The Best Electric Griddle Brands, According to Pro Pancake Flippers
Updated: Mar. 25, 2024
Get ready for breakfast with the best electric griddle options. Our Test Kitchen pros tried 10 brands to find the ones worthy of your next batch of French toast.
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Searching for the Best Electric Griddle Options
Let’s face it: When you need to make French toast or grilled cheese sandwiches for more than one, a single skillet just won’t cut it. You need the large, nonstick surface only a griddle can provide. Before you add just any ol’ griddle to your cart for your next pancake breakfast, ask yourself what’s the best electric griddle?Â
Our Test Kitchen team got to the bottom of this question and tried out 10 different electric griddles right at Taste of Home HQ.
How We Tested Griddles in the Taste of Home Kitchen
For this test, pancake flipper extraordinaire and Test Kitchen pro Josh Rink led the charge. Our team gathered up the most popular electric griddles on the market—10 in all. Over the course of weeks, our squad of expert cooks made everything from bacon to pancakes to frico (those are delicious cheese crisps).
The Test Kitchen took careful notes on the performance of each of these models. Each was judged according to these criteria:
- Performance:Â The best electric griddles should heat evenly for perfectly golden French toast and more. The surface should be nonstick and easy to clean. Overall, an electric griddle should make your weekend breakfasts easier than ever.
- Clean-up:Â No one likes scrubbing leftover scrambled eggs from a cooktop or cleaning up an overflowing grease trap. Easy-to-clean electric griddles are a must in the Test Kitchen.
- Size:Â Depending on how many flapjacks you want to flip, you may want a larger or smaller electric griddle. Our Test Kitchen made note of the size of each cooking surface as well as the overall size of the appliance.
- Price:Â Every appliance should be worth the money spent on it. Models with higher price tags should perform flawlessly and/or have plenty of features.
So what did our team think? Check out our five Test-Kitchen Preferred electric griddles.
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Best Splurgy Electric Griddle
BroilKing Professional Griddle
If pancakes, scrambled eggs and scratch-made breakfasts are on regular rotation at your house, you may want to splurge on the BroilKing Professional Griddle.
“While it is expensive, this griddle cooks food beautifully!” says Josh. “You do get what you pay for in this case.”
When you plug in this griddle, you can control the temperature anywhere between 200 and 400ºF. Like all griddle models, the temperature can vary in spots, but Josh explains that this is minimal with the BroilKing electric griddle—just about 10º. This even cooking allows you to make all your griddled favorites with ease.
This model performed well in all our tests, from fried eggs to cheese crisps, but Josh says that making pancakes on this griddle is a joy. A variety of pancake recipes bubbled up and browned so nicely.
And while the surface is slightly textured, rest assured that it is nonstick. Josh explains that this slightly pebbled finish actually makes it easy to slide a spatula under griddled foods without having them slide all the way across the pan. If they do, however, the removable backsplash will stop any flapjacks from skittering away. Smart!
After you’re done cooking, cleanup is easy. Josh suggests wiping down the surface with a paper towel. This model does have a grease trap, but Josh says that a quick clean with a damp towel is often all this electric griddle requires.
Pros:
- Detachable backsplash
- The surface heats very evenly
- 2-year warranty
Cons:
- Spendy pricetag; not for casual cooks
Price:Â $220
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Best Budget Electric Griddle
Dash Everyday Griddle
If you’re just getting into the griddle game, try a more budget-friendly option like the Dash Everyday Griddle.
For less than $50, you get a sturdy, easy-to-use griddle. Just plug the cord into the flat top and turn the dial to your desired setting. That’s all there is to it!
Once plugged in, the Dash griddle begins to heat immediately. Josh explains that, overall, the Dash keeps a pretty consistent heat (about 15º of variance between the hottest and coolest parts of the surface). Consistent heating is exactly what you need for frying up bacon and eggs. You’ll find that this griddle doesn’t get extremely hot (use your cast-iron pan for a good, hard sear), so give yourself an extra minute or two to finish up your griddle cakes.
This option is a bit smaller than other griddles, but it still has plenty of room to fit eight medium-sized pancakes or 12 strips of bacon.
