Growing up, I used to love going to the diner for breakfast. The bustling open kitchen hummed with life as I sat at the counter, transfixed. Servers called in orders, adding to the din, and short-order cooks wielded offset turners and grill presses with well-practiced precision. But my main fixation was the centerpiece of it all: an enormous flat-top griddle, the heated surface on which meal after meal was lovingly—yet speedily—crafted. Pancakes, fried eggs, rashers of bacon, sausage patties, and more cooked evenly and efficiently on the well-maintained griddle as I watched, listened, and ate with enthusiasm.
Chances are you don’t have a massive flat-top griddle at your disposal at home, but might I suggest a satisfying alternative? A stovetop griddle sits across two burners on a standard-size stovetop (including gas, electric, and induction) and provides enough surface area to make almost any flat-top diner fave you can think of.
I recently cooked dozens of burgers and pancakes to update our stovetop griddle review and crowned a new winner in the process. It’s spacious and sturdy, with enough room to cook up to eight pancakes at a time, and its upright handles make it easy to maneuver even when it’s hot. It also has a nonstick coating, which makes cleanup a breeze, but it can still create a great sear on meats.
