Calphalon One has several double burner grill pans that are also oven safe to 500° and can be used on glass cooktops. I like the fact that you can put the grill in the oven as well as use it on the cooktop. Check out Amazon for their selection. Plus, they have a $25 off on housewares promotion going on through the end of the month.

Thanks so much. I bought a Calphalon Commercial grill pan only to find the ridges on the bottom. I'll check out the Calphalon One- since it's a newer line, maybe they've accommodated those of us who can't use ridges on the bottom of the pan.

I'm looking for a double burner grill as well, and since I also have a glass cooktop, I've got to get something rather light. As mucha as I'd love the Lodge cast iron reversable grill/griddles, they weigh about 10 pounds and I'm afraid that I would crack my cooktop if it slipped. Plus the customer service rep at Lodge told me that these cast iron pieces are not smooth enough for a glass cooktop and might scratch the glass. Too bad, because they are far cheaper than anything else. I think that buying this pan at Amazon might be cheaper than getting it at BBB or LnT's even with a coupon. Stock is really low right now in stores, so you might not even find this except for Amazon.

I also looked at the Lodge. There's a cute little cookware store in my neighborhood, and the owner told me that I would probably drag the heavy Lodge pan across my cooktop and scratch it. He's probably right. He showed me a single burner LeCreuset and told me to let it sit on the cooktop until it's cooled before moving it- I read the Amazon reviews that the handles get very hot when they sit over the double burner. Still, it's much too heavy for me.

I've been told that Sears Kenmore may have something appropriate. I'm going to look at that too.

I see Amazon is already out of the Calphalon One double grill and it's sold by one of the marketplace shops with shipping charges.

Msmbrooklyn:

If you want something that is absolutely smooth on the bottom, perhaps you should call Calphalon tomorrow and find out which lines of Calphalon cookware do have a smooth, rather than ridged, underside. On the Amazon product description it says that the double grill works on glass cooktops, but a phone call would allow you to be certain that it does. I haven't seen these in person. Sorry if I misled you, most of the pan underside will be in contact with the burner with a Calphalon grill, but not where it's ridged. This is as opposed to the cast iron grill/griddle pans that have a rim around the perimeter which means that for the most part, the pan rests slightly above the burner, which is okay for gas, not so great for glass.

Cupofkindness,

Thank you so much for all your help. Calphalon is closed today, but I will call tomorrow and ask about the pan's underneath side. I'll fill you in once I have more information. Metrokitchen's site notes that the rectangular pans works on a ceramic cooktop- so I think we're in business. Thanks for leading me in the right direction. I'll confirm tomorrow since I know that you would like to buy the pan also.

I have a single burner, enameled cast iron grill pan with a non-stick coating that is made by Innova. I purchased it a few years ago and have not looked to see if they have a two burner one. It is somewhat on the heavy side but my small arthritic hands can lift it fine. I'm not sure what the weight difference a Calphalon one may be, although the larger hard-anodized pans I have are pretty heavy. Good luck finding what you need.

msmbrooklyn:

A couple of questions if you don't mind: Is your Commercial Calphalon grill oven safe to, say, 450°? What don't you like about the pan? Is a double burner grill? Are the handles polished (bright and shiney) stainless?

nwesterner: I've never seen an enamelled cast iron pan with non-stick. Wow! That's a great pan. But I'm with you, I need something light and the Calphalon double pans are fairly light, not like the heavy duty cast iron pans. Thanks!

cupofkindness,

I just spoke with Calphalon. I was told that all of their grill pans have the ridges on the bottom. They understand that there is a need for a pan without the ridges but....

The Commercial Calphalon grill pan I bought was a square for a single burner. The problem was that there were ridges on the bottom and I hadn't thought about that before I bought it on eBay (no returns). The pan is oven safe. I think the Scanpan might be OK, but I'd rather not spend that kind of money on a grill pan.

Nwesterner,
Thanks for the tip on the Innova. At this point, although I would prefer a double burner pan since I have a bridge element, I'd be happy with something that won't hurt my cooktop.

cupofkindness,

I just spoke with Calphalon. I was told that all of their grill pans have the ridges on the bottom. They understand that there is a need for a pan without the ridges but....

