When you're having an excellent time with your family or friends, surprising them with one of your favourite dishes is always nice. But for you to prepare a wonderful meal, proper preparation is paramount. This calls for great preparation skills, the right recipes, and, most importantly, the right cooking equipment.
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Griddle Pan vs Frying Pan
When investing in kitchenware, you can choose between a griddle pan or a frying pan. You have to understand the attributes of each of them to ensure that you make the right decision. This review covers both the griddle pan and the frying pan in detail. Ultimately, you'll know which type of pan is right for your cooking requirements.
Griddle Pan: Uses, Pros And Cons
A griddle pan is also called a skillet. It is large and rectangular or square. Also, the skillet is fabricated with cast iron. The metallic cooking plate is heated from below. This flat surface is excellent for granular foods such as rice and grains.
Also, it performs well while cooking semi-solid food such as pancakes and eggs. Since it is multi-purpose, you can use it both indoors and outdoors. You can cook numerous meals with the griddle pan unless the recipe calls for using many different ingredients.
The large size also gives you massive space that allows you to cook more than one meal at a time. It makes your work easier and faster. Therefore, it has a variety of uses;
Uses
Since a skillet has a wide surface area, it allows consistent and uniform heat distribution on cooked food. It’s therefore ideal in some situations as follows;
- Grilling steaks, pork chops, chicken and vegetables. Due to its raised edges, it creates the char marks necessary while grilling meat or vegetables.
- Grilling ham and toasting paninis
- Frying bacon. The rigid side is appropriate for letting grease flow from the meat.
- Charbroiling burgers and steaks
- Preparing a quick breakfast that includes pancakes, eggs, and hash browns.
Pros
1. Temperature Control
A griddle pan lets you control the temperatures properly. This feature is especially beneficial because some foods require a specific temperature to cook thoroughly. It helps to avoid overcooking food, which leads to a loss in taste. Thanks to the temperature control feature, you can't go wrong when preparing vegetables, eggs and meat.
2. Diversity
Griddles are versatile cooking equipment, thus deployed both indoors and outdoors. You can use the griddle pan for cooking breakfast, supper, and lunch and still pack it when going on a camping trip.
3. Drip Tray
Most griddle pans come with a drip tray to contain the grease spillage. The drip tray makes cleaning easy. After enjoying the food, you don't want to spend hours trying to clean the equipment.
4. Ease Of Use
You don't need any expertise to use a griddle pan. It's straightforward, and that's why it's won the hearts of many people. Its large surface area also gives you enough room to toss the food you are cooking without causing any problems.
Cons
- Some foodstuff sticks onto the pan, which can be frustrating if you are not well-versed in cooking.
- Griddle pans tend to be expensive, especially those with advanced features.
Frying Pan: Uses, Pros And Cons
A frying pan is more rounded and features deep edges, which enable it to hold more food. Some frying pans come with a lid, and some do not. Frying pans come in various materials, from cast iron to copper, steel, aluminium and ceramic. Depending on the material, you can also use some frying pans in the oven.
Uses
You can also use frying pans to prepare a wide array of dishes as follows;
- Roast a chicken
- Braise tough meat. Some meat is very tough when preparing stew, necessitating simmering before using it in your stew.
- Stir-fry onions and peppers. It is mainly done to enhance the flavour of the main dish.
- Fry pork chops or chicken. Pan-frying these dishes gives them a unique crispy coating.
- Broil casseroles, usually during the main meal.
- Pan-sear steaks before tossing them onto the grill
Also, see our frying pan vs saucepan article.
Pros
1. Oven Compatible
Unlike a lot of equipment in the kitchen, you can use most frying pans on the stove and inside the oven. However, if the pan has a plastic handle, you can't put it in the oven (throw it in the bin!). Interestingly, oven-safe pans can be used inside the oven, irrespective of the temperature. This feature allows you to prepare numerous meals differently, giving it an edge over others.
2. Durable
Most frying pans are very long-lasting. Many of us (chefs included) use their much-loved pans long after their use-by date.
3. Non-Stick Quality
Non-stick qualities make appliances safer. The food you cook using a frying pan is safer and healthier for your family. Without interacting with the harmful chemicals, you can avoid liver damage, cancer and many more complex problems.
Cons
We Keep Them Too Long!
A much-loved frying pan gets used long after the non-stick coating flakes and the base of the pan warps. Why do we keep using these beaten-up pans?
How Do You Choose? Griddle Pan vs Frying Pan?
Choosing between a skillet and a frying pan is difficult, especially if you are not a professional chef. Due to their many similarities, many people are often confused about which cooking appliance to choose for a particular task. Nonetheless, differentiating them is easy.
The most significant difference between them is the shape and the size. A griddle is large, rectangular, or square, while the frying pan is rounded and smaller. Several other factors will help you choose between a skillet and a frying pan, as follows:
Cooking Method
A griddle uses a fast cooking technique like toasting, while a frying pan uses a slow cooking technique like roasting.
Type Of Cooking
A skillet will serve you well if you prefer grilling and your meal does not involve lots of stirring. On the other hand, if your dish involves many individual ingredients, a frying pan will be the best due to its depth.
Size Of The Meal
The skillet is the perfect match if you are preparing a meal for many people. Alternatively, the frying pan is ideal for cooking for a small group of people.
Specs Comparison
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Griddle Pan
Frying Pan
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Shape
Rectangle/square
Round
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Surface
Raised
Flat
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Mostly used for
Meat and vegetables
Shallow frying
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Material
Cast iron, aluminium, copper, ceramic
Cast iron, aluminium, copper
Griddle Pan vs Frying Pan: Summing Up
Owning both the griddle and the frying pan is very rewarding.
Massive success in cooking comes when you know when and how to use the different cooking equipment. If you carefully select a griddle or frying pan for an ideal meal, you stand no chance of messing with the taste or appearance of the food. Obnoxiously, the reverse is also true.
Lastly, choosing the right equipment for a specific cooking task gives you many conveniences, making the whole process easy. You can also check the numerous recipes available online for the pan you prefer – experimentation is the only thing that will ensure you produce the best results with the right cooking equipment.
