Have you recently been looking into purchasing a flat top grill for your kitchen? Flat top grills are very popular in commercial kitchens, but they have become popular for residential kitchens as well in recent years. However, if you already have an electric stovetop, you may be wondering if you can turn your existing surface into a flat top grill.
The answer to this question would be yes! There are a large variety of excellent quality flat-top grills on the market that can be placed directly on top of your existing electric stovetop. While flat-top grills are rather heavy, they won’t cause any harm to your current stove. In fact, your new grill will depend on the heat from the burners beneath it to cook your food.
Flat top grills can change the way you cook your meals, as they can eliminate a lot of skillets and pans. Unlike normal outdoor grills, you can cook all kinds of foods on your flat-top, including breakfast and lunch! These grills are made of durable stainless steel and will evenly distribute heat to thoroughly cook your meals.
These grills come in a variety of sizes to best fit your needs. The biggest flat-top grills cover your entire stovetop range. However, you can get smaller ones that only cover about half of your electric stovetop. A common question that gets asked is if you can place pots and pans on the flat top surface to boil water or cook something in a pan.
Technically this is something you could do. However, you should keep in mind that it may take quite a while for the water to reach a boiling point when sitting on your flat top. In most cases, if your flat top covers all of your burners, you would simply move the grill over temporarily until you are done.
Another option for those who don’t like the inconvenience of moving their flat top would be to purchase a single electric burner for this very reason.
Continue reading to find the answers to more common questions people have before purchasing a flat top grill for their electric stovetop:
What Is The Difference Between A Griddle And A Flat Top?
When choosing what flat top to purchase for your electric stovetop, it is important to know the difference between a griddle and a flat top. It is easy to mistake one for the other, as they can look similar. However, the two have a few important differences that you will need to be aware of in order to cook your food appropriately.
Both griddles and flat tops cook food on a flat surface and are common to find inside commercial kitchens. One of the most important distinctions between the two is that griddles are made of cast iron, and flat tops are made of metal (usually stainless steel). While this may not seem like an outrageous difference to some, the way that your food will cook will vary depending on the surface it is placed on.
Differences between a griddle and a flat top don’t end with the materials they are made from, but also how they are heated. Griddles are heated from underneath the cooking surface, from electricity to firewood. These cooking surfaces are known to be used not only in kitchens but in a large variety of areas such as campsites.
Flat top grills, however, are heated using circular heating coils and require either electricity or gas as a heating source. As mentioned before, these grills are usually found in commercial or restaurant kitchens and can be considered a unique way to cook all kinds of foods, from burger patties to breakfast dishes.
Can A Flat Top Replace A Grill?
When deciding to purchase an expensive piece of kitchen equipment, you will want to know if it will actually be beneficial to you. This may make you wonder if a flat top can replace your outdoor grill. Gas grills are something that many people enjoy using to cook burgers, hot dogs, and steaks. However, there are actually many health benefits to cooking on a flat top instead of a normal outdoor gas grill.
The answer to this question would be yes, you can most certainly replace your gas grill with a flat top. However, if you are someone who enjoys the taste of open flame-cooked meats and meals, you may not want o get rid of your gas grill altogether.
While flat-top grills provide you with delicious food, gas grilling can give your food a specific taste that many people love about grilling over an open flame. This is especially true for meat lovers, as hot dogs cooked on a flat top will be slightly different than the ones you cook on your gas grill.
If you aren’t worried about losing that specific “gas grill taste” in your food, you may actually find that flat top grilling is much better suited for you. Flat tops can be kept indoors and won’t give off much (if any) smoke when cooking. Not to mention, when cooking food on a flat top you won’t experience any excess of fat or oil building up, which ultimately makes your food healthier.
Can You Cook Anything On A Flat Top Grill?
Another important thing to consider before purchasing a flat top for your kitchen, is what will you cook with your new grill? Thankfully, flat-top grills are very diverse and can saute’, sear, fry, or cook almost anything you can think of. In restaurants, flat tops are mostly used for cooking burgers or frying vegetables (such as onions, sweet peppers, and mushrooms). Here is a short breakdown of the kinds of meals you could make of your flat grill:
Breakfast. You can change the way you eat breakfast when you begin cooking on your flat top grill! Say goodbye to boring cereal, as you can cook a large variety of breakfast foods on a flat top. You can cook nearly any style of eggs, from sunny side up to scrambled.
You can also make crispy shredded has browns or ground sausage (or sausage patties). Flat-top grills are perfect for making lots of crispy bacon or fluffy pancakes. There are many ways you can use your steel flat top grill to mix up your breakfast menu.
Meats. Just like on your normal gas grill, there are many kinds of meats that you can make on your flat top that will be juicy, tender, and delicious. Burgers are one of the most common meats that are great to cook on your flat top grill. Steaks are also great to cook on the flat top, as they will be cooked evenly and thoroughly while staying juicy and flavorful.
Flat tops are great for making the components of fajitas and Philly sandwiches. By using combinations of delicious meats and cooked vegetables, you can make an entire meal for yourself and your family by cooking exclusively on your flat top grill. You can experiment and make all different combinations of meats, veggies, and cheeses.
Sides. There are a large number of side dishes that you can make with your flat top grill. Not only can you cook many things directly on your flat top, but you can also place pots or pans on top of the surface to cook corn, potatoes, etc.
You can cook a large variety of vegetables alone on this awesome flat top grill, such as peppers, corn, asparagus, chopped potatoes, mushrooms, and so much more.,. Other dishes you could make directly on your grill would be fried rice, homemade flatbread, Mexican street corn, etc.
If you are looking for recipes or ideas of what you could potentially cook on your flat top grill, you can find many recipes book on Amazon, or ideas on Pinterest.
What Is A Good Flat Top Grill Option?
Now that you are completely convinced that you need a flat top grill, you may be wondering which one to choose from. There are several well-known brands to pick from, which may leave you overwhelmed with which one would be best for you.
One of the most well-recognized outdoor flat top grill options would be the Blackstone flat top. If you are looking for an outdoor option to replace your gas grill completely, we highly recommend this brand.
However, if you want a flat top grill that can be placed over your existing electric stovetop, There are several brands, such as Onlyfire, which is an excellent flat top grill that would be perfect for you! Continue reading to check out our favorite flat top options for you, as well as some must-have accessories:
Blackstone 28″ Flat Top Outdoor Gas Grill
Looking for an outdoor flat top grill t replace your old one? This flat option is perfect for you! This flattop is super easy to use and is fueled by propane. The cooking service on this grill is 28″ but has plenty of storage/prep space as well.
Onlyfire Universal Stainless Steel Flat Top
If you want an indoor flat top grill to place over your existing stovetop, this would be an excellent choice for you! This grill is made of stainless steel and measures 18″ wide x 12.5″ deep x 2.7″ high, giving you 200-inches of cooking space.
Happybuy Stainless Steel Flat Top 32″ X 17″
Here is another great option for those looking for a flat top to go over your existing electric stovetop. This flat top is stainless steel and pleasures 32″ by 17″. This flat top also has an opening for grease to escape away from the food.
Grillers Choice-Griddle Accessories Set-16 pc
Designed by a chef and competitive BBQ judge, these sets contain the most used and desired tools that any chef or home griller enthusiast would need whether the grill is indoor or outdoor. This set has a custom-designed carrying case for easy use and storage.
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