The Commercial Calphalon grill pan I bought was a square for a single burner. The problem was that there were ridges on the bottom and I hadn't thought about that before I bought it on eBay (no returns). The pan is oven safe. I think the Scanpan might be OK, but I'd rather not spend that kind of money on a grill pan.

Nwesterner,
Thanks for the tip on the Innova. At this point, although I would prefer a double burner pan since I have a bridge element, I'd be happy with something that won't hurt my cooktop.

I also called Calphalon this morning and they told me that I should check with my manufacturer about pan size vis a vis ceramic glass cooktop capability. So next I called Whirlpool this morning and they told me that they cannot recommend any pan that is larger than 1 inch bigger all the way around than the burner. So, a 13" by 20" Calphalon griddle is way too big for my cooktop, where the largest burner is just under 10 inches wide. The grill would ordinarily use medium to high heat, so a double burner grill would not work either. I don't have a bridge unit, Whirlpool didn't make them when I bought my cooktop, but even now that they do make these bridge units, the overall dimension is still too large for most Whirlpool cooktops.

I ordered a Wisconsin Aluminum grill pan for a double burner from Cooking.com. They say that it is safe for ceramic cooktops- I hope it really is.

My last range was Whirlpool and somehow I cracked the surface around the largest burner. I don't even know when or how I did it. I cooked with it anyway for a few years, luckily without problems. But I'm afraid of doing the same thing with my new range- Frigidaire. I did use a grill with underneath ridges on my Whirlpool.

How high heat would you use when using the grill?

Msm:

I had two farberware double griddles that I cooked with, both at the same time, on my Whirlpool cooktop, but these pans were smaller than the Calphalon 13" by 20", this seems to be a fairly standard size. Plus the farberware ones were coated on the bottom, maybe even a thin layer of enamel, and they weren't stable on the cooktop, that is they could scoot around a bit. Plus the handles got really hot. I got rid of these double griddles because I wanted to move away from cheaper non-stick pans. When I used them, I made pancakes on one and fried bacon or sausage on the other.

Anyway, I called Calphalon again and asked about the double griddle. They told me that the pan should work on a ceramic glass cooktop, but recommended that it be used with a bridge unit. Again Calphalon told me to contact the cooktop manufacturer. The lady that I spoke to yesterday explained it too me like this:

1. The ceran glass on the cook top is all the same material, it is one sheet of glass, even over the burners.

2. When a pan is bigger than a burner, the ceramic ring underneath the surface can overheat and crack. The glass may or may not crack as well, but if the ceramic ring cracks, that burner is broken. She called this "thermal shock." I guess this means the heat is reflected back into the ceramic burner and overheats it. I guess the heat has to get "out" either via the pan or via air circulating around the cooktop.

3. When the pan is more than an inch bigger all the way around, this is a greater risk.

Well, I purchased two Calphalon double burner griddles today on eBay. They are a discontinued but recent model, they have a lifetime warranty and are oven-proof to 450°. The handles match my Calphalon tri-ply, which is an added bonus.

4. Well, I'm on the phone with Whirlpool right now and I'm getting a slightly different understanding. She is telling me that the only thing that can crack is the glass, and that thermal shock results from a sudden temperature change, like wiping a hot burner with a cold cloth. The ceramic ring can burn out, but that a limit switch inside of the cooktop will shut down the burner before it over heats. But the overly hot temperatures can still cause the top to crack.

Alright, I guess that I just need to cook at low temperatures and experiment with my new double griddles, and trust that if I take it slowly the cooktop won't crack. There are so many variables (size of pan, metal/material the pan is made of, speed of heat-up/cool down, temperature of the pan, size of burner, etc) to take into consideration that I'm willing to risk it.

But to answer your question, I don't know how high to heat your grill pan in order to get the best results. Usually it's recommended to pre-heat the pan. It should only take a few minutes to cook anything in a grill pan. How big is your largest burner?

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of this to me.

I have a 12" burner and then 2- 7" with a bridge element to create 18" x 7". I just checked the new grill pan and it's 19" x 10". Do you think I should send it back?

I'm going to call Electrolux and ask about it.

