The Best Stovetop Griddles

This griddle heated quickly and evenly, consistently searing burgers and speedily cooking dish after dish with ease. Its 1-inch-tall sides kept grease safely contained, and its large cooking surface easily fit eight pancakes at a time. We also liked its upright, sturdy handles, which allowed for effortless maneuvering. Its nonstick coating didn't scratch in our durability tests and always rinsed clean with minimal scrubbing. This griddle is versatile: compatible with induction, electric, and gas cooktops alike.

This nonstick hard-anodized aluminum griddle cooked food nicely, though it couldn't sear burgers quite as well as cast-iron or carbon-steel models. It was durable and easy to clean, and its 1-inch-high walls contained most grease spatters. While it was slightly heavier than most aluminum models, it was still reasonably easy to lift, thanks to large upright handles. And it had plenty of room to cook on, though it would have had more were it not for an inch-wide grease trough that encircled its cooking surface. Pancakes and eggs sometimes overflowed into that trough, becoming misshapen.

Made from hard-anodized aluminum, this nonstick griddle made good food (even if it couldn't sear burgers quite as deeply as others), cleaned up easily, and was quick to heat and cool. As a bonus, it came with a small metal spatula. While not quite as roomy as our winner, it was still spacious enough to cook eight pancakes at a time. Slightly lower walls meant that we got a few more grease flare-ups when cooking burgers over high heat; perhaps as a result, the silicone on its handles melted slightly, though the handles remained largely usable otherwise.

This cast-aluminum griddle was durable, easy to clean, and did a good job of cooking food, although burgers cooked on it weren't quite as crusty as burgers cooked on cast-iron or carbon-steel models. It provided the largest usable cooking surface but was still light enough to lift easily. Our main gripe? The surface itself was pitched at an angle: While this helped grease run toward the trough on the lower side, it also encouraged pancake batter and raw eggs to run toward the trough as well, making for misshapen breakfast foods. And because the griddle was open on one side, flare-ups were slightly more common than they were on walled models.

With a ceramic-based nonstick coating, this hard-anodized aluminum griddle was durable and easy to clean; it cooked food well, though it didn't brown burgers quite as deeply as other models did. It was lightweight, and its upright metal handles made it easy to lift; its 1-inch-high walls contained most grease. We just wish it were a bit bigger and wider; we could squeeze only six pancakes at a time on it, instead of the eight we managed with most other models.

This carbon-steel griddle was promising: It was lighter, easier to lift, and slightly quicker to heat and cool than the cast-iron models. It cooked pancakes and eggs evenly and put a beautiful crust on burgers. Relatively tall walls kept flare-ups largely at bay. But this griddle was small and narrow, fitting just six pancakes at a time. And while it arrived with some seasoning on it, the seasoning wasn't complete, causing eggs and burgers to stick slightly; more careful cleaning and maintenance was required as a result. Worse, the griddle warped a tiny bit, making it unsteady on the range afterward, though it didn't noticeably affect the functionality of the griddle otherwise.

Weighing nearly 14 pounds and with no discrete handles to help lighten the load, this durable, flat cast-iron griddle was a beast to lift. It also took ages to heat and cool; however, because of its good heat retention, it put a thick, deep-brown crust on burgers and still managed to cook pancakes and eggs nicely. Like the carbon-steel griddle, it arrived already seasoned, but the seasoning wasn't as extensive as we'd have liked, so food sometimes stuck to the surface, forcing us to spend more time cleaning and oiling it. And with almost no walls to speak of, fat readily overflowed its grease troughs or spattered over the griddle's edges, causing many dangerous flare-ups.

Durable but ponderous, this expensive, heavy enameled cast-iron griddle was hard to lift and slow to heat and cool. That said, its superior heat retention did ensure that burgers received a thick, deeply browned crust and that pancakes and eggs cooked evenly. Its enameled surface was a touch rough; burgers and eggs stuck slightly, so the griddle generally required more cleaning. With no walls, even its small grease trough couldn't contain all the fat that ran off the burgers, causing many flare-ups. Finally, the griddle was small and narrow, making even six pancakes a tight fit.

This hard-anodized aluminum griddle heated and cooled quickly and did a good job of cooking eggs and pancakes; burgers were seared nicely, though they didn't get quite as thick a crust as they did on other models. It was one of the roomiest in the lineup, giving us plenty of space to cook, and its upright handles and light weight made it easy to lift and maneuver. With walls over 1 inch tall, the griddle contained most grease spatters, limiting flare-ups. A durable nonstick coating ensured that food didn't stick to the surface and made cleanup easy.