While an electric griddle may not fall under the “must-have” category when it comes to small kitchen appliances, it’s certainly a fun one if you have the storage space. Lavish weekend breakfasts become a breeze to prepare when you’ve got a big, slick surface to help you manage fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, and a pile of eggs all at once.
Griddles don’t have to be electric — some of our favorite pancake griddles are actually just big pans — but that extra punch of power offers valuable versatility. With an electric griddle, you can skip the stovetop or use your griddle in addition to it, which is perfect for big households and entertaining alike.
As with most kitchen equipment, not all electric griddles are created equally. To determine which griddles are most worth your cash, we put 12 to the test and found six favorites. Our top picks are easy to use and clean, and will quickly become a kitchen staple.
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We were so delighted with the Chefman electric griddle. It has a smooth, nonstick surface that heats evenly and is surrounded by a drip-catching ridge that allows grease to collect for mess-free cleanup. We were able to fit four pancakes and six strips of bacon at one time, and with the temperature controllable in 50-degree increments, it was easy to raise or lower the heat as needed. Our pancakes came off the griddle fluffy and golden, our bacon was crisp, and cleanup was a snap thanks to a dishwasher-safe drip tray. There was nothing we didn’t like about working with this electric griddle (except its short cord length) — including its accessible price.
Dimensions: 10 x 18.6 x 3.2 inches | Max Temperature: 420°F | Material: Metal, plastic | Weight: 3.74 lbs
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Given the budget-friendly price, we were surprised by how well the Elite Gourmet electric griddle performed. The smooth cooking surface heated evenly, leaving us with crisp-chewy pancakes and easy cleanup. Due to its compact size, we weren’t able to cook for a crowd, but this griddle would be a great pick for a small household. Our only real complaint was that our test unit arrived with a cracked edge, and while this didn’t impact performance, it doesn’t speak highly for the griddle’s durability.
Dimensions: 8 x 13 x 4 inches | Max Temperature: 425°F | Material: Plastic, steel, aluminum | Weight: 2.2 lbs
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If you love the idea of an electric griddle and see yourself wanting more out of it than a quick breakfast, Blackstone’s tabletop version might be the right choice for you. We had no trouble with 14 slices of bacon and a few pancakes, but one of our testers even successfully used this griddle to make smash burgers and quesadillas. A drip tray catches all the pesky grease, and the griddling surface itself is removable — ideal for washing up in the sink rather than simply wiping the appliance down after use. Plus, this griddle is large enough that it has two separate cooking zones. It almost doubles as a second stovetop.
Dimensions: 20 x 24 x 7.25 inches | Max Temperature: 425°F | Material: Steel | Weight: 26.7 lbs
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We consider the Crux griddle to be a price-conscious alternative to the Blackstone. This one also measures in at a generous 22 inches, but it costs considerably less. The tradeoff, however, is accuracy — we found that the griddling surface of the Crux tends to run hot. With the dial set at 350°F, we measured the cooktop with an infrared thermometer and found it reading in the 400s. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it is something to be aware of, as you’ll likely sacrifice a pancake or two as you dial in your settings. Once we got the temperatures figured out on our Crux, we found the griddle easy to work with, thanks to a slick surface and a convenient drip tray.
Dimensions: 12.4 x 25.27 x 3.74 inches | Max Temperature: 400°F | Material: Titanium, ceramic | Weight: 7.38 lbs
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The Dash Mini Maker is a very simple electric griddle: Just plug it in, and when the indicator light turns off, it’s ready to use. This griddle is small but mighty, and we were impressed with its even heating and nonstick properties — even a fried egg lifted right off the cooking surface. Because this is such a tiny griddle, it’s only suitable for individual servings and will certainly increase your prep time if you’re trying to make a stack of pancakes. But for single servings, random cravings, and just-for-fun fry-ups, the Dash ticks all the boxes.
