Electric griddles are old-time favorites that are enjoying a new popularity. Griddles have a large, flat, non-stick cooking area that's perfect for eggs, bacon, grilled sandwiches and other foods that cook best on a wide surface with uniform heat.

The retail market offers two types of electric griddles. Individual griddles are most popular for homemakers, as they take up little space and offer a great deal of cooking variety and flexibility. The other style, which has the griddle as part of a grill, is used mainly in restaurants.

When you're shopping for a griddle, look for one with a base constructed of solid metal, and a non-stick coating on the surface. This allows for even distribution of heat, rather than creating an uneven cooking surface. The non-stick coating means that food will not stick to the surface, so less oil is required and you can enjoy a healthier meal. If choosing a non-electric griddle, find one that safely fixes atop your regular stove elements.

Electric griddles have been making life easier in the kitchen for many years. They are perfect for cooking all sorts of foods that cannot be made easily in the frying pan, or for cooking foods in quantity. With an electric griddle, you can cook eight grilled cheese sandwiches at one time, as opposed to two sandwiches in the frying pan. The even distribution of heat enables you to cook all of the food at the same rate, so you don't end up with some undercooked items and others overcooked. Griddles are especially useful for making dishes such as pancakes or French toast that need to be turned from side-to-side so that they cook equally.

Another advantage of electric griddles is that they can cook food with very little or no oil. This makes your family's food healthier and less prone to suffering the flavour malfunction created by 'over-oiling'.

Electric griddles are easy to clean, easy to store, easy to use and will bring many years of home made happiness.