We use a cast iron griddle on our Thermador induction cooktop, across two hobs. It's not a "bridge" hob, i.e. there is no heat in the middle, but it is fast enough that once the cast iron heats up over the two separate elements, heat will be conducted across the entire griddle. I would guess that it heats up in about 7-8 minutes, enough time for us to mix up a batch of pancakes. We don't cook a lot on the griddle, only pancakes occasionally. We've done bacon and eggs in a large skillet, 14" across.

If you think you'll use a griddle a lot, get a separate electric unit. When we were considering a 36" Bluestar gas cooktop or rangetop, I wanted a grill. But never a griddle. You can always use a griddle pan across two gas burners. If I were going with 48" gas cooktop, I'd still opt for the grill. A griddle is a waste of burner space. The main drawback of a grill is the need for high cfm venting. That wasn't possible in our kitchen, which is why we turned to induction.

Cheryl

This post was edited by jadeite on Thu, Jan 10, 13 at 10:39

I find a couple small griddles just as good and easier to handle--perhaps you can adapt! :)

The electric countertop griddles really are pretty good these days. Maybe you can pick one up and try it out a bit before deciding. It'll come in handy when your kitchen is under construction anyway.

I agree, buy a separate electric griddle. Some (most?) of the cast iron out there today does not have a smooth cooking finish and is a bear to clean. I tossed all my old Lodge stuff decades ago and slowly picked up Griswold cast iron skillets. They have a nice smooth cooking surface and are easier to clean.

I have 3 kids; ages 12, 13 1/2, 15. I used to have a griddle on my old Jenn-Air electric coil. As the kids got older, they eat different things, at different times and I used the griddle less and less. When the Jenn-Air was being replaced, I was looking for an induction that with hobs for a griddle, but ended up with a Bosch. For those once in a while times that I need a griddle for sleepovers and holidays, I picked up a Presto. The induction cooks so efficiently, so quickly, that I can do large batches faster than before. If I need more, I can always pull out the Presto.

The thing I like about the griddle is that it is stainless steel, as opposed to cast iron, coated, or nonstick. Ugh, so much to think about. Thank you for your responses. I was hoping somebody would say "you MUST have the griddle!" lol Back to the drawing board...

The LG induction cooktop with the bridge burner comes with a matching stainless griddle that just fits the bridge burner. It's not as large as the griddle you're considering, but it might be something to think about as a compromise. I agree with the others, in your place I'd get the induction cooktop and a stand-alone electric griddle for the bigger jobs. Induction is wonderful to cook on and so easy to clean.

I've seen a Kitchen Aid 36" induction top with 5 hobs and both the left two and right two can be bridged.

I personally use a Breville electric griddle for all the things you mentioned. Much easier to clean and store away than a 48" Wolf.

Did you look at the Thermador Freedom ? Pricy but then do is Wolf