Your Commercial Kitchen Equipment List for Griddles

A solid commercial kitchen equipment list is built one smart decision at a time. For many kitchens, the most critical choice is the griddle. This single piece of equipment is often the engine driving your breakfast, lunch, or dinner service.

Picking the right one is about so much more than just size. It’s about matching a machine to your specific menu, your kitchen’s workflow, and your bottom line.

Matching Your Griddle to Your Menu and Workflow

Before you even start looking at product catalogs, the real work starts inside your own four walls. The griddle you choose has to be a direct reflection of what you cook and how you cook it. A griddle that perfectly sears steaks might turn delicate pancakes into charcoal, while a model built for a small café would completely buckle under the pressure of a diner's weekend rush.

Getting this right is a cornerstone of your kitchen's efficiency and profitability. And with the entire foodservice sector growing, it’s more critical than ever. The global commercial kitchen appliances market was valued at USD 101.7 billion and is projected to hit USD 149.34 billion by 2030. That growth means you need equipment that can handle the heat. You can dig into more data on the global market trends to see how these shifts might impact you.

Assess Your Peak Volume Demand

First things first: be brutally honest about your busiest service. Forget average daily sales. What does your peak hour actually look like? How many burgers, pancakes, or cheesesteaks are flying off the line between noon and 1 p.m. on a Saturday?

• For a high-volume burger joint: You’re going to need a griddle with phenomenal heat recovery. Every time a cold patty hits that steel, the surface temperature drops. A thick, powerful griddle plate will bounce back in seconds, giving you consistent cook times and that perfect sear, every single time.
• For a breakfast-focused diner: Your needs are totally different. You're juggling eggs, bacon, and pancakes all at once. This demands precise temperature control, maybe even multiple heat zones, so you're not scorching the bacon while the eggs are still runny.

Do this simple exercise: calculate the physical space your peak-hour food items would take up on a flat surface. This gives you a tangible starting point for figuring out the minimum griddle size required to prevent a disastrous bottleneck on the line.

A common mistake is buying a griddle for the business you have today, not the one you're building. Always plan for where you want to be in 12-24 months.

Align with Your Menu's Technical Needs

Different foods have different demands. Your menu is the ultimate cheat sheet for the technical specs your griddle needs to have.

What's the primary job of your griddle? Is it for hard searing, gentle sautéing, or just warming? A steakhouse needs a griddle that can hit and hold incredibly high temperatures to create that deep, flavorful crust. On the flip side, a kitchen that uses its griddle for morning prep—like slowly caramelizing onions—needs steady, even heat distribution more than raw power.

Then think about precision. Can your cooks get by with basic low, medium, and high settings? Or do they need thermostatic controls to dial in an exact temperature for delicate items like seafood or crepes? This choice directly impacts food quality and consistency, which is what keeps your regulars coming back.

Involve Your Kitchen Team

This is probably the most important piece of advice: don't make this decision from an office. Your chefs and line cooks are the ones who will be standing in front of this thing for hours every day. They understand the real-world frustrations of a poorly chosen machine better than anyone.

Pull them into the conversation. Ask them about their pain points with the current setup. Is it too small? Are there cold spots? Is it a total nightmare to clean at the end of a long shift?

Their practical insights are gold. Tapping into their experience will help you pick a griddle that becomes a true workhorse for the team, not a source of constant headaches. When they have a say, they'll use the equipment properly and appreciate the investment—and that’s how you get the best return.

Navigating Commercial Griddle Types

Okay, you've got your menu dialed in. Now for the fun part: picking the hardware. When it comes to your commercial kitchen equipment list, the griddle is a workhorse, and choosing the right one will shape your entire workflow. The decision really comes down to a few key things: power source, size, and the cooking surface itself.

This isn't just about specs on a sheet. A food truck owner has totally different needs than a high-end restaurant with a permanent cookline. Let's walk through the options so you can find the perfect fit for your operation.

Gas Versus Electric Griddles

Your first big choice is how you'll power this thing. Gas and electric griddles both get the job done, but they behave very differently. The best one for you depends on what you're cooking, what your kitchen hookups look like, and even your utility costs.

Gas griddles are the classic choice for a reason, especially in high-volume spots. Powered by natural gas or propane, chefs love them for how fast they heat up and recover. Throw a dozen cold burger patties on a hot gas griddle, and the flame kicks in instantly to bring the surface temp right back up. That means a consistent, perfect sear every time.