Dimensions: 5 x 6.4 x 2.8 inches | Max Temperature: n/a | Material: Metal, plastic | Weight: 1 lb
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Griddles are already pretty similar to grills — their defining feature is the flat cooktop — but what if you could have an electric griddle that could also function as a grill? Ninja Sizzle accepts the challenge, and the secret to this versatility is in its interchangeable nonstick plates. One is the smooth, flat, griddling cooktop, while the other is a ridged plate that yields those coveted grilling char marks. The ability to deliver consistent heating up to 500°F (regardless of which side of the cooking plate you use) means the Ninja Sizzle excelled in our tests whether we were flipping pancakes or grilling burgers. The nonstick surface was a pleasure to work with and made for quick cleanup, and we found the Sizzle much faster and easier to fire up than a conventional grill.
Dimensions: 14.72 x 15.16 x 6.1 inches | Max Temperature: 500°F | Material: Metal, plastic | Weight: 7.8 lbs
Our Favorite Electric Griddle
Our pick for best overall electric griddle is the Chefman Electric Griddle, thanks to its user-friendly design, even heating, and reasonable price.
Factors to Consider
Size
Like any small appliance, if you’re thinking about buying an electric griddle, you’ll want to ensure you have adequate space to use it. Griddles come in lots of different sizes — from the tiny Dash Mini Maker to the spacious Blackstone 22-Inch Electric Tabletop Griddle — so consider not only your available counter space, but how much food you’re likely to want to prepare at once. A mini griddle won’t be much fun to use when you’re making a pancake breakfast for six.
Material
Most electric griddles are a combination of metal and plastic parts, and the ones we selected as winners all have a nonstick cooking surface for ease of use and quick cleaning. If you prefer a different material, you may want to consider a grill pan rather than an electric griddle.
Griddle Option
Again, most electric griddles have one flat cooking surface. Usually, this also means just one heating element. For extra versatility, consider a griddle like the Blackstone with two cooking zones or the Ninja Sizzle for its mixed-use griddle and grill capabilities.
Ease of Cleaning
Fortunately, the griddles we liked best all have a nonstick cooktop and are easy to clean. We recommend choosing an electric griddle with a removable drip tray for additional ease of cleaning — especially if you plan to cook bacon, burgers, or other foods that tend to produce run-off grease.
Food & Wine / Megan Soll
How We Tested Electric Griddles
Our extensive research led us to 12 different electric griddles from a variety of brands. We assessed each griddle on its performance with heat retention, ease of use, ease of cleaning, and overall value.
Each griddle was put to the test with the preparation of pancakes and bacon. We aimed for golden-brown pancakes and bacon that crisped nicely on both sides. While cooking, we took notes on details like surface texture, drip trays, adjustable components, and how easily we were able to make temperature adjustments.
After cooking, we cleaned each griddle thoroughly — all the while noting how labor-intensive this process was (or was not).
Strong Contenders
Beautiful by Drew Extra Large Electric Griddle ($50 at Walmart)
We liked both the aesthetic and performance of this large griddle, but we didn’t love having to push grease toward the drainage hole to clear it from the cooking surface.
Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma ($60 at Williams Sonoma)
This is a great griddle at a favorable price. It heats up quickly and is easy to use, and the nonstick surface works well.
Presto 07030 Cool Touch Electric Griddle ($40 at Amazon)
This griddle performs well, and we love how quickly it heats up. It’s quite large, though, so beware in small kitchens.
Presto 07047 Cool Touch Electric Griddle ($34 at Amazon)
We enjoyed using this griddle, though we found the center of the cooking surface tended to be the coolest spot.
Presto Tilt’nDrain BigGriddle ($61 at Amazon)
This large griddle works very well, but we found it cumbersome to clean, and it didn’t heat quite as evenly as we would have liked.
What Didn’t Make the List
While it was easy to clean thanks to its nonstick surface, the Hamilton Beach Durathon Ceramic Griddle was almost a little too nonstick. Our pancakes slid around the surface when we tried to flip them, and we noticed a definite hotspot in the center of the cooking surface. Overall, its lackluster performance and cheap-feeling construction left us unwilling to recommend this griddle.
Our Expertise
Summer Rylander is a food and travel journalist who has written about food, beverage, and cooking products for Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Allrecipes, and The Kitchn. She wrote this guide using testing notes and data compiled by our in-house product testers and her own experience with griddling and grilling.
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