Best Electric Griddle: Plug-In Flat Top for Anywhere

I've cooked on propane Blackstones for years, but there's a hole in my lineup that electric griddles fill: the garage, the tailgate, the apartment patio, or the kitchen counter when it's 20 degrees out. I've tested plug-in flat tops everywhere from my backyard to a tailgate in November, and the short version is this: the Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler is the best electric griddle I've used, because it heats evenly enough to pass my breakfast service test, which no other plug-in has done.

The Short List

How I Tested

The same way I test everything: 100 smash burgers over a week, a full breakfast service (12 eggs, a pound of bacon, pancakes, home fries), and the 60-day seasoning test. I ran each griddle on a 15-amp circuit, used a laser thermometer to map cold spots, and cooked in the open air with a 10 mph wind to see how the electric elements held up. My dog Bruno supervised every round, stationed three feet from the cooking surface, waiting for a dropped patty.

Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler

The Zojirushi is the one that makes me say "oh, so that's what even heat feels like." It's a 13" x 17" electric griddle with a cast aluminum surface and a heating element that runs the full perimeter. No cold spots. I measured the back left corner at 375°F and the center at 380°F. That's a 5-degree difference. My Blackstone 36" has a 15-degree swing on a good day.

I ran a full breakfast service on it: 12 eggs, a pound of bacon, pancakes, home fries. Everything cooked at the same rate. The bacon rendered evenly, the eggs set without sticking, and the pancakes browned uniformly. I didn't have to rotate anything. That's the first time I've been able to say that about an electric griddle.

The temperature control is a dial with no markings, just low to high. That's annoying. I've learned that "medium" is about 350°F, but I had to figure that out by testing. For the price, I want a numbered dial. The surface is nonstick, which means you can't use metal spatulas. I scratched it once with my favorite scraper and now I use a plastic one.

Pros:

• Even heat distribution is genuinely impressive, no cold spots
• Cast aluminum holds temperature well, doesn't drop when you add cold food
• Built-in grease tray catches most of the runoff

Cons:

• Temperature dial has no markings, you're guessing
• Nonstick surface scratches easily, no metal tools
• At $150, it's the most expensive electric griddle I've tested

Compared to: The Presto 22" is half the price and twice the surface, but it has a 20-degree temperature swing across the cooking area. The Zojirushi's even heat is worth the premium if you cook eggs or pancakes regularly. The Presto is fine for smash burgers where you're flipping fast, but breakfast service on the Presto means rotating food constantly.

Should you buy it? If you cook breakfast, yes. If you make smash burgers and want to feed a crowd, the Presto's bigger surface wins. The Zojirushi is for people who want consistent results, not just volume.

Presto 22" Electric Griddle

The Presto is the workhorse of the electric griddle world. It's been around forever, it's $50, and it has a 22" cooking surface. I've used one at tailgates for years. It's not fancy. The steel is thin, the heat distribution is mediocre, and the temperature control is a simple probe thermostat. But it's cheap and it works.

The problem is cold spots. The center runs hot, the edges run cool. I measured the center at 400°F and the back left corner at 350°F. That's a 50-degree swing. For smash burgers, it doesn't matter. You're smashing, flipping, and pulling in 90 seconds. For eggs, it matters. My breakfast service on the Presto was a game of musical food, moving eggs from the cold edge to the hot center to finish cooking.

The nonstick surface is decent, but it won't hold a seasoning. I tried to build a traditional oil-based seasoning on it, and it flaked off within a week. You're stuck with the factory nonstick, which means no metal spatulas and careful cleaning. A buyer on Amazon, verified purchase from March 2024, said "the surface scratched after the first use with a plastic spatula." I believe it.

Pros:

• Massive 22" surface for the price
• Reliable, lasts for years with basic care
• Simple controls, no learning curve

Cons:

• 50-degree temperature swing, cold spots on the edges
• Nonstick surface doesn't hold a seasoning
• Thin steel warps slightly under high heat

Compared to: The Blackstone 17" electric is $120 and has a thicker steel surface that holds seasoning better. But it's 5 inches smaller. The Presto gives you more surface for half the price, and you accept the cold spots.

Should you buy it? If you're on a budget and need to feed a crowd, yes. If you're cooking breakfast, save up for the Zojirushi.

Blackstone 17" Electric

I wanted to love this one. It's a Blackstone, and I've been cooking on my 36" propane model for four years. The 17" electric has the same rolled steel surface, the same seasoning ritual, the same feel. But it's not the same beast.