On the flip side, electric griddles are the champs of precision. They might take a few extra minutes to get up to temp, but their heating elements deliver incredibly even heat across the entire plate. No hot spots. This is a game-changer for delicate items like pancakes, eggs, or crepes, where inconsistent heat can ruin a dish.

This chart breaks down the real-world differences in recovery time and average monthly running costs.

As you can see, gas is quicker on the recovery, which is huge during a busy service. Electric costs a bit more to run but gives you that unbeatable temperature control.

To help you weigh the pros and cons for your specific kitchen, here’s a quick comparison.

Gas vs Electric Griddle Comparison

Feature	Gas Griddles	Electric Griddles
Heat-Up Time	Very fast	Slower than gas
Recovery Time	Excellent; near-instant	Slower; takes time to reheat
Temperature Control	Good, but can have hot spots	Excellent; precise and even
Installation	Requires gas line hookup	Plugs into a standard outlet
Best For	High-volume, fast-turnover items	Delicate foods, breakfast items
Energy Cost	Generally lower monthly cost	Can be slightly higher

Ultimately, the choice comes down to your menu and kitchen setup. If you're cranking out burgers and cheesesteaks all day, gas is probably your best bet. If you're a brunch spot that needs perfect pancakes, electric offers the control you need.

Choosing Your Griddle Footprint

Next up is size and placement. You need to figure out where this griddle is going to live and how it fits into your kitchen's flow. Your main options are countertop or freestanding.

• Countertop Griddles: These are the compact, flexible champs. They're designed to sit right on a prep table or a refrigerated chef base. Perfect for smaller kitchens, food trucks, or for adding extra griddle capacity without tearing apart your existing line.
• Freestanding Griddles: These are the heavy-hitters. A freestanding griddle is a standalone beast with its own base, often with storage cabinets underneath. They are built for the busiest diners, hospitals, and large restaurants that need a griddle running from open to close.

Your choice here should support your kitchen's flow. A poorly placed griddle, no matter how good it is, can create a permanent bottleneck that slows down your entire service.

Flat Top Versus Grooved Surfaces

Last but not least, think about the cooking plate itself. The type of surface you choose has a huge impact on the look and texture of your food.

A flat top griddle is the jack-of-all-trades. The smooth surface is perfect for just about anything: eggs, pancakes, chopped veggies, burgers, you name it. The even heating is great for getting that perfect golden-brown color and makes it easy for cooks to juggle multiple orders.

A grooved griddle, sometimes called a char-grill griddle, has raised ridges that give you those beautiful grill marks. This is what you want for steaks, chicken breasts, and burgers when that "fresh off the grill" look is key. The grooves also help drain fat away from the food. The trade-off? They aren’t great for eggs or pancakes and take a bit more effort to clean.

Nailing these decisions—power, size, and surface—will ensure you get a griddle that’s a true asset, not a headache. If you want to get even more granular, you can dive into the differences between thermostatic vs manual griddle controls in our detailed guide.

Choosing the Right Griddle Plate

The heart and soul of any griddle is its cooking surface. The material and thickness of that plate dictate everything—how fast it heats up, how evenly it cooks, and how much elbow grease it takes to clean at the end of a grueling shift. Getting this choice right is a huge part of building a solid commercial kitchen equipment list.

This isn't just about preference; it's a strategic move. The numbers back this up: the commercial cooking equipment manufacturing industry in the United States is a massive USD 8.1 billion market, and it's been growing at a steady 8.0% clip each year from 2020 to 2025. That growth shows a constant demand for reliable, workhorse equipment. You can discover more insights about this expanding market and see why a smart investment pays off.

Let's break down the main players—steel, chrome, and composite—to figure out which one belongs in your kitchen.

Steel Griddle Plates

When you think of a classic griddle, you're probably picturing steel. It’s the undisputed workhorse of the industry for good reason. Steel is tough, affordable, and a champion at holding heat. Once you get a thick steel plate hot, it stays hot, making it a must-have for any high-volume kitchen.

This is the material you want for consistent, powerful searing. Picture a busy burger joint during the lunch rush, throwing down dozens of cold patties. A beefy steel plate won’t flinch; it handles that thermal shock and keeps on cooking.

The trade-off? Maintenance. Steel needs regular seasoning to build up that beautiful, non-stick patina over time. If you're just starting out, our guide on how to properly season a new griddle will walk you through it step-by-step.

