A griddle, in the UK typically referred to simply as a frying pan or flat top, is a cooking device consisting mainly of a broad, usually flat cooking surface. Nowadays it can be either a movable metal pan- or plate-like utensil, a flat heated cooking surface built into a stove or
kitchen range, or a compact cooking machine with its own heating system attached to an integrated griddle acting as a cooktop.
Lefse cooking on an electric griddle
Cooking flatbread on a griddle
Flatbread on a convex Middle Eastern saj griddle
A basic consumer electric griddle with temperature control
A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight. This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface. Flattop grills have been around for hundreds of years in various forms and evolved in a number of cultures.
An Aztec flattop grill (left), known as comal
A flattop grill and fireplace area atop the grill used to heat an above cooking area, at Le Feu restaurant in Lyon, France
Two French tops built into a cooking suite