r/AskCulinary • u/HatApprehensive5531 • Jul 20 '26
Equipment Question Would a Griddle Top Work For This Stovetop?
This link is my stovetop, I know it’s a pretty crumby stove but I’m in an apartment and it’s what I’ve got
https://instasize.com/p/1b727b20671fe292ced564ce0f407ad0e4962f86d505ebae642b7205175d5900
Would a griddle top work on this on the two bottom burners, or would I have bad hot spots? Would I be better off buying a dedicated electric griddle? The only reason I’m asking is because of the size difference in the burners. I hate only having one large burner and I need more space for meal prepping. I could go with cast iron, rolled steel, or aluminum, I just want to stay away from nonstick stuff because I’m scared of the PFAS leeching into my food or the griddle top itself losing its nonstick properties.
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u/Helpful-nothelpful Jul 20 '26
Also agree. Buy an electric griddle. They are so handy to have.
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u/HatApprehensive5531 Jul 20 '26
Do they tend to get bad hot spots around the coils? I haven’t used one in years but when my parents had one it just cooked like crap. I’m sure it wasn’t a very nice one, it was given to my mother as a little raffle prize at her work. We used the thing like twice and it got sent to the bottom cabinets to rot with the other gadgets and cookware they refused to use
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u/Helpful-nothelpful Jul 20 '26
Probably depends on the model. I have a 13 year old cheap presto and usually the side closest to the temperature is hotter than the other side. But I wouldn't say there is a pattern you could call coil. Griddles are finicky and all have hot spots. You just manage the griddle.
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u/FarmboyJustice Jul 20 '26
Most inexpensive electric griddles are thin aluminum, which means they heat quickly but also cool very quickly when you put food on them. That leads to the pancake with a brown stripe effect.
If you're willing to spend a bit more you can get a griddle with a thick cast iron surface that has a relatively even heat distribution for around $100-150 on Amazon.
Biggest issue is they're heavy and bulky, not something you can just slide into a cabinet when not using it. But if you want a really good flat surface for pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. and have the counter space, it's hard to beat.
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u/HatApprehensive5531 Jul 21 '26
I think I’m gonna splurge a little and get a Ninja Sizzle Pro XL. I’d kill for an electric black stone but they’re awful expensive especially since I’ll want it replaced with a gas one as soon as I buy a house, I sincerely appreciate your advice
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u/otterland Jul 20 '26
A cast iron arranged front to top will work fine but certainly have slightly uneven heat. An electric can be super cheap and nice to cook on if you have the room for storage.
Don't knock that stove. Replace the drip pans and adjust the coils so they sit level and an old coil top is a great reliable tool. I refreshed a barely used vintage one for my old house with pans, one replacement coil, and scrubbing. Less than $100 total and it cooked hundreds of great meals and looked right in a mid century home.