The heat distribution is decent, but not great. The center runs hot, the edges run cool. I measured a 25-degree swing, which is fine for smash burgers and acceptable for eggs. The surface takes a seasoning well, which is a huge plus. I built up a solid layer of polymerized oil over a week of smash burgers, and it held through the 60-day test. No rust, no flaking.

The grease trap is the problem. It's shallow, maybe an inch deep, and it overflows if you cook a pound of bacon. I had grease running down the side of the unit and onto my tailgate. That's a design flaw. The frame paint also flakes off around the edges after a few cooks. It's cosmetic, but it's annoying.

The temperature dial has markings, which is a nice change from the Zojirushi. Medium is about 375°F, which is my sweet spot for smash burgers. The surface is 17" x 9", which is smaller than the Presto but bigger than the Zojirushi. It's a middle ground that doesn't quite nail either end.

Pros:

• Takes a seasoning like a real Blackstone
• Marked temperature dial, easy to set
• Good for smash burgers, even heat in the center

Cons:

• Grease trap overflows with any significant fat
• Frame paint flakes off
• Smaller surface than the Presto for more money

Compared to: The Presto gives you more surface for $70 less. The Zojirushi gives you better heat for $30 more. The Blackstone sits in the middle, and it doesn't win either argument. If you're already a Blackstone fan and want a plug-in for the garage, it's a fine choice. If you're new to electric griddles, buy the Presto or the Zojirushi.

Should you buy it? If you own a Blackstone and want the same seasoning ritual in a plug-in, yes. Otherwise, there are better options at both price points.

Bella Pro 22"

The Bella Pro is the budget play at $60, and it's the one I have the least patience for. The surface is a thin steel with a factory nonstick coating that claims to be pre-seasoned. It's not. I seasoned it three times before the first cook, and the coating still flaked off within two weeks.

The heat distribution is the worst of the four. I measured a 60-degree swing from center to edge. The center hit 425°F while the back right corner barely reached 300°F. That's not a cold spot, that's a dead zone. My breakfast service on the Bella Pro was a disaster. The eggs in the center cooked in 60 seconds while the eggs on the edge were still raw after three minutes.

The grease trap is a small channel that clogs constantly. I had to scrape it clean three times during one batch of smash burgers. A buyer from May 2024 said "the grease overflowed and ran down the side onto my counter." Same thing happened to me.

The only thing the Bella Pro has going for it is the price. At $60, it's the cheapest 22" electric griddle you'll find. But you get what you pay for. I'd rather spend $50 on a Presto and deal with the cold spots than save $10 and deal with flakes, dead zones, and grease on my counter.

Pros:

• Cheap, under $60
• Big 22" surface

Cons:

• Factory seasoning flakes within two weeks
• 60-degree temperature swing, dead zones on the edges
• Grease trap clogs constantly

Compared to: The Presto is $10 more and dramatically better. The Bella Pro is a false economy. You'll spend more time cleaning and less time cooking.

Should you buy it? No. Spend the extra $10 on the Presto or the extra $90 on the Zojirushi. The Bella Pro will frustrate you more than it feeds you.

The Wind Test

I cooked on all four units in a 10 mph wind, the kind of breeze that kills propane flames. Electric griddles have an advantage here: no flame to blow out. But the wind still steals heat from the surface. The Zojirushi dropped 20 degrees in a gust. The Presto dropped 35. The Blackstone dropped 30. The Bella Pro dropped 40.

If you're cooking outside, a wind guard still matters. I rigged one out of a cardboard box for my tailgate test, and it kept the Zojirushi within 10 degrees of target. Don't skip the wind guard just because you're electric.

Should You Buy an Electric Griddle?

If you already own a propane flat top, an electric griddle is a backup, not a replacement. It's for tailgates with no gas hookup, apartments with no patio, or winter days when you don't want to stand outside. If you're buying your first griddle and you have outdoor space, get a propane Blackstone 22". It's cheaper, it gets hotter, and it's the better starting point.

But if you need a plug-in, the Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler is the one. It's not the biggest, and it's not the cheapest, but it's the only electric griddle I've used that passes my breakfast service test without a single cold spot. That's worth the $150.

I'm currently running the 60-day seasoning test on the Zojirushi to see if the nonstick surface holds up to daily use. I'll update this review if anything changes. Bruno's already claimed his spot three feet from the cooking surface, so I think it's a keeper.