Pros:
- Great price for anyone between beginner French toast flippers and expert egg makers
- Sturdy frame
- Available in a variety of colors including aqua and red
Cons:
- Heats slowly and gently; this is great if you’re prone to overcooking your flapjacks but can be a drawback if you’re trying to wrestle up breakfast on a tighter schedule (though, you can save time by using our Test Kitchen’s favorite pancake mix)
- The ridge around the griddle can be challenging to clean
Price: $45
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Most Stylish Electric Griddle
Beautiful Extra Large Griddle
When looks are just as important as performance when flipping grilled cheese sandwiches, opt for the Beautiful Extra Large Griddle from Drew Barrymore’s Walmart-exclusive kitchenware line.
This griddle option has a sleek and elegant appearance. The griddle itself is a light gray which is different than the black nonstick options you’ll find on other models. It also has a gold-tone trim and comes in a variety of subtle colors (Josh likes the cornflower blue).
But it’s not all looks! This is one of the best electric griddles because it performs extremely well in the kitchen. If you’re making bacon, breakfast sausage or other recipes that are prone to a bit of spatter, click the detachable backsplash into place. This will keep your counters a bit tidier. And once those links are done cooking, Josh explains that funneling any excess grease into the included trap is super easy.
For fluffy pancakes, just plug in the griddle and get ready to flip. The outermost corners of this griddle tend to be a little cooler, but scooting your pancakes a bit toward the center solves the problem. Josh explains that despite a slightly cooler edge, his test pancakes had the perfect color and texture.
This isn’t the first time Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful kitchenware line has landed a top spot in our product tests. “This brand consistently delivers good looks and good function,” says Josh. Beautiful also got top ranking in our best blender test and best air fryer test. In fact, the Beautiful air fryer is a holiday essential for Executive Culinary Director Sarah Farmer.
Pros:
- Sleek and modern style
- Very easy to clean
- Includes a detachable backsplash
- Available in pretty colors like sage and cornflower blue, in addition to basics like black
Cons:
- The corners of the griddle were notably cooler than the center
Price:Â $59
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Best Extra-Large Electric Griddle
Presto Tilt ‘N’ Drain Big Griddle
If you need all the space you can get to prep breakfast for your crew, look no further than the Presto Tilt ‘N’ Drain Big Griddle. This was the largest griddle that our Test Kitchen tried and it hit all the marks.
The size of this griddle is impressive—270+ square inches (that’s about 50 square inches more than the typical griddle). It can easily fit 12 medium-sized pancakes with plenty of room to flip. For being such a large griddle, this Presto model reaches the right temperature for cooking in about five minutes. That big batch of French toast is closer than you think!
When it comes to flipping your favorite griddled foods, you’ll find the process fuss-free. The nonstick finish of the cooktop meant that no tidbit of egg or stray berry from those blueberry pancakes was left behind.
Pros:
- 270+ square inches of griddle space
- Effective nonstick surface
- Very easy to use
Cons:
- Large size may be difficult to store in smaller kitchens
- Plastic legs do not feel as durable as other models
Price:Â $65
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Electric Griddle with All the Bells and Whistles
Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler Electric Griddle
Our Test Kitchen is impressed with all the useful features the Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler Electric Griddle has to offer.
This model was different than any other electric griddle in this test. To start, the entire appliance can be disassembled. The griddle itself clicks into place when you’re ready to make grilled cheese sandwiches. When you’re done, remove the pan and wash it in the sink. This allows you to go beyond just wiping clean. Josh says this is one of his favorite features.
When it’s time to cook, the Zojirushi electric griddle does its job well. This gadget reaches 425º—most other electric griddles top out at about 400º. This little bit of extra heat makes getting a crispy exterior on your favorite griddled goodies easy. Lower the temp a bit and Josh says pancakes, eggs and bacon all cook evenly on the nonstick surface.
Pros:
- Griddle heats very evenly (only about a 10º temperature variance)
- Included lid is great for steaming sunny-side-up eggs
- Keep warm setting is great for when you want your flapjacks to stay toasty as you heat up your maple syrup
- Can be disassembled for easy cleaning
Cons:
- Textured nonstick surface isn’t as easy to clean as smooth griddles
Price:Â $153
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Electric griddles are just the tip of the testing iceberg! Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing kitchen gadgets, cleaning gear and delicious food, looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test-Kitchen Preferred.
If you’re looking to outfit your kitchen with a few new items, be sure to check out these tests:
Originally Published: September 15, 2022