Chrome Griddle Plates

Looking for a non-stick surface without all the fuss? A chrome-top griddle might be your answer. The chrome finish creates an incredibly smooth, non-porous surface that food just doesn't want to stick to. It's fantastic for delicate items like eggs, pancakes, and fish.

The biggest win with chrome is cleanup. Most food debris just wipes away, and because there's no seasoning required, you'll save a ton of time on daily maintenance. As a bonus, chrome plates radiate less ambient heat, which can make a noticeable difference in keeping your cookline cooler.

But this slick surface has some ground rules:

• Use the Right Tools: Metal spatulas are a definite no-go. You'll scratch and ruin the chrome finish in a heartbeat. Stick to silicone or other high-heat, non-abrasive utensils.
• Gentler Cleaning: Forget about griddle bricks and harsh chemicals. A soft cloth and some mild detergent are all you need to keep it pristine.

The Importance of Plate Thickness

After you pick a material, you have to think about thickness. Commercial griddle plates usually run from 1/2-inch to a full 1-inch thick. That half-inch might not sound like much, but it completely changes how the griddle performs.

Thinner Plates (1/2-inch to 3/4-inch)

• Heat up faster.
• More responsive when you adjust the temperature.
• Great for light-duty work or menus with consistent, lower-volume items.

Thicker Plates (1-inch)

• Take longer to preheat but hold that heat like a fortress.
• Give you incredibly even heat distribution from corner to corner.
• Absolutely essential for busy kitchens to prevent big temperature drops when you load them up with cold food.

A 1-inch thick plate is the gold standard for any serious, high-volume operation. Think of it like a thermal battery—it stores and radiates heat so effectively that you get the same perfect sear on the last order of the night as you did on the first.

Ultimately, choosing the right combination of material and thickness is a balancing act. A thick steel plate gives you rugged power for a high-volume diner, while a chrome top offers an easy-to-clean surface for a breakfast spot. Match the plate's features to your menu, and your griddle will be a money-making machine for years to come.

How to Size Your Griddle for Peak Performance

Picking the right griddle size is a tricky balancing act. Get one that’s too small, and you’ll create an instant bottleneck during a rush, leaving tickets piling up and customers tapping their fingers. On the flip side, go too big, and you're just burning money on wasted energy and eating up precious cookline real estate.

This isn't just about grabbing a tape measure; it's a strategic decision. The real goal is to find that sweet spot where your griddle's capacity perfectly matches your menu's demands. Nail this, and your griddle becomes a money-maker, not a headache.

Calculating Your Required Griddle Surface Area

Let's ditch the guesswork and translate your menu into cold, hard numbers. The best way to do this is to focus on your peak service hour—that one hour on your busiest day when the kitchen is absolutely slammed.

Take a busy burger joint, for example. They know that during the Friday lunch rush, they’ve got to pump out 80 burger patties an hour to keep orders moving.

Here's how the math breaks down:

• A standard 4-inch burger patty needs about 16 square inches of cooking space (4" x 4").
• To cook all 80 patties at once, you’d need 1,280 square inches of surface area (80 patties x 16 sq. in.).
• A 48-inch by 24-inch griddle gives you 1,152 square inches. That's cutting it really close, with no room for flipping, staging, or even a slight mistake.
• A 60-inch by 24-inch griddle, however, offers 1,440 square inches, giving you the capacity to handle the rush with some breathing room to spare.

This simple calculation shows that a 48-inch model is the bare minimum, but the 60-inch is the smarter play for a smooth, efficient service. You can run this same formula for whatever you’re cooking, whether it's pancakes, eggs, or cheesesteaks.

The Strategic Advantage of Multiple Control Zones

Once you start looking at larger griddles—we’re talking 36 inches and wider—you'll see models with multiple, independent heat zones. This isn't just a fancy feature; for any kitchen cooking more than one thing, it's a game-changer. It effectively turns a single flat top into a multi-tasking workhorse.

Picture the workflow on a 48-inch griddle with two separate thermostatic controls.

• Zone 1 (High Heat): Crank it to 450°F to get a hard, fast sear on steaks and burgers.
• Zone 2 (Low Heat): Set it to a gentle 250°F for toasting buns, melting cheese, or holding cooked bacon at the perfect temp without turning it to charcoal.

