Whether it's the height of summer or a cool winter day, a plancha is the must-have appliance in your kitchen: with its flat surface, it will provide an incredible cooking experience. Easy to use, less cumbersome, planchas are available in several models, brands and designs. To help you narrow down your choice, we've put together this buying guide that contains the most useful information you need and a selection of the best value planchas available.
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Our selection
"Remember to keep the natural flavor of food and use Tefal plancha maxi electric. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Its resistance allows…"
"Smaller budgets will appreciate the large cooking surface, even heat distribution and ease of cleaning of this griddle. All in all, it's a great success!"
"Forget about a hot fire and enjoy the efficient and durable gas griddle from De buyer by Le Marquier. It is equipped with a very…"
"The Campingaz EXB 2 is so practical that it will convert the most reluctant! It is robust, can withstand intensive use and has a large…"
Remember to keep the natural flavor of food and use Tefal plancha maxi electric. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Its resistance allows to reach heating power up to 2300W.
110 £ on AmazonThanks to its small size, the Téfal XXl electric griddle can be used indoors in the center of the table for convivial cooking, and outdoors to serve as a barbecue.
It has a heating plate that is divided into two parts: a smooth part and a barbecue style grilling part, in the middle there is a drawer to eliminate grease. The plate is equipped with a non-stick coating: the food you are going to grill on your plancha will not stick and will cook evenly. The temperature of the plate can be adjusted as you wish (the thermostat is adjustable on 5 positions). Its capacity is for 10 to 15 people. It is a nice appliance, easy to use. The cleaning is easy and in addition the plancha is equipped with a removable windscreen which ensures more safety and avoids projections.
Smaller budgets will appreciate the large cooking surface, even heat distribution and ease of cleaning of this griddle. All in all, it's a great success!
44 £ on BoulangerThe Tefal CB503813 Malaga offers you its high power of 2,000 W, ideal for cooking even large pieces. It has a cooking area of 50 x 26.5 cm, a total surface of 1325 cm². This means you can prepare food for 6 to 8 people. The cooking plate, which is removable like the grease trap, is equipped with a non-stick coating. It ensures a fast heating time and an even heat distribution.
The Thermo-Spot technology warns you when the griddle is ready for use. Of course, there's nothing to stop you from cleaning it in the washing machine, which will save you time during maintenance. The 6-position adjustable thermostat makes it even more convenient for you to adjust the temperature as you wish. We only regret that it is quite limited in terms of options, otherwise it would have been perfect.
Forget about a hot fire and enjoy the efficient and durable gas griddle from De buyer by Le Marquier. It is equipped with a very high quality enamelled plate with an independent heating power.
479 £ on MathonYou will quickly adapt to the gas griddle 2 burners 4420,00 of De buyer by Le Marquier. It is a gas griddle with cast iron enamelled plate of very high quality. It is very easy to use and clean. It is also very easy to light, thanks to its electronic piezzo integrated with its ergonomic and non-slip control buttons.
The type of gas used is butane or propane. The temperature rise is very fast, the thermostat can be adjusted from 50°C to 300°C. It has heating indicators, ergonomic and non-slip buttons and adjustable feet. The cooking juices are drained into a stainless steel drip tray that operates with a hidden drainage system (push-pull opening system). It is very practical despite its weight of 40 kg. It is an ideal plancha for a meal for 6 to 10 people.
The Campingaz EXB 2 is so practical that it will convert the most reluctant! It is robust, can withstand intensive use and has a large cooking surface. The price reflects the quality of this gas griddle.
211 £ on AmazonCampingaz offers the EXB 2, a large and particularly robust double enamelled steel griddle. Equipped with 2 separately adjustable 7.5 kW aluminized steel burners, it has a cooking surface of 66 x 42 cm. Its excellent heat distribution allows cooking on the entire surface of the griddle.
The Campingaz EXB 2 also has a cart with integrated spice basket, 2 folding side shelves and utensil hooks. For cleaning, you can put the grease trap in the dishwasher. You should also know that the 6 kg gas bottle can fit under the cart, but not the 13 kg one.
Any specific needs?
The best plancha offering the best value for money
The best plancha under 100 euros
The best plancha above 500 euros
An excellent alternative around 200 euros
Your guide :
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| THE BEST | A good choice | THE MOST POWERFUL | A GREAT CHOICE | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
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| OUR SELECTION |
Tefal - Maxi Plancha Electric XXL
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Tefal CB503813 Malaga
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De buyer by Le Marquier - Electric griddle 2 burners
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Campingaz EXB 2
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Remember to keep the natural flavor of food and use Tefal plancha maxi electric. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Its resistance allows to reach heating power up to 2300W.
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Smaller budgets will appreciate the large cooking surface, even heat distribution and ease of cleaning of this griddle. All in all, it's a great success!
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Forget about a hot fire and enjoy the efficient and durable gas griddle from De buyer by Le Marquier. It is equipped with a very high quality enamelled plate with an independent heating power.
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The Campingaz EXB 2 is so practical that it will convert the most reluctant! It is robust, can withstand intensive use and has a large cooking surface. The price reflects the quality of this gas griddle.
