Piece type

Vintage cast iron griddles

Griddles — flat cooking surfaces with a low rim or none — are ideal for pancakes, bacon and flatbreads. Round handle griddles such as the Griswold No. 9 (pattern 609) and the Wagner No. 9 (catalog 1109) are the most common; long two-burner griddles and square pans also turn up. Because a griddle has almost no sidewall, warp is the main risk on any of them: ask for a photo of the griddle lying flat on a counter and look for a gap under the edge or a centre that spins. Long two-burner griddles are more prone to warp than round ones. Then check the low rim for chips and missing chunks, which can't be repaired, and look for hairline cracks running in from the edge.