Are you hesitating between a gas griddle and a BBQ? One is the epitome of traditional outdoor dining, while the other is increasingly becoming a practical and healthy alternative that allows you to cook almost anything in large quantities.
BBQing is the go-to choice for many people when it comes to outdoor cooking, but habits are changing: people want to cook more varied meals, from breakfast to dessert, and combine cooking with socializing.
How does the griddle differ from the BBQ? That's what we'll be looking at in this article!
Versatility of cooking
The BBQ: made for meat
Cooking on the BBQ can quickly reveal its limitations. Although it's perfect for large cuts of meat, it's impossible to sear vegetables or fruit without losing a significant amount to the embers.
It's also quite difficult to cook fish on a BBQ. Fish is a delicate food and can quickly dry out if you're not an expert at BBQ cooking.
The griddle: the ultimate versatile cooking appliance
Unlike a BBQ, there are (almost) no limits to what you can cook on a griddle. Although you shouldn't expect to bake cookies on a griddle, you can easily make sweet recipes such as pancakes, French toast, or caramelized fruit.
Thanks to the control knobs, you can easily control the temperature and sear everything from a ribeye steak to delicate fish. Not to mention vegetables, which you can easily sear on the griddle.
With a griddle, you can explore a whole world of flavors: from Mexican to Japanese cuisine, the only limit to cooking on a griddle is your desire and imagination!
The taste
The BBQ: that essential smoky flavor
Sought after by many grilling enthusiasts, the smoky taste of BBQ is an inimitable taste that griddle or any other cooking device cannot imitate. The disadvantage is that barbecue can mask the natural taste of food.
The griddle: the natural taste of food and healthy cooking
Thanks to direct cooking on the griddle, food does not come into direct contact with the flames, which not only prevents it from burning but also preserves all its flavors!
The griddle is ideal for anyone looking to prepare refined, flavorful cuisine, where every flavor of the food is brought to the fore. Flavor that rhymes with health! The plancha has the huge advantage of allowing you to cook without adding any extra fat. Food cooks in its own juices, preserving its nutrients and natural flavors.
Heat distribution, cooking temperature and cooking possibilities
Heat distribution
When it comes to heat distribution, the griddle clearly has the advantage. The materials used to make its plate and burners allow for even heat distribution across the entire plate, ensuring that your food is cooked evenly across its entire surface.
Heat distribution on a BBQ is, by definition, dependent on the distribution of the coals. Even if the coals are well distributed, the heat they give off is random, which can lead to hot spots forming in certain areas of the grill and therefore to your food being cooked more or less evenly.
Cooking methods
BBQ cooking can limit your cooking options beyond traditional grilling or smoking, not to mention cooking in foil parcels. This makes it difficult to braise or boil food, which is possible on a griddle.
Ease of use
The BBQ: a matter of habits
Mastering BBQ cooking can be adventurous and frustrating. Due to the lack of temperature control, direct flames and warmer or colder areas, major disappointments can occur for novices in cooking. BBQ cooking is a technique that evolves over time and experience but requires real fire control.
The griddle: suitable for beginners and amateur chefs alike
One of the aspects that explains the growing interest in griddles is their simplicity of use:
- The flat surface and the homogeneous heat distribution on the plate allow
- To eliminate areas that are too hot or too cold.
- To ensure uniform cooking without having to monitor the food almost constantly.
- The temperature is easily adjusted thanks to the adjustment buttons, which makes the cooking experience more intuitive and accessible to the most novice.
The griddle is therefore an alternative way to rediscover the pleasure of cooking outside without stress.
Conviviality
The BBQ: a limited conviviality
Conviviality around an outdoor meal with a BBQ can be limited:
- A person takes care of the cooking
- The other guests who are waiting around the table
The BBQ therefore often remains associated with a more 'closed' kitchen with only one person in charge. Quite the opposite of the griddle.
The griddle: A kitchen where sharing and interactivity rhyme
The griddle brings a new dimension to the conviviality of outdoor dining. Its large cooking surface and practical size make it easy to place on a table. Once the temperature has been set and the griddle has been preheated, everyone can join in the meal and prepare their own plate!
This allows everyone to chat and cook side by side, transforming outdoor meals into truly shared moments.
Cleaning
To help you see clearly, here is a summary table of the different cleaning steps for both devices and the total time spent on maintenance:
| Griddle | BBQ |
| Scrape off food residues from the hot plate and push them into the grease tray. | Let the barbecue cool down completely. |
| Scrub the plate with a cleaning ball to remove any remaining dirt or grease. | Remove the grill grate and scrub vigorously to get rid of grease and stuck-on bits. |
| Apply a cleaning product if necessary. | Empty the ashes and cooled embers. |
| Wipe the plate with a microfiber cloth. | Clean the grill with a metal brush, water, and degreasing soap (if needed). |
| Clean the barbecue bowl if it’s dirty or greasy. | |
| Estimated time: 5–10 minutes, right after use. | Estimated time: 20–30 minutes, once the BBQ has completely cooled down. |
Our summary table
| Criteria | BBQ | Griddle |
| Cooking versatility | Perfect for large cuts of meat, but not ideal for vegetables, fruits, or fish (risk of falling through the grate or drying out). |
Extremely versatile: cook meat, fish, vegetables, or even sweet recipes like pancakes or caramelized fruits. Small or large parts. Adjustable temperature for full control. |
| Flavor | Offers the famous smoky flavor loved by grill enthusiasts, but it can sometimes overpower the natural taste of food. |
Preserves the natural flavor of ingredients since food doesn’t touch the flames. Perfect for refined, balanced, and flavorful cooking. |
| Heat distribution |
Depends on how evenly the coals are spread. Heat zones are inconsistent, leading to uneven cooking. |
Provides even heat distribution across the cooking surface for consistent results every time. |
| Temperature control | No temperature settings. Success relies on instinct and experience - easy to overcook or burn food. |
Precise temperature knobs let you adjust the heat for each ingredient. You can grill meat, sear delicate fish, or caramelize fruit on the same appliance |
| Cooking methods | Limited to grilling, papillote, or smoking. | Allows for multiple modes: cooking, boiling, stewing, caramelizing, smoking, etc. |
| Ease of use |
Requires experience and skill. Uneven heat zones and direct flames make it tricky for beginners |
Intuitive to use: flat surface, even heat, and adjustable temperature. Ideal for beginners or seasoned cooks alike. |
| Friendliness / Social aspect | Usually one person handles the grill while others wait at the table - less interactive. |
Promotes interactive cooking: everyone can join in and cook their own meal side by side. Turns outdoor meals into social experiences. |
| Cleaning & maintenance |
Time-consuming: wait for it to cool, remove ashes, scrub the grill and bowl. Time : 20–30 min. |
Quick and simple: scrape and wipe the plate while still warm. Time : 5–10 min. |
You now have all the information you need to choose between a griddle and a BBQ.
For those who want to take outdoor dining and griddle cooking to the next level, find out how to choose the right griddle, starting with the materials!
