Made In Carbon Steel Griddle System Review

A cast iron griddle is a fantastic tool for unlocking a new level of creativity in the kitchen. From breakfast delights to mouthwatering smash burgers and sizzling fajitas, a griddle gives you the power to transform your home kitchen into a professional-grade restaurant.

Unfortunately, cast iron has its downfalls; the material is heavy, and these pans are slow to heat. Enter the carbon steel griddle, a lightweight cooktop that heats up quickly while still possessing cast-iron-like heat retention and nonstick capabilities.

There’s so much to love about Made In’s Carbon Steel Griddle (available at Made In) , which spans two burners on our stovetop and makes perfect pancakes. Our admiration for this griddle extends beyond the confines of our kitchen, and you can take the tool outside for use on the grill.

Using the griddle system, you can do even more. It includes a lid to trap steam inside the unit and a stand for cooking outside over coals or an open flame.

About the Made In Carbon Steel Griddle System

• Dimensions (with handles): 1.5 in. high x 10.5 in. wide x 24 in. long
• Cooking Surface Area: 8.5 in. wide x 17.5 in. long x 0.5 in deep
• Capacity: 40 oz.
• Weight: 9.9 lbs.
• Cooking Surface Style Options: Solid, perforated, or half perforated
• Materials: Carbon steel seasoned with vegetable oil
• Features: Naturally nonstick and pre-seasoned. Heat control up to 1,200°F. Can be used on a variety of cooktops, including the stove, grill, or over an open flame. Bundle options include a grill press, lid, and modular stand. Additional accessories sold separately.

The seasoned carbon steel griddle is available in three styles. The solid griddle mimics a restaurant flattop or an electric griddle. It features an extra-large cooking surface with edges that flare at the perfect angle to keep the food from spilling.

The fully-perforated griddle maintains a similar appearance and structure to its solid counterpart, but it's punctuated by dozens of small holes. These perforations maximize direct contact between the flames and the food, resulting in more opportunity to create char—just like a grill. For the best-of-both-worlds, opt for the half-perforated griddle.

Then there are the bundle options. A simple bundle combines the griddle with a heavy-duty press. This is an essential accessory if you plan to make dishes like smashburgers, and it’s also extremely helpful to prevent bacon from curling as it cooks.

For outdoor cooking, we recommend the full griddle system—the model we tested—which includes the press, a lid, and an adjustable stand.

The lid covers the entire griddle surface to trap steam inside the unit, which you’ll appreciate when melting cheese on top of burgers. The stand transforms the griddle from a cooktop that can only be used on prepared surfaces (like a stovetop or the grate on an outdoor fire pit) to one that can go anywhere. Simply insert the griddle arms into the stand legs and push it into the ground to create a level cooking surface that can cook over an open flame.

Why you need a carbon steel griddle in your cooking arsenal

A griddle is a game-changer, providing a versatile cooking surface with endless possibilities. And carbon steel griddles make it especially easy to whip up breakfast classics like pancakes, fried eggs, and bacon, thanks to its nonstick surface and easy clean-up.

Beyond breakfast, the griddle’s flat surface easily accommodates cooking multiple ingredients at once. So we love using it for lunch and dinner to make dishes like grilled sandwiches, quesadillas, stir-fried vegetables, and seared meats.

Choosing carbon steel offers the flexibility to use the unit indoors and outdoors, allowing you to take your culinary adventures to the backyard or campsite. Carbon steel is the material of choice for many restaurants because it heats up quickly, distributes heat evenly, and cools just as fast.

Like cast iron, carbon steel griddles are built to last and can withstand high heat and heavy use without deteriorating the nonstick coating. However, where the Lodge 20-inch cast-iron griddle weighs 13.5 pounds, this carbon steel griddle weighs just shy of 10 pounds.

What we like about the Made In Carbon Steel Griddle System

We tested the griddle system on a standard campground fire pit. The first thing we noticed about the pan was that it heated remarkably quickly. We let it preheat for five minutes before adding our sliced peppers and onions. It sizzled immediately, and the veggies had a fantastic char when we flipped them five minutes later.

The design here is top-notch. The cooktop is not only large enough to fit three peppers and one onion—the perfect amount of fajita veggies to feed the eight people in our group—but the sides flare at an ideal angle to prevent spillage (without sacrificing cooking area).

