All the juiciest smash burgers are made on flat top griddles – these commercial cooking appliances are the secret to making the perfect patty every time, and every burger restaurant should own one. A griddle is versatile and can keep up with a changing menu, making it the ideal investment for new restaurant owners hoping to expand.
What is the Difference Between a Griddle and a Grill?
A griddle has a smooth, flat cooking surface, while a grill has raised ridges and grooves that brown the food in the same pattern. Solid grills have thick iron or steel plates with ridges that collect fat and juices between them. Cooking chargrilled meals requires bar-type grills that position the food over open flames.
4 Reasons To Cook Burgers on a Griddle
- Build a tasty crust
Griddle-cooked burgers have a signature crispy crust that seals in the flavour. Unlike grooved grills, griddles allow the entire patty to touch the hot metal, building an evenly browned crust. The flat surface makes it easier to scrape the burger onto the bun with the crust intact. - Versatile for preparing toppings
Commercial griddles are often big enough to prepare multiple burgers at once with extra space for frying onions and mushrooms or melting cheese. The flat surface is the perfect place for building your burger and keeping it warm while you wait for the sides. - Even cooking
Hot air circulates under the surface of a griddle to maintain a constant cooking temperature for expertly cooked burgers. The heat distribution is superior to open flame cooking which can be very uneven and intense. Most commercial electric griddles include temperature control systems that help chefs prepare the perfect medium-rare with more precision. - Juicier burger patties
A lot of the juicy flavour is lost to the flames when grilling burgers over charcoal or collects in the grooves of countertop grills. Griddles are flat and don’t provide a place for meat juices and fats to escape during cooking – keeping them locked into the patty for a juicier burger.
Countertop Griddle Buying Guide for Burger Restaurants
- Surface size. Countertop griddles typically come in 16 – 60”/ 40 – 150cm surface sizes. A smaller griddle will likely only have one burner that heats the entire plate, while larger griddles offer two to four independently controlled burners for more precise cooking.
- Control options. Griddles can either be manually or thermostatically controlled. Manual controls offer general low, medium, and high heat settings, sufficient for cooking burgers. Thermostatic controls allow you to set specific temperatures, which can be useful for making crepes, eggs, or seafood on your griddle.
- Surface material. Griddles come with stainless steel or chrome finishes. Stainless steel is more scratch resistant than shiny chromium, and both are easy to wipe clean with excellent heat conduction properties.
The FED is a leading supplier of electric countertop griddles for commercial kitchens in Canada, and our friendly team will gladly help you choose the best appliance for your needs. Please contact us for more information.
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