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Weight
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6.4 kg
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3,479 g
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39 Kg
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Dimension
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1150 cm2 (L*W*H : 52 x 39.5 x 10.9 cm)
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50 x 26.5 cm (1325 cm²)
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60 x 40 cm
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2800 cm²
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Materials
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Wood, Metal
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Aluminum, thermoplastic
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Enameled cast iron plate
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Made of steel with double enamel coating
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Power
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2300 Watts
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2,000 W
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5.4 kW
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7.5 kW
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Baking plate
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Two
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Unique
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Unique
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Unique
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Size is an important criterion, as it tells you whether the appliance can sit on your table without taking up too much space and provides enough cooking surface for each member of the family to use easily. This will ensure that you don't end up with a griddle that is too small or too bulky to be placed in the center of the table.
A tilting griddle with molded edges to drain cooking grease to a grease collection drawer is ideal. The size of this grease trap drawer is important, as it is needed to catch the cooking grease as well as the cleaning water.
Having a removable cooking plate would be even better for quick and efficient maintenance. This will allow you to put the plate in the dishwasher for easier cleaning.
The griddle plate can be made from different materials. The type of material used has an impact on how the plate cooks food. In most cases, plancha plates are made from a variety of materials, including stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum :
Temperature control is also a criterion not to be overlooked. You can choose between planchas with independent thermostats and planchas with adjustable thermostats that you can set according to the type of food to be cooked and the desired results.
It is interesting to choose a plancha with an anti-splash wall to avoid grease splashes on the floor or table when using the electric plancha.
The planchas reach a very high heat and therefore trigger the Leidenfrost phenomenon. This is a phenomenon that occurs when a liquid comes into contact with a surface that is significantly hotter than the boiling point of the liquid. This will create an insulating layer of vapor that prevents the liquid from evaporating quickly. Because of this insulating layer, food placed on a griddle will "float" on the griddle surface. This is exactly the same as when you put drops of water in a hot pan. Because of this effect, food cooked on a plancha can be seared and sautéed evenly, and it is easier to get a deeper, more flavorful crust and caramelized juices.
Because of the way planchas work, you can also cook food in a slightly different way. For example, on a traditional grill, a chef would have to flip the meat to a different, hotter spot to sear the meat (each time the meat is flipped, it cools the grill where it lands). With a plancha, you don't need to move the meat. That's because it maintains a consistently high temperature, even if you cook food on it repeatedly. This makes planchas ideal if you are looking to cook for a large number of people.
The advantage of the griddle is that you can cook all types of food with it: meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruits... The plancha allows you to cook both small foods such as steaks, fish fillets or slices of vegetables that the largest as ribs or whole fish!
White meats that can be very dry after barbecuing will be much smoother and juicier when cooked on a plancha. Similarly, vegetables can be cooked without the need to add fat. The same goes for fish. Unlike the barbecue, the plancha allows you to "sear" the food without charring it, so you won't have the burnt taste in your plates.
Never use a gas griddle near a source or flammable objects such as plants, household products or paint. And keep the electric griddle away from any source of moisture.
The gas griddle is a cooking appliance connected to a gas cylinder. It is easy to use, as it is similar to a gas stove, but with a cooking plate. With this appliance, the ignition is easy and you will be able to regulate the cooking of your food with precision and the heating temperature that you want. With this appliance, you will be able to choose to cook your food outdoors or indoors without constraint.
It is a cooking appliance with an electrical connection and does not require any fuel. It can be used both inside and outside the house to sear food at high temperatures. However, the presence of the electric cord limits its scope of action indoors and it still requires an extension cord for use on the balcony or in the garden. For the most powerful models, you can have resistances that can reach heating powers that go from 1,600 Watts to 3,200 Watts.
The advantage with the Plancha is that it has a completely smooth cooking surface. This is very practical, because you can easily put any type of food you want on it. In addition, the smooth surface allows for easy cleaning. Indeed, you just need to choose the scraper that matches your griddle and you can scrape off the cooking residues. In addition, you can wash the plancha either with a sponge or in the dishwasher if the dimensions allow it.
The particularity of the barbecue is the use of coal. Of course it gives more taste to the food, but it is also dirty (dust, black marks, ashes, etc.). As for the fumes, the barbecue gives off a lot of them and the cooking of food is done on a grill, and putting food on a grill is not an easy task. In addition, the grill allows the grease from the food to fall onto the embers and create very high flames that give off carcinogenic substances. In addition, the cleaning of the grill will be difficult, because first you have to empty the charcoal tank, and then scrape the grill by hand with a brush designed for this purpose so as not to damage it.
Barbecue or Plancha, both products are satisfying. For those who like the old-fashioned way of life, the barbecue is ideal, but for those who like to preserve nature and prefer light cleaning, the plancha is the necessary option. Opting for the plancha is opting for ease in everyday life.