We also appreciated that the griddle is easy to transport using the two large handles. Those handles are extra comfortable when paired with the slide-on leather handle covers, and they fit easily into the stand to create a standalone cooking unit over the fire.

Finally, the pan was truly nonstick straight out of the box. We added a little cooking oil along with the fajita vegetables, but we didn’t add any extra when we cooked the chicken. When we finished by dry toasting corn tortillas, we expected a little sticking but were pleasantly surprised that everything slid easily off the surface.

When we finished cooking, cleaning the griddle was as simple as wiping it down with a paper towel (carefully of course, holding the towel with a pair of tongs, because this thing gets very, very hot!).

What we don’t like about the Made In Carbon Steel Griddle System

There’s a lot to love about the griddle stand, and we appreciate that it’s super easy to use. Simply move the handle into one of the two notched settings—a higher setting for cooking over direct flames and a lower notch when cooking over coals. When the unit is cool, the stand comes apart for easy storage.

That said, we tried the griddle system on multiple settings, but the stand always wobbled slightly from side to side. Pressing the legs into the ground creates some stability, and it’s a solid option if you’re setting the stand before building a fire. However, that doesn’t work if you plan to enjoy the open flames before cooking. It didn’t prevent us from using the griddle, but we did take care when stirring the contents to keep the unit from falling over.

It’s also pretty hard to remove the griddle from the fire while it’s still hot. When you’re using the griddle without the stand, you can move the griddle by grasping the handles with potholders (or those fantastic leather handle covers we mentioned earlier).

But when the handles are intertwined in the stand, there’s no easy way to get it out of the fire. It’s extremely hot, so moving it is a safety hazard. The griddle does cool down remarkably fast once removed from the heat, though.

Our final point is a very small sticking point, and it’s not a deal breaker for us, but it is worth noting. We’ve gotten pretty used to reversible griddles, as many cast-iron options come built with a flat surface on one side and a raised grill pattern on the other. That’s not an option here, so don’t plan on creating grill marks when searing meat.

Tips for use

With proper care, carbon steel pans get better over time. Bare carbon steel can rust, which is why these pans need to be seasoned (the process of treating the pan with oil to seal the surface). This seasoning also creates a natural, nonstick coating on the pan’s cooking surface, which enhances its performance and makes it easier to use and clean over time.

The Made In Griddle comes pre-seasoned and ready to use right out of the box. Simply give it a quick wash to remove any residue from the factory, and you’re ready to go. Then, every time you use the pan, the fats and oils used in the cooking process will add to the seasoning layer.

Of course, proper care and maintenance play a crucial role in keeping the pan in top-notch condition. According to Made In’s guide for caring for carbon steel cookware, you should avoid using soap on the griddle after the initial unboxing session. Instead, wipe out the pan with a paper towel after each use.

If the pan needs a little more love, there are two options: Scrub it with coarse salt and oil to release any stubborn bits, or boil some water on the pan’s surface and scrape with a wooden spoon or brush. After washing, it's essential to dry the pan thoroughly to prevent rusting.

If you do accidentally wash off the seasoning layer with soap, no worries. You can heat the pan and add a small layer of oil to recreate the initial seasoning step. These heavy-duty pans are pretty hard to destroy, so don’t be afraid to learn as you go.

Warranty

Per Made In’s warranty disclosure, its carbon steel products come with a lifetime warranty covering defects that impact the product’s use or longevity.

Any superficial damages or changes in appearance are not covered, including rust (a byproduct of carbon steel that can be prevented with proper seasoning and care). Most accessories are covered for manufacturing defects but not superficial damage from wear-and-tear, nor damage from a failure to stay under advised max temperature thresholds.

Should you buy the Made In Carbon Steel Griddle System?

Yes, especially if you love to cook outdoors!

For starters, we absolutely recommend the griddle itself. This carbon steel griddle has undeniable charm, and its rustic-chic look compelled us to incorporate this versatile cooking surface into every meal.

We were thrilled with its performance (both indoors and outdoors), its remarkable nonstick capabilities, outstanding heat retention, and effortless cleaning. It had practically no flaws that dampened our enthusiasm.

As far as the bundles go, you have to ask yourself how you plan to use the griddle. If you’re an inside-only kind of cook, skip the griddle system and stick to the cooktop alone. You can purchase additional accessories, like the grill press and lid, if you think you’ll use them.

However, if you’re excited about the idea of cooking over an open flame, the stand is a fantastic way to transform an ordinary griddle into a customizable cooktop.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.