of meats like bacon, making this a terrific option if you're trying to maintain a low-fat diet.
Use griddles virtually anywhere. Inside your home on the stove, outside over a beautiful campfire, or set it right over the grates of your back porch grill.
Lay the griddle on the stove to create a flat surface area to cook pancakes, eggs, and hash browns at the same time. Add to the camping experience by using it to grill or fry over the flames of a campfire. Use the griddle inside of a grill if you need a stable area to grill veggies while keeping them from falling through the grates.
Generally known in the US as skillets, they are often also referred to as frying pans.
They are more rounded in shape with deep edges that sometimes flair out to allow for more food. They also typically don't have lids.
Many will even have pouring spouts on the side of the skillet pans to make draining any extra grease or liquid much easier!
Cast iron skillets can also be used almost anywhere, just like the griddle.
Use a skillet inside on the stove like any other frying pan. Slide it in the oven to bake your favorite casseroles. Or bring it along on camping trips to use over the campfire.
Now that you know WHAT they are, let's dive into the many uses of the two pieces of cookware. Knowing how to use each one will help you figure out which one is more suited to your needs.
Both require unique cooking techniques, so knowing how you can use them and what you can cook in them is important information to factor into your decision.
In general, cooking in a skillet allows flavors to mix while cooking on a griddle keeps flavors separate.
Skillets are great for a large variety of cooking styles, such as sautéing or pan-frying. Remember! The more seasoned your cast-iron is, the more flavorful the food that's cooked in it will be.
The high walls on the skillet are useful when mixing ingredients or even cooking with liquids.
Griddle grills work well for not only eggs and bacon, but for pretty much ALL breakfast food items. They are also often used for cooking burgers and other hot sandwiches such as a hot ham and cheese or grilled cheese.
Typically, griddles are geared towards cooking more foods at once. Fry up your bacon, eggs, and hash browns all at once.
The griddle grill can be used inside to take the place of a large outdoor grill. They are perfect for grilling burgers or your favorite ribeye steak in the kitchen.
The shallow walls make flipping eggs and pancakes simple!
Unlike a regular skillet, the griddle's raised ridges on a reversible griddle can also give you those perfect char marks, and unlike the oven, it can flash fry meat and vegetables in no time!
Frying up fatty foods like bacon on the griddle is a simple way to keep griddles seasoned while adding GREAT flavor to future meals cooked on it.
Cleaning and caring for a cast iron skillet or griddle are the same.
As with any cast iron cookware, the key is to keep it cleaned and seasoned. As you finish cooking, don't let foods sit on the surface, and store leftovers in another container.
This causes the food to stick, and THIS causes a need for actually washing the cast iron.
To keep your cast iron well seasoned, do your best to keep from needing to wash it.
A few key differences separate griddles and skillets. Figure out what type of cooking you mainly do before making your purchase. If you lean towards cooking denser meals with lots of liquids and a wide variety of ingredients that rely heavily on using a deeper pan, you should stick with a skillet.
If you find yourself grilling more or cooking with a shorter ingredient list, there is really no need for stirring anything, so you might consider a griddle grill.
The number of people you're cooking for can also sway your choice. Griddles are geared towards serving a larger crowd, whereas skillets are best for smaller quantities due to their size.
Cooking with a skillet generally uses a slower cooking technique like baking or roasting, while the griddle is typically for faster cooking such as flash frying or toasting.
This decision can be a little daunting, but now, hopefully, you're better equipped to choose the right one for you and your family!
Rest easy knowing that no matter which one you want, your food will taste great and you're sure to whip up crowd-pleasing dishes.
No matter which way you decide to go, be sure to check out our blog post 14 Cast Iron Cooking Tips, so you can master your new cookware.
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