The era of fancy names has just begun, and with new equipment coming in every other day or so, keeping up with the rapid change of the world seems impossible. Griddle vs. skillet, however, have always been in the race for as long as anyone can remember. These little beauties can stir up almost anything: hard boiled eggs to steak to even the most distasteful veggies. It’s all in the hands of the maker.
So what exactly is a skillet? A frying pan. That’s literally it. It’s just a fancier and posher way of calling the exact same thing which we make our breakfasts in. But we felt that most people are confused about the griddle and the frying pan, which is where they’re wrong. Griddles and skillets are essential for beginner chefs, and even some experienced ones fail to use them properly.
So here’s all you need to know about the two!
Comparison: Griddle vs. Skillet
| Feature | Griddle | Skillet | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Provides better taste and smoke. | Is not designed for more robust taste and smoking. | Griddle |
| Portability | Too large to be easily moved. | Compact. | Skillet |
| Surface Area | Can accommodate a number of large items. | Can only accommodate smaller items. | Griddle |
| Sear Marks | Does not leave sear marks. | Does not leave sear marks. | Tie |
| Price Range | Expensive | Affordable | Skillet |
| Indoor Cooking | Not good for indoors. | Perfect. | Skillet |
| Outdoor Cooking | Perfect. | Not good for outdoors. | Griddle |
| Grilling | Perfect. | Not good for grilling. | Griddle |
What is a Griddle?
Griddles are the flatter cousins of grills. They usually just consist of a large flat surface with handles, similar to a baking tray. But their hardcore taste and resistance to temperature are what distinguishes them from a typical tray.
We love griddles for their unique taste that no other cooking station can bring. They add that slight allure that not even we can describe. Sure, when used indoors they can provide to be pretty useful and fun. But when used outside in your backyard, the griddle shows its ultimate form. The griddle can be used for almost anything: bacon, steak, eggs, vegetables, shrimp, seafood, and even waffles for the crazier ones!
One of the very few drawbacks includes the fact that griddles have more area, which means lesser portability. They also do not leave traditional sear marks that most grills and grill pans leave. But we’re too blinded by the taste to notice any of that!
What is a Skillet?
Remember that one time you wanted a nice little omelet so you pulled out a frying pan from your cupboard? That’s what a skillet is. More specifically, a skillet or frying pan is cooking pan with slanted sides. This is what differs it from a regular saute pan, which has completely straight sides.
A skillet can be used for a number of items, including eggs, bacon, fried nuggets, pancakes, and even some light-hearted steak. They can even be used to fry or roast vegetables. This is just one of the reasons why we love them.
Skillets are portable and last longer, as most are made of stainless and non-stick steel. However, they have a smaller cooking surface, and do not give the smoky taste and texture that grills give. Some skillets do come with sear marks, but those are rarer.
The Difference in Taste:
Skillets and griddles very different in taste. For one thing, griddles are capable of properly roasting and smoking the food, whereas the skillet can only fry or roast it to a certain extent.
To be more specific, for traditional barbecues and large family gatherings, the griddle is a perfect choice. The combination of larger surface areas and a smoky hot mess is what makes this pan so beloved. When we used the griddle we knew almost instantly that we will be using this one for all our grilling purposes. The griddle can also cook food at higher temperatures, which is required to finesse the taste.
For skillets, the same can not be said. Skillets are smaller and are not able to reach higher temperatures. Even if you do manage to smoke the food, the taste won’t be as bizarre and fiery as the griddles. For frying and indoor cooking, however, we highly recommend the skillet. It brings out the perfect taste in eggs and shrimp.
by “Tom Lianza / flickr.com”
The Difference in Portability:
Portability is extremely essential. All items must be easy to carry around and use, or else you will have wasted those hundred dollars.
Griddles are great options as they have a larger surface area and can accommodate more food. But this pro becomes a con when you want to use it indoors. Most stoves aren’t big enough to accommodate the flat expansive area of the griddle. They are more portable than grills, as most don’t require a stand.
Skillets are more portable than griddles, as they are smaller and fit onto the stove just perfectly. A lot of customers love their compact design. But for larger gatherings, the skillet is no use as it is too small to accommodate enough food for everybody. However, we still marvel at the frying pan’s portability and find it a bit more convenient than griddle’s.
The Difference in Price:
Price is very important. No matter how good and effective an item is, we tend to let it go if it is unaffordable. For griddles, mostly these are on the higher side of the price as compared to the skillet.
Cons of Griddles:
- Larger surface area equals lesser portability.
- Does not leave sear marks on the cooked food.
- Can not reach temperatures as high as the grill.
- Harder to use on a small stove.
Cons of Skillets:
- Cannot accommodate more food.
- Cannot reach higher temperatures for better taste.
- Harder to smoke with.
- Some models leave sear marks, but most do not.
Conclusion:
We love a good roast, and we love a good frying pan. But we found after griddle vs. skillet that griddle is a better option than the skillet. But that doesn’t mean the skillet isn’t any good. Skillets are great for frying and regular cooking, and we recommend them too! Everything is good in its own way, don’t you agree? We believe that all cooking stations have their own purposes. So just enjoy the food!