My Big 12 Inch...Griddle

It's time for a product review! This is for no other reason than I just bought this product and feel like I could review it.

Anyways, this nifty Nordic Ware Pro Cast Flattop Reversible 12-Inch Round Grill Griddle looked like a great deal at Costco the other day. I don't usually do impulse buys at Costco because, as I so intelligently pointed out to my father who was with me, "Some things at Costco may only cost  $12 to $20, but $12 to $20 times 10 is $120 to $200!" There ya go folks, homeschooling worked for me.

Anyways, I saw this little number and just couldn't pass it up. I, for one, HATE bbqing in the snow, but love burgers and veggies that are grilled rather than sauteed. Both are good, but I like thinking that my food isn't quite as oily as it could be. When I saw that there was a grill side my heart just about melted. Then I was looking at the pictures on the package and noticed a lovely pizza on the griddle side. Yes, this 12 inch  Reversible Round Grill Griddle can also go in the oven. That's what sold me. Why? I don't know. I don't make pizza very often and when I do I just use a baking sheet. But I was feeling weak that day and had passed up tons of little goodies at Target, so I bought it.

The first thing I made was grilled chicken. It came out perfect! I immediately noticed a down side though: the whole pan gets really, really hot, and it sticks off the side of my stove ever so slightly because of it's size. And the handles aren't very big. However, I was able to stay inside while it was miserably cold and windy outside, and my chicken was awesome.


The next day I made pancakes. Now, in the past I've made pancakes on a pan that Jake and I got for our wedding. It's a great pan, except it has a bulge in the middle, so my pancakes always drip down and collect in the corners. It's not a big deal, the pancakes just aren't round. I decided to use my new 12 inch Reversible Round Grill Griddle to get those perfectly circular pancakes. I was stoked. My excitement was quickly muted as the griddle took much longer than expected to heat up, and then went from not hot to burning pancakes in six seconds. I don't blame the griddle though. I blame my electric stove. I hope someday to be able to provide you with a product review of a nice gas stove. A black one with a touch screen on the front so I wouldn't have to reach over hot food to set the timer.........wha? Oh yeah, back to the griddle.

Besides being burned, the pancakes also wanted to slide every which way when I tried to flip them. Not having a side on the griddle means chasing your food all over with the spatula. I eventually got them flipped and waited for the griddle to cool off a bit before I put the next batch on. I think I'll go back to my old pancake pan for pancakes, but I see the griddle coming in handy in some other ways. Like pizza. :) 

Anyways, I guess it's not a very thorough review since I've only used the pan twice, but there you go. My rather incomplete review of my new 12 inch Reversible Round Grill Griddle.

Oh, and here's a funny: when I posted this the title read Girdle, rather than Griddle. I do not wear a 12 inch girdle. Trust me.