This kind of setup means a line cook can manage an entire order on one piece of equipment, cutting down on movement and shaving precious seconds off ticket times. It's a key detail to look for when building out your commercial kitchen equipment list, as it directly improves both speed and food quality.

Investing in a griddle with multiple thermostatic zones is like getting two or three pieces of equipment for the price of one. The flexibility it provides can fundamentally change your kitchen's workflow for the better.

Matching Griddle Size to Your Kitchen Layout

Okay, you’ve done the math and picked the perfect model. Now, you have to make sure it actually fits. The most powerful griddle on the market is completely useless if it torpedoes your kitchen's workflow or violates safety codes.

Get out the tape measure and be precise, accounting for the required clearances on all sides for ventilation and safety. A typical griddle is about 30-34 inches deep, but widths can run from a tidy 24 inches all the way up to a monster 72 inches.

Don't forget to check your utility hookups. Is the right gas line or electrical outlet already in the spot you picked out? Moving utilities can get surprisingly expensive, so planning around your existing infrastructure can save you a ton of cash and frustration down the line. By balancing your calculated needs with the physical reality of your space, you’ll find the perfect griddle that works as hard as you do.

Budgeting Beyond the Price Tag

When you're outfitting your kitchen, it’s tempting to just look at the price tag on a new griddle. But that number is only the first chapter of the story. A truly smart purchase is an investment, and that means understanding the griddle's total cost of ownership (TCO) over its entire life in your kitchen.

Think of it this way: the initial sticker price is just the down payment. The real costs—energy, maintenance, repairs—are the monthly payments that will show up on your P&L sheet for years. A "great deal" today can easily become a financial headache if it's constantly guzzling energy or breaking down. Planning for the long haul ensures your equipment is an asset, not a liability.

Factoring in Long-Term Operational Costs

The day-to-day expense of running a griddle can sneak up on you, and it varies wildly from one model to the next. The two biggest culprits are always energy and maintenance.

• Gas vs. Electric Bills: That powerful gas griddle might look cheaper upfront, but the monthly natural gas or propane bill is a forever cost. An electric model could have a higher initial price but prove more efficient, especially depending on your local utility rates. You have to do the math for your specific area to see what a year of service will actually cost.
• Maintenance and Repairs: What's the real cost to keep this thing firing? Think about routine cleaning supplies, replacing small parts like knobs or pilot lights, and the inevitable service call from a technician. Saving a few hundred bucks on a lesser-known brand feels great until you're paying a fortune for hard-to-find parts or waiting weeks for a repair.

It's just like owning a car. You don't just pay for the car; you pay for the gas, the oil changes, and the new tires. The same exact logic applies to your kitchen's workhorse equipment. A cheap car that's always in the shop isn't a bargain, and neither is a cheap griddle.

The New vs. Used Equipment Dilemma

Scoring a used griddle can feel like a huge win for your budget. And sometimes, it is! But it's a gamble. You're trading immediate savings for a whole lot of uncertainty.

Comparing New and Used Griddles

Aspect	New Griddle	Used Griddle
Warranty	Protected by a full manufacturer's warranty. Peace of mind is included.	Almost always sold "as-is." If it breaks, the bill is yours.
Condition	Perfect. You know exactly what you're getting and how it will perform.	An unknown history. You could be inheriting warped plates or faulty thermostats.
Lifespan	You get 100% of the machine's expected operational life.	The clock is already ticking. How much life is left is anyone's guess.
Cost	Higher initial investment, for sure.	Much lower upfront cost, but with potential hidden expenses.

With a new griddle, you're paying for predictability and reliability—two things that are priceless during a busy dinner rush. A used griddle might be a trusty old workhorse, or it could be a complete money pit. You have to decide how much risk you're willing to take.

The Value of Energy Star Certification

As you're crunching the numbers, keep an eye out for that little blue Energy Star logo. It’s more than a sticker; it’s a promise of lower operating costs. The commercial foodservice equipment market in North America is a massive USD 10.7 billion industry, and a huge chunk of that is driven by the demand for energy-efficient appliances. Why? Because smart owners know that lower utility bills mean higher profits. You can read the full research on this market trend to see just how critical efficiency has become.

Energy Star certified griddles are specifically engineered to heat up faster and hold their temperature with less power. They might cost a bit more to buy, but the savings on your monthly energy bill can be significant, often paying for that initial difference within just a few years. On top of that, some local governments even offer rebates for buying efficient equipment. When it's time to pull the trigger, our commercial kitchen equipment checklist can help ensure you've covered all your bases.

