A griddle is a flat, heavy metal plate or shallow pan on which food is cooked directly over a flame or heating element. From the diner’s well-seasoned steel flat-top — searing burgers, bacon, and pancakes in volume — to the ridged cast-iron griddle pan that chars vegetables and steaks with grill-like stripes, the principle is the same: intense, even, dry heat across a broad surface. Griddles excel where contact and caramelisation matter, building the Maillard crusts that make diner food craveable. They need proper preheating, light oiling, and regular scraping: a well-maintained griddle develops a non-stick patina, while a neglected one sticks, smokes, and taints everything it touches.