The plancha is a special type of hot plate that can be used to perfectly grill vegetables, fish and meat evenly. Let's see why the Plancha is an excellent alternative:
1- It gives healthy and low-calorie cooking:
Cooking with the plancha is more dietetic. Indeed, the plate heated at high temperature limits the use of fat, so that for a gourmet meal with a skewer of chicken, tomato Provencal, zucchini and onions, you count about 230 calories, or only 12% of the recommended daily allowance for a woman. You can even indulge in a little dessert.
2- It allows for quick cooking:
No time to wait hours? The plancha provides a very fast cooking method, thanks to a spectacular rise in temperature.
3- It gives a healthy and economic cooking:
The hot plate can accommodate more food and plancha cooking is very economical. This is because it takes little energy or gas to cook more food. For catering professionals, griddle cooking is an exceptional time and energy saver. The investment of the plancha is thus an optimal choice.
4- It gives a cooking without carcinogenic compounds:
There is no smoke without fire! Unlike the barbecue, cooking with a plancha allows a homogeneous cooking without carbonizing your dishes. There is therefore no formation of carcinogenic compounds. And to ensure good health, simply clean the plate after each use.
5- It gives a cooking that preserves all the nutrients of food:
With a temperature of up to 280 degrees, the cooking time is reduced, which helps preserve nutrients. In addition, you will be able to regulate the cooking of your food with the different buttons and that the plancha does not let the fat of the food to be lost. This allows the food to retain its natural taste and flavor.
In our opinion, the best brands of planchas quality/price ratio in 2022 are :
Tefal is a French manufacturer of kitchen utensils and small household appliances belonging to the SEB Group (the world's leading manufacturer of kitchen utensils). This brand is a safe bet: it offers innovative, ergonomic and efficient planchas.
Lagrange is a French brand created in 1955, it started producing its first grill in 1989. Today, it is one of the most appreciated brands on the plancha market. Lagrange offers efficient, aesthetic and durable products.
This brand has been around for 70 years. Anyone who loves grilling is bound to have heard of this French brand. It specializes in the manufacture of gas and charcoal grills and cooking appliances. Campingaz planchas are real references.
Krampouz is a French manufacturer of domestic and professional cooking appliances. Founded in 1949 in Pouldreuzic, Brittany, it is best known for its range of crepe makers, waffle makers and planchas. Resolutely turned towards the top of the range, this brand rarely disappoints.
Alice's Garden is a specialist in outdoor furniture and equipment. It manufactures parasols, trampolines, garden furniture, but it is also known for its barbecues and planchas. If you are looking for quality at a low price, this brand is the right one.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Clean your griddle between cooks
To alternate the cooking of very different foods and to avoid the combination of tastes, it is necessary to clean the plancha between cookings. To do this, simply deglaze the plancha with water. So, pour a little water (or spirit vinegar) over the area where the food was cooked and scrape it off with a food spatula.
Clean after each use
Once the griddle has cooled down (and the plug has been disconnected if it's an electric griddle), you can start cleaning it. Use the stainless steel cleaning pad and environmentally friendly griddle cleaner, then rinse with water and a sponge. Finally, wipe and dry with a microfiber cloth to get your griddle looking like new again. To clean the housing that has been stained with grease stains, use the stainless steel cleaning spray and then wipe with the microfiber cloth.
Please remember to protect your griddle
Like any cooking appliance, the plancha needs to be protected from all kinds of outside dirt. The first enemy of the plancha is dust, so you should think about providing protection to the device by providing a protective cover.
Remember to remove the battery before winter storage
Before storing your plancha for the winter, we recommend you remove the battery from the battery box, which is used to light the burners of your gas plancha, if your plancha is a gas plancha. If you can't light your plancha after a few months of storage, but you hear and/or feel the gas flowing, there may be a spider web or insect cocoon near the burner. Check to make sure there is nothing blocking the gas flow, especially between the injector (the device that directs the gas to the burner) and the burner. If necessary, clean up any residue.
Use the right utensils
To turn the food on your plancha, use tongs rather than a fork. The latter spoils the appearance of the food and promotes the release of juices. Also, when you're going to make skewers, be sure to oil the metal picks beforehand, and soak the wooden picks for half an hour in cold water so they don't burn.
A plancha is a flat iron surface that is used in Spanish cooking to grill vegetables, seafood and meat at very high temperatures. It provides a flat surface that is easy to throw around the grilled food so that each side receives equal heat.
It is important to consider the material that makes up your plancha. As soon as this detail is taken into account, you can use stainless steel cleaning pad to degrease, rinse with water to get the dirt off and then dry with a microfiber cloth to make it look like new.
For a first time plancha user, it is advisable to rinse the griddle with water to remove impurities from the packaging. Then, turn on the plancha of full power and make it heat of about ten minutes. This will disinfect it cleanly for a healthier and safer use.
For fish, to prevent the flesh from sticking to the griddle, simply put a piece of parchment paper directly on the griddle heated to 150 °C. For meat, it is advisable to grill them in pieces: if you want to cook a large roast, it is recommended to cut it into pieces before it is cooked and take 30-45 seconds to cook the fresh sides of the cut steaks. This doesn't take much time and will allow you to have perfect cooking on all sides of the meat.
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