Commercial Griddle FAQs

Buying a new griddle is a big move for your kitchen, so it's only natural to have a few questions. Getting the little things right—like seasoning, cleaning, and daily operation—is what makes the difference between a workhorse that lasts for years and one that gives you headaches from day one.

Here are the straight answers to the most common questions we hear from restaurant owners. Think of this as the practical advice you need to protect your investment and keep that new griddle performing at its absolute best.

How Do I Properly Season a New Commercial Griddle?

Seasoning is just the process of creating a natural, non-stick cooking surface on a new steel griddle plate. It's the most important thing you can do right out of the box to prevent sticking and keep rust away.

First, give the brand-new surface a good wash with warm, soapy water to get rid of any factory oils or gunk. Rinse it well and dry it completely with a clean towel.

Now, crank the griddle up to medium-high heat, shooting for a surface temp between 300-350°F. Pour a little bit of a high-smoke-point oil (canola or flaxseed oil are great choices) onto the hot surface. Grab a lint-free cloth with some tongs and spread that oil into a super thin, even layer across the whole plate.

Let the oil cook until it just starts to smoke, then shut the griddle off and let it cool all the way down. Once it's cool, wipe off any excess oil that feels sticky. You'll need to do this whole song and dance 3-4 times to build up that beautiful, dark, slick patina you're looking for.

Important Note: This is for steel griddles only. Chrome griddles are made with a non-stick, non-porous surface from the factory. They do not need to be seasoned. Ever.

What Are the Most Common Griddle Maintenance Mistakes?

Honestly, the biggest and most expensive mistakes we see come down to bad cleaning habits. The number one offender is causing thermal shock—dumping cold water or ice on a ripping hot griddle. That sudden temperature change can warp, bow, or even crack the thick steel plate, which means a costly repair or a full replacement.

Using the wrong tools on the wrong surface is another classic blunder. If you take a metal spatula or steel wool to a chrome griddle, you'll scratch and permanently ruin that delicate finish. Game over.

Finally, plain old neglect can do a lot of damage. If your crew doesn't clean and re-oil a steel griddle properly after service, rust isn't far behind. And forgetting to empty the grease trap daily? That's not just a sanitation problem; it's a serious fire hazard waiting to happen. Good, consistent cleaning is the cheapest insurance policy you can have for your griddle.

Should I Choose Manual or Thermostatic Controls?

This really boils down to what's on your menu and who's running the line. There’s no single "best" answer, but one will definitely be a better fit for your kitchen.

• Manual Controls: These are the simple, tough, and more affordable option. You get basic low, medium, and high settings. They're absolute workhorses for high-volume cooking where pinpoint temperature isn't the goal—think smashing burgers or slinging cheesesteaks.

• Thermostatic Controls: This is all about precision. You set a specific temperature (say, 350°F), and the griddle automatically cycles on and off to hold it there. That level of control is a must-have for delicate foods like eggs, pancakes, or fish, where a few degrees can be the difference between golden brown and burnt.

If you’re cooking different items that need different temperatures at the same time, a griddle with multiple thermostatic zones is a smart investment. It gives you the flexibility to nail every single order.

How Often Should I Clean My Commercial Griddle?

A professional griddle needs cleaning all day long. It's not a once-and-done task at closing time; it’s part of the flow of service.

Between orders, the cook should be scraping the surface down with a bench scraper. This is a quick move that stops flavors from mixing (nobody wants their pancakes tasting like yesterday's onions) and gets rid of any burnt-on bits.

Then, at the end of every shift, it needs a deep clean. While the surface is still warm, use a griddle brick or screen to scrub off the carbon buildup, then rinse and wipe it down. For a steel griddle, the final step is applying a very thin coat of oil to protect the seasoning overnight.

The grease trap has to be emptied and cleaned daily. This is non-negotiable. It's a fundamental part of kitchen sanitation and fire safety. A clean griddle is a safe, efficient, and reliable piece of equipment.

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Ready to find the perfect griddle for your kitchen? At Griddles.com, we specialize in high-performance, reliable cooking equipment designed for busy restaurants, food trucks, and ghost kitchens. Explore our collection of commercial griddles and build the perfect cookline for your business today. Visit us at https://griddles.com to get started.