Warped Griddle

[Gary Salsman]

I sold a Griswold griddle a few weeks ago on one of the facebook sites, and when the buyer recieved it he said it was warped 1/4 inch. I wasn't going to argue, so I refunded, and he returned it. It has a slight wobble when sitting on a granite counter, but nothing out of the ordinary. If I put a straight edge on the cooking surface, I can get a .030 feeler guage under in the center. If I put a straight edge on the raised outer edge, it is .062. The bottom edge is fairly straight but turns up at the ends, so if you push down on the handles the other end raises close to .20.
  My question is, how normal is this. It doesn't appear to have been abused. Were most griddles perfectly flat, or were the flat ones only the exception.
  Just wondering

[Cheryl Watson]

Handled griddle, long griddle... ???

I am assuming long griddle because you said 'handles' above, but I'm always getting into trouble when I assume........

[Gary Salsman]

yes, it is a #8 long griddle, about 18" long

[Mark Zizzi]

I'm thinking long griddle too, due to the "handles" statement.
I bought one recently that also rocks on that bottom outer edge. You can see where is was factory ground on both ends, but not in the center. That's why it rocks, imo. It could be easily fixed by a little more grinding, but I've been reluctant to do so because Cheryl would hear it from Harrisburg and chew me out for using a power tool.  ;D ;) Anyway, when I use it on my gas stove spanning across two burners, it isn't an issue at all, so I'm fine with it. Who would use a long griddle on a glass top stove anyway?...there would be no contact to the cooking surface, due to that bottom edge on the perimeter. I think a perfectly flat long griddle with no wobble at all would be a pretty rare bird. What's more important to me is the cooking surface is flat..not that bottom edge.  ;)

[Gary Salsman]

I'm thinking perfectly flat would be the exception also.  I'm not sure cooking on a glass top stove would be much different. Heat rises, so eventually the griddle would get to the correct temp. Waffle irons don't touch the heat source, especially high base ones, and they work fine on all stove types.

[Cheryl Watson]

I've been reluctant to do so because Cheryl would hear it from Harrisburg and chew me out for using a power tool.   

[smiley=argue.gif] [smiley=anh1.gif]

[Roger Muse]

I'm thinking long griddle too, due to the "handles" statement.
I bought one recently that also rocks on that bottom outer edge. You can see where is was factory ground on both ends, but not in the center. That's why it rocks, imo. It could be easily fixed by a little more grinding, but I've been reluctant to do so because Cheryl would hear it from Harrisburg and chew me out for using a power tool.  ;D ;) Anyway, when I use it on my gas stove spanning across two burners, it isn't an issue at all, so I'm fine with it. Who would use a long griddle on a glass top stove anyway?...there would be no contact to the cooking surface, due to that bottom edge on the perimeter. I think a perfectly flat long griddle with no wobble at all would be a pretty rare bird. What's more important to me is the cooking surface is flat..not that bottom edge.  ;)

Unless it is an induction stovetop, there doesn't need to be direct contact with the glass top for the heat to transfer.  Don't believe me, hold you hand 1/2" above a glass top stove with the burner on. 
You do lose a little efficiency of heat transfer, but it shouldn't be an issue.  The cast iron absorbs the heat and spreads it pretty evenly.

[Mark Zizzi]

Thanks for the info Gary and Roger. I've never owned a glass top stove..just thought there did have to be direct contact. Anyway, if that's the case, a little wobble shouldn't matter either, right?

[Jeff Parsons]

Parallel surfaces that are very close compared to their surface areas, depending on emissivity and absorption coefficients, can achieve high heat transfer efficiency with radiant heat transfer. (I made an A in Three-Dimensional Transient Heat Transfer.)

[Robert Bearfield]

so, you made an A in Three-Dimensional Transient Heat Transfer.  no big deal, i got an A in sandbox in pre K.