The Grill/Griddle Combo Makes No Sense

[weinoo]

I own one of those beautiful cast iron grill/griddle combos. Have for a long time. But, and here's the rub - I never use the grill side any more. Because after I use the grill side, when I flip it over and use the griddle side, all the crap that has formed on the grill side is now exposed to two gas flames and basically burns off flooding my apartment with smoke.

Am I doing something wrong...because I if am, I can't figure out what it is. And therefore, isn't this a pretty useless piece of equipment? Well, other than using only 1 of the sides. Or using it outside. Or using it with a giant ventilation hood, which I don't have.

[slkinsey]

You're supposed to clean the grill side, Mitch.

Personally, I think grill pans are a waste. Unless you have some serious need to have faux grill marks on your food.

[Paul Bacino]

I ditched mine and made a grillplate out of 1/4 " SS. Plancha cooking on the grill is devine.

No rust, easy clean up too!!

Prototype ( Below )..1/2" SS

Edited February 15, 2012 by Paul Bacino (log)

[Chris Amirault]

The only thing I've used the grill side for is to sear SV steaks at service. Smokes like hell, but the grill marks are very purdy.

[weinoo]

You're supposed to clean the grill side, Mitch.

Oh, it's plenty clean now. But you're really not supposed to clean cast-iron every freakin' time it's used, right... .

I ditched mine and made a grillplate out of 1/4 " SS. Plancha cooking on the grill is devine.

No rust, easy clean up too!!

Prototype ( Below )..1/2" SS

So all I need is, ummmm, a grill. And a backyard.

I like the plancha side of my grill/griddle combo - a lot!

[ambra]

I hate the grill side because it's such a pain to clean!

[andiesenji]

They are not that expensive - why not just get two?

I have one I use on the BBQ but for indoors I use my Cuisinart Griddler.

[weinoo]

They are not that expensive - why not just get two?

I have one I use on the BBQ but for indoors I use my Cuisinart Griddler.

Now that's an idea!

[David A. Goldfarb]

And when you have two, you can heat both of them and have a panini press with a pretty large surface. I've done panini for a party this way.

[annachan]

I also love the griddler. I gave it to a friend when I moved from the US. I want to replace it here but it's almost 3 times the price! Love that it now also has a waffle maker insert.

As for that grill/griddle thing. I had one a while back. It was such a pain to clean that I ditched it after a few use. That's when I got the griddler....

[dcarch]

I have two. I bake flat bread in between them. Makes nice sandwich bread.

dcarch

[Shalmanese]

You're supposed to clean the grill side, Mitch.

Oh, it's plenty clean now. But you're really not supposed to clean cast-iron every freakin' time it's used, right... .

You're not supposed to use soap on cast iron but you're meant to at least run water over it and scrub any food off it. I find grill pans more trouble than they're worth generally from a cleaning perspective. Any sugars in your food will drip into the grooves, get heated to carbonization temperature and form an almost immovable plaque in the grills which smoke out the house the next time you use it.

[Mjx]

They are not that expensive - why not just get two?

. . . .

But... that somehow makes the whole 'two-in-one' thing entirely superfluous.

And when you have two, you can heat both of them and have a panini press with a pretty large surface. I've done panini for a party this way.

...on the other hand, there is that.

[threestars]

You're not supposed to use soap on cast iron but you're meant to at least run water over it and scrub any food off it. I find grill pans more trouble than they're worth generally from a cleaning perspective. Any sugars in your food will drip into the grooves, get heated to carbonization temperature and form an almost immovable plaque in the grills which smoke out the house the next time you use it.

I clean mine every time I use it. I make sure I remove any food off of it. I don't often use it so it's not a big deal to clean every time I use it.

[jmolinari]

I ditched mine and made a grillplate out of 1/4 " SS. Plancha cooking on the grill is devine.

No rust, easy clean up too!!

Prototype ( Below )..1/2" SS

This is pretty awesome...too bad a 1/2" stainless plate 24x24 is $500!

May i ask if your really was that much or if you found some source of cheap stainless plate?

[weinoo]

I dont really have any urge or need to put grill marks on my food (of course, it would be a different story if I had a real grill), but I suppose that the best tool for this indoors would be something that cleaned up much more easily - perhaps anodized aluminum or non-stick, but then it would be a problem getting the non-stick surface screaming hot.

[Paul Bacino]

JMolinari,

You are correct in the cost and design, with the welds 16 x 24 was just under that. This was the prototype. Has it uses. But I redesigned one that is

16 x 18 flat 1/8 " SS with just wire handles for 75, which I use all the time. Its awesome, what I didnt like with the cast iron stuf is it always needs seasoning and was hard to clean.. this thing is a work horse. I'll find a pic

Paul

[Paul Bacino]

OK..

Here is a retooled design!!

and this is in action!!

[jmolinari]

Looks awesome Paul. Do you think 1/8" is enough to retain heat? I like the idea of a massive piece for heat retention, cast iron style.

[Paul Bacino]

1/8 " Stainless will not hold a temp as long as the CI, Nice thing is heats fairly quickly, and doesn't " Rust ". I initially designed this to cook pizza " Modern Cuisine way " in the oven. But it so versatile for the grill, you can cook fish and not worry about it falling apart. Fatty foods won,t flair up .. so those Wagyu steaks, don't burn and chars nicely.

I love my cast iron pans,, but I see no need for visual cross hatch grill marks on my meats, from a grill/griddle.

Just me

[Chris Hennes]

I see no need for visual cross hatch grill marks on my meats, from a grill/griddle.

Agreed. The crosshatch makes it look like a damn Applebees commercial.

[Charcuterer]

Even when I grill I don't fuss around with the crossed mark thing. A perfectly cooked piece of good beef doesn't need any decoration in my opinion. Now a little compound butter melted over the top is another story.

[dcarch]

I see no need for visual cross hatch grill marks on my meats, from a grill/griddle.

Agreed. The crosshatch makes it look like a damn Applebees commercial.

I agree. I don't get the aesthetics of retangular grill marks.

dcarch

[pbear]

I dont really have any urge or need to put grill marks on my food (of course, it would be a different story if I had a real grill), but I suppose that the best tool for this indoors would be something that cleaned up much more easily - perhaps anodized aluminum or non-stick, but then it would be a problem getting the non-stick surface screaming hot.

The other thing for which a grill pan is handy is baking (oven roasting) things like sausage and bell peppers that you want elevated above the pan surface. Now, that would be a single-burner than two-burner grill pan, but the cleaning question remains. Not that hard, really. Let soak a few minutes, then clean with a nylon brush, running it back-and-forth with the grooves. Non-stick is easiest, but wears out and has maximum heat issues as you mention. After that, I find naturally-cured cast iron easier to clean than enameled, assuming of course the former is properly seasoned.

[haresfur]

I ditched mine and made a grillplate out of 1/4 " SS. Plancha cooking on the grill is devine.

Pretty much every Aussie gas barbie comes with a grillplate on one side.

Edited February 16, 2012 by haresfur (log)