Also, thanks for explaining about thermal shock. Now I understand why they say to let the burners cool down before cleaning. Silly me-- I thought it was so I wouldn't get burned. I could have cracked my last cooktop by cleaning too soon.

Cupofkindness,

My husband reminded me that if I can use a pan that is 1" all around the outside of a circular burner, then I should have 1" on either side of my rectangular one. And my pan will be 1-1/2" larger. I'm going to take the risk and hope I'm not crying in the near future.

I just realized that you bought griddles rather than a grill. I bought a double burner Circulon griddle which is fine for pancakes and French toast, but it was very heavy when I had oil from frying chicken cutlet, and I splattered grease everywhere when I lifted off the range for cleaning. It stays flat during the cooking and doesn't wobble around.

Msm:

If I were in your situation, I would give this a try. I'm planning on using griddles that are far larger than my burners, but I'm hoping that Calphalon's construction will make it possible to keep the heat on the low side. Now this shouldn't be a problem for pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches, but if you plan to grill meat, you will need a higher temperature to cook the meat throroughly. So the question is whether you can use heat that's hot enough to cook food, but not damage your cook top. I need to go now, but I'll check in later.

Another question I asked Whirlpool was why they don't make ceramic glass burners any larger than 9" in diameter (and of course with a bridge element, it allows you to create one long burner). I guess this is one advantage of a gas range, you can put any size vessel on the burners when all of the burners have a common grate. But I really do think you will be fin with your grill and the measurements of your burners. Just start at low temps and work your way up to medium heat, then let everything cool before you clean your cooktop. The only thing I would worry about would be the logistics, like how easy it is to lift of the cooktop, will fats stay in the pan, etc. I'm curious as to what Electrolux will say about your cook top vis a vis a double burner pan. Can you link a picture of your cooktop from Electrolux's website? Thanks!

http://www.frigidaire.com/products/cooking/ranges/slide-in_electric/prod_PLES399EC.asp

I hope that works. It's Frigidaire PLES399EC. I love the looks and it works fine. So far, it's been easy to clean.

I couldn't get through to Electrolux- they had me on hold forever on a non-toll-free number.

Msm:

That is a great looking range. I wish I had a bridge burner on my Whirlpool. I really don't think you'll have to worry about cracking the glass top as long as you keep the temperature in the mid ranges. Good luck and please let us know how the grill pan works!

Thanks for your help. I'll let you know if the grill pan works well.

My new griddles work great so far. Used one for bacon and one for pancakes this morning on medium heat. I'm delighted, but I'll always be careful with how I heat these pans and my cooktop as well.

Happy to hear that you're pleased with the griddles. Can you use both simultaneously by putting them each over 2 different burners? I'm follwing your advice regarding keeping the heat at medium. My grill pan hasn't arrived yet, but I'll let you know when it does.

I haven't used my Staub square grill pan but it is safe for smooth cooktops and the handle won't get hot. I plan on making fajita fillings with it.

Msmbrooklyn:

Yes, we did use both pans simultaneously by putting them across two different pairs of burners. The pancakes needed higher heat, not much, than medium, but the bacon did fine on medium heat. The handles stayed cool. I love these pans, I'm glad so many came up on eBay, and that's because they are in Tuesday Morning for $49.99, which seems to be about half price. Very easy to clean as well. Lifetime warranty from Calphalon. Thank you so much for starting this thread, it's been very helpful!

Ossiency:

Thanks for the feedback on the Staub. Coincidentally, I just preordered one- a square also- I seem to be in a buying mood. I'll be interested in hearing how you like it when you use it. Do you have electric also?

Cupofkindness:

I'm really happy it all worked out so well for you. eBay can be great.We buy a lot on eBay. My Circulon double griddle is fine and I don't think I can justify buying another griddle, but I wish I had waited and bought the Calphalon like you did. I'll let you know about my Wisconsin grill pan once it arrives- still waiting. I'm presuming Tuesday Morning is like TJ Maxx, right?

I have the Calphalon 10 x 18 nonstick griddle with a smooth bottom and I use it on the bridge burners of my Frigidaire ceramic top range. I have had not problems with it whatsoever, except that the burner controls need to be set to different temperature numbers to be consistent at both ends of the griddle. In other words, I have to adjust the controls to reach even heat throughout.