5 Best Pancake Griddles for a Perfect Breakfast

Pancakes, even vegan ones, are usually difficult to turn into those perfect, fluffy rounds you see in pictures, but if you have the right griddle for the job it makes all the difference.

We’ve rounded-up the best pancake griddles for you to check out, and you’ll be on your way to earning your title of breakfast master.

In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks

• KUTIME Emoji Smiley Cake Griddle Mini Pancake Maker
• Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle
• Dash DMS001SL Mini Maker Electric Round Griddle
• OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 11″ Square Griddle
• Presto 07046 Tilt ‘n Drain Big Griddle Cool-Touch Electric Griddle

Tips for Making Perfect Pancakes Using a Griddle

If your experience making pancakes is anything like mine, we all know about the infamous first pancake. It’s usually the least successful pancake in the stack, right?

There are a few helpful tips for successful pancakes and here are the basics to get you started.

Mixing the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls prior to combining them is an important first step.

Next, preheat the griddle. If you are using an electric griddle it is recommended you set the temperature to 375 degrees and then turn it down to around 360 prior to cooking.

If you are using a cast-iron skillet it is equally as important to pre-heat since those types of griddles take a few minutes to heat up, but then will retain heat well.

Meanwhile, let the batter rest for around 5 to 15 minutes, and wait until the griddle is hot before adding a small amount of vegan butter or oil.

Pancakes are ready to flip when there are lots of bubbles and they start to brown around the edges.

It is best if you don’t over mix the batter since this will cause it to become too tough, and make sure the griddle isn’t too hot as this will result in burnt pancakes with under-cooked insides.

Finally, don’t press down on the pancakes while cooking or over flip them.

Voila! Perfect pancakes made at home!

Not All Griddles Are Created Equal

Research in recent years has revealed some disconcerting facts regarding non-stick surfaces many of us remember growing up using.

Fluoropolymer coatings are added to cookware to create the non-stick surface, and a popular household name, Teflon, uses polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

This becomes harmful to you, your pets and especially birds when the toxic fumes are released into the air when these surfaces are heated at high temperatures.

Until about 7 years ago, Teflon was using what is referred to as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is linked to numerous health issues and is found in people’s blood!

It is important to note, these are two of thousands of PFOAs used on cookware; so even if it claims to be free of these chemicals it’s worth it to make sure no other fluoropolymers are being used.

Other substances to look out for are cadmium and lead as well – be careful!

What can you do to keep you and your family safe? Well, for starters, ditch any Teflon cookware you own and especially if the surface is starting to wear away.

Cook on low to medium heat in a well-ventilated kitchen since most of the toxic fumes are generated using high heat.

Non-abrasive cleaning and hand washing are best and using wooden utensils will preserve the cookware’s surface.

The best thing you can do is look for cookware, which is inherently safe like ceramic, stoneware, stainless steel or cast-iron for instance.

Things to Look for That Differentiate These Products

We have narrowed it down to the best pancake griddles in this roundup, and there are lots of options to choose from.

Differences among the products come down to size and cooking area, electric or standard, and what they are made of.

Cooking healthy, vegan food on a non-toxic surface is extremely important. Here we have products using a ceramic coating, made of cast iron, or other non-toxic non-stick surfaces.

Next, there are very small griddles to make individual pancakes to very large for big batches.

Finally, there are electric griddles which allow you to cook anywhere and have control over the temperature settings.

Other griddles are the traditional types which utilize the stove top, campfire, or oven.

5 Top Picks for Pancake Griddles

Whether you are looking for a cast-iron griddle, electric or other variations, there’s a pancake griddle here for you to check out!

KUTIME Emoji Smiley Cake Griddle Mini Pancake Maker

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Emojis are used nearly everywhere these days, and with KUTIME’s Emoji Smiley Cake Griddle they can also be on your pancakes!

This griddle offers 7 different emoji expressions to liven up breakfast for your kids or the kid inside us all.

It’s safe too – the environmentally-friendly ceramic coating is free of the common chemicals and substances such as PTFE, PFOA, lead and cadmium.

The griddle, which can reach a max temperature of 450 degrees (F), is non-stick and only requires a little oil to ensure pancakes come out exactly as you want!

Suitable for gas stoves only, it comes with 3 layers for durability which includes the non-stick layer, energy storage layer, and finally an aluminum alloy layer.

These layers also ensure proper heat distribution for even cooking throughout the griddle.

I like the heat-insulation handle since it stays cool while cooking, and it is designed to contain no rivets.

A soft sponge is required for cleaning in order to retain the quality of the non-stick surface. It is also recommended you use plastic or wooden utensils for the same reason.

Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle

This cast-iron griddle from Lodge is the perfect, pre-seasoned cookware to use for pancakes and many more food items!

Seasoned cast iron is naturally non-stick, and Lodge uses vegetable oil to pre-season the griddle – no synthetic coatings or chemicals to worry about!

The best part is the more you use the griddle, the better “seasoned” it becomes and will add more flavor to your food and even help give your body much needed iron.

This is 10.5 inches in diameter and the lower side walls provides for more cooking space to fit more delicious pancakes.

Its heavy-duty design makes it suitable for cooking over a stove, campfire, or even use it in the oven.

I really like cooking on cast-iron due to its heat-retention ability which allow the heat to evenly distribute throughout for more efficient cooking.

There are a few tricks to cleaning cast iron which helps it retain the seasoning – this includes washing by hand with mild soap (or no soap) and drying promptly with a lint-free cloth or paper towel.

Next, rub a light layer of oil over the cast iron while it’s still warm to seal in the natural, non-stick surface.

Dash DMS001SL Mini Maker Electric Round Griddle

Dash’s mini-maker electric round grill is super cute and there’s no need for a stove since it cooks individual pancakes (or other small food items) directly in the unit.

Using 350 watts of power, this electric grill heats up quickly and cooks evenly so you can expect the same results every time (which matters when it comes to pancakes!).

All you do is plug in the grill, and when the blue light turns off it is ready to go!

The dual non-stick surface is PFOA-free, and the grill’s size (5x6x2.8 inches) is perfect for a small kitchen, apartment, or for your RV!

This mini-grill comes with a recipe book and a 1-year manufacturer guarantee – so you’ll be on your way to creating amazing pancakes, cookies, and even the best vegan grill cheese sandwiches.

The plates cannot be removed for cleaning, but it is relatively easy to clean either way – just wipe down with a paper towel!

OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 11″ Square Griddle

OXO Good Grips griddle has 11” of cooking space on a German-engineered, 3-layer, non-stick, scratch-resistant surface which is PFOA-free.

The griddle is constructed with lightweight, hard-anodized aluminum and this provides for excellent heat retention and even cooking across the entire surface.

In case you haven’t heard about hard-anodized aluminum before, here is a brief explanation – aluminum undergoes an electrolytic process controlling natural oxidation.

In other words, the surface is treated in a way which makes the aluminum resistant to corrosion or reacting with acidic foods. This also makes the aluminum safe to cook on!

The unique rolled edges hold any sauces, vegan butter, oil, or whatever you are cooking on the griddle and won’t allow anything to drip onto the stove’s surface or the burners.

Clean-up is easy because of the non-stick surface and the griddle is dishwasher safe.

If you need to pop this in the oven for baking, it can withstand temperatures up to 430 degrees Fahrenheit.

Overall, this griddle feels durable, and the comfort-grip handle stays cool to the touch!

Presto 07046 Tilt ‘n Drain Big Griddle Cool-Touch Electric Griddle

This electric griddle by Presto offers a large, non-stick cooking surface with the capability to tilt and drain runoff while handles are cool to the touch.

There is a convenient backstop ledge and a heat control which automatically controls the desired cooking temperature up to 400 degrees.

As mentioned, the griddle tilts or can remain flat. To tilt, just pull the handles outward, and to return to flat, push the handles back in.

Weighing in at 7 pounds, this griddle can fit lots of pancakes (or other food items you wish to grill) due to the large cooking area measuring at 18.5 x 15 inches (outside measurement of the whole unit is 23 x 17 inches).

With the heat control removed, the griddle is submersible making it easier to clean!

Often electric griddles cannot get wet, which makes the cleaning process very challenging; so, I consider this a huge bonus!

I also like the added slide out drip tray in case anything escapes the griddle while you are cooking.

Top Choice for the Best Pancake Griddle

Arguably, pancakes are the most delicious breakfast item and even better when they are vegan!

In this roundup, there is a pancake griddle for everyone from cute and convenient to large for big families or big batches, and everything in-between.

However, among the griddles our top choice is Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle.

The Lodge cast iron griddle is large enough to cook a decent number of pancakes at one time but is also sleek for easier storage.

Cast iron is a tried and true cookware material which will last a long time, retains heat extremely well for even distribution and is naturally non-stick!

We like the vegetable oil pre-seasoned cooking surface along with the lower walls to hold in any liquids while not taking away from the overall cooking space.

This griddle will just get better with time and more use since this will add to its natural “seasoning,” or non-stick, quality.

At an affordable price and the potential to be your go-to griddle for years, we vote the Lodge griddle as our #1 pick!