Commercial Electric Griddles & Hotplates

Mild steel seasons over time, gives the best sear and crust, and costs less, but needs disciplined maintenance to stay rust-free. Chrome-plated steel radiates far less heat into the kitchen, cleans up faster and won't transfer flavours between products — the usual pick for breakfast and delicate-product work. Chrome costs more and the plating is damaged by aggressive scraping.

Gas heats faster and recovers faster when a tray of cold product hits the plate, which matters at high volume. Electric holds temperature more precisely, which matters for eggs, pancakes and anything cooked to a consistent standard, and it produces less ambient heat in the kitchen. The practical decider is usually installation: a plug-in electric griddle needs no gasfitter, no gas line and no compliance certificate, while every gas griddle needs all three. If you're a café without a gas connection, or you want a griddle running this week rather than after a fit-out, electric is the straightforward answer.

Smaller benchtop models, usually yes. Larger ones, no. A standard Australian GPO is rated to 10 amps and plenty of commercial griddles draw more. Anything above 10A needs a dedicated 15A or 20A outlet with a physically different plug, and larger units need three-phase supply and hardwiring. Check the appliance's rated amperage against your circuit before ordering, and never use an adaptor to force a larger plug into a smaller socket.

A griddle is a single heated plate that cooks from below only. A contact grill has two plates and closes onto the product, cooking both sides at once — faster for sandwiches and thin cuts, but useless for eggs, pancakes or anything you need to turn or manipulate. Many cafés run both: a contact grill for toasties and paninis, a griddle for everything else.

Smooth is the most versatile and the right choice if you're buying one appliance — eggs, pancakes, onions, burgers and seafood all work. Ribbed gives grill-bar marking on steaks, chicken and halloumi but can't handle eggs or small items. Combination splits the surface between both, which is a sensible compromise when bench space is limited — though you get less usable area of each type than a dedicated plate.