Our Place Griddle Pan Review

The Our Place Griddle Pan has an enameled exterior that comes in a wide array of pastel colors, an uncoated stainless steel bottom, and a large non-toxic ceramic non-stick cooking space. It features 197 square inches of cooking area, with easy-to-grip handles (you can use them with oven mitts) and high walls to prevent spills. The large size is perfect for cooking for the whole family or hosting a dinner party, plus it's easy to clean. We cooked everything we could dream up on this griddle, from lamb meatballs to focaccia to a batch of shrimp fajitas, and the versatility and sleek look make it a kitchen staple. It also offers a limited warranty for quality peace of mind.

Non-Stick Properties

The Our Place Griddle Pan has a very effective ceramic non-stick that works well in a range of temperatures, and for all kinds of different foods. We had no issues with getting eggs to scramble, fry, and flip with no residue left behind, and they slid around very easily, even without added oil. With pancakes, this pan created a nice, slightly crunchy outside with a perfectly golden brown exterior. The same goes for searing meat: Even with a quick, hot sear on a pork tenderloin before putting it into the oven, or a berry crumble, it was easy to release just about any food from this pan.

It's worth noting the limitations here of this griddle pan. Like any non-stick coating, ceramic can chip and scratch, so it's important to use gentle silicone or wooden utensils when moving food. This griddle pan also has high heat limits — Our Place recommends not using it for temperatures exceeding 450 degrees Fahrenheit — so save the super high heat searing, blackening, and broiling for another griddle pan. If you do cook at too high of heat or heat it up too quickly, you risk staining or compromising the ceramic coating. But, with proper use, we found this pan held up well throughout the testing period and beyond, even with heavy use.

Heat Distribution

Of course, with a stovetop griddle pan with no heat source of its own, the heat distribution depends entirely on the heating element it is placed atop. We found this griddle pan large enough to easily span two burners on most stoves, which made for effective cooking and decent heat distribution. This is often a shortcoming of double-burner griddles. You do generally have to be mindful of the potential for a cool spot in the middle of the griddle, but with zone cooking in mind, this is easy to work around.

Inevitably, there is a measurable lull in heat in the center of the pan, as mentioned. This cool spot is tempered by the thick, cast-aluminium bottom, which helps keep heating across the base more consistent. When placed in the oven, this griddle pan heats consistently throughout. When used as a baking sheet, it's highly effective for even cooking across the pan.

Grease Management

This pan lacks grease management — excess oil or grease just accumulates in the bottom of the pan, unless you drain it manually while cooking. Because of this, it's not necessarily the best choice for cooking a large batch of fatty bacon or breakfast sausage, unless you're okay with it not being the crispiest.

While there's no integrated grease management system with this pan, we found the high edges and effective handles great for preventing spills of drippings as we went to drain them. Our Place offers a separately purchased color-matching wire basket that sits elevated above the pan, which works well for making crispy bacon in the oven, baking veggies, or roasting poultry. We wish that this piece came stock with the pan, as it would add even more versatility and a better option for keeping oil and drippings away from food for healthier cooking.

Cooking Versatility

Versatility is where the Our Place Griddle Pan truly shines. For almost every meal, we came up with ways to use this pan. It's hard to think of something you couldn't cook in it! This griddle pan isn't limited just to breakfast. It can bake, sauté, roast, fry, braise, and more. It's an attractive serving dish for meats, casseroles, or a pile of blueberry pancakes.

The only slight impediment to this pan's versatility is the aforementioned ceramic coating's heat constraints, which limit cooking to 450 degrees or below. This limits you from using super high temperature techniques like Pittsburgh steaks, “black and blue” sear on cuts of meat, and broiling — although all of these are fairly niche.

Cleanup

We almost felt like we could just wipe this griddle clean and call it good. No matter what we cooked on it, it was incredibly easy to clean in just a few minutes. The non-stick works just as well for releasing food as it does for cleaning the surface.

The only slight downfall with cleanup is the potential for the ceramic surface to stain when too high of heat is applied. The large size also makes it a bit cumbersome in smaller sinks, and it's sometimes tough to lay it flat within the sink basin to clean. The handles and large pan space are a bit tough to manage in a small space. But we found these cleaning challenges easy to work around, and this griddle had one of the fastest cleanup times in the lineup.

Should You Buy the Our Place Griddle Pan?

While this griddle pan has excellent performance, it could be overkill for casual chefs. The quality, versatility, and chic look all come with a significant price tag. If you're looking to make purely breakfast foods or want an electric option, this griddle pan will not be the best choice for you.

What Other Griddles Should You Consider?