Made In’s New Griddle Extends Grilling Season Even If Summer Is Almost Over
I don’t remember a summer when my father wasn’t eager to grill. He considers it a showcase of his affection, and I look forward to watching him in his element as much as I relish the long afternoons in which these homespun events take place. My parents were always hosting family and friends in our small backyard for barbecue feasts, playing music from their youth above the chatter and laughter, and these past few months have been no different. On Sundays, they kept an open invitation for anyone who wanted to eat barbecue. And usually, that included me.
A look at Made In’s Carbon Steel Half Griddle
- Pre seasoned 14-inch-long half griddle made of naturally non-stick carbon steel
- Works great on the grill and stove for outdoor and indoor cooking
- Two low-profile handles make it easy to transport and store
- Retails for $99
My dad’s technique for serving up burgers and hot dogs likely hasn’t changed for as long as I’ve been alive, so when I told him that Made In sent me its new Half Griddle, he seemed simultaneously excited yet skeptical. “Oh, this is nice,” he noted as we took it out of the box together. “Let’s see how we can make this work.”
Grilling season lasts long after summer officially ends — after all, it’s hot pretty much everywhere throughout the country until around Halloween — and it’s possible to continue cooking this way even when the weather truly chills. Made In makes a year-round barbecue season all the more likely with this easy-to-use griddle, and I have a feeling that it’s going to be a staple of my parents’ backyard barbecues for years to come. Read on to learn why it’s so exceptional.
What’s So Great About Made In’s Half Griddle?
Made In isn’t the type of company that’s all style, no substance. In fact, what I like most about its offerings — which stretch from cookware and knives to bakeware and accessories — is that the pieces are exactly as they seem. Every Made In item that I and other editors at The Kitchn have used and owned (which is a lot!) is simple yet stunning, with clean lines and barely-there decoration that communicate a timeless durability. The new Carbon Steel Half Griddle is no different, and at a retail price of $99, it’s well worth the investment.
The nearly 14-inch-long half griddle resembles a flat square with handles on either side as a condensed version of the 24-inch full griddle, making it easily transferable from a prep station to a barbecue grill (leather handles are also available for an additional $30) and easier for those with tight spaces, too. It’s pre-seasoned and has a natural non-stick surface, giving it the familiarity of a cast-iron skillet but in a flatter form. My dad’s burgers grilled fast and evenly, another fulfilled promise of the griddle’s build, and he liked that it didn’t dominate space on his grates. He was able to cook burgers and hot dogs for four, with asparagus, and red potatoes, in one swoop.
The griddle is much prettier when it’s not being used, and my dad made fun of me for the fact that the “in process” image that you see above was not as photogenic as I would like. But perhaps that’s a testament to the griddle itself: It’s here to work, not look good. And when it’s given a shot to prove itself, my dad can say, “Hey, I really like this thing,” and mean it. From a guy who has decades of Sunday barbecues under his belt, that’s quite the compliment.
Storing it is just as no-frills as when it’s sitting above flames, and we held on to the case it came in to keep it extra protected. The handles obviously don’t make it entirely flat, but the griddle is just wide enough to be the base for whatever smaller goods can be held on top. Given how much my dad liked this griddle, I don’t expect it to be in a cupboard for long.
Buy: Made In Carbon Steel Half Griddle, $99