Griddle Temp For Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese is perhaps the most beloved sandwich for all ages. It has helped college students get by and fueled the young and old for many generations. But how do you cook the perfect grilled cheese sandwich on a griddle?
What is the griddle temp for grilled cheese? Electric griddles need to be heated to around 260-275°F for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. You can go for lower temperatures for a slow cook but we recommend staying around 275°F for a golden-brown and deliciously crisp sandwich.
Read below to learn more about how to get the most out of cooking grilled cheese sandwiches on an electric griddle, some tips, and cooking times!
Electric Griddles Vs. Stove Cooking
Historically, grilled cheese sandwiches have always been cooked over the stove. All you need to prepare this delicious sandwich is a pan, butter, cheese, and bread!
Normally, when cooking over the stove, you will need to heat the pan at medium heat and put in the bread before the pan starts to smoke. The bread will then take a few minutes to cook until it becomes golden brown on one side.
The other slice with the cheese is cooked in the same way and then both of the slices are combined until fully cooked!
But when using electric griddles, things are a bit different.
Electric griddles have completely changed the way we cook food – for the better! What was once a guessing game has now become a precise science.
Gone are the days when you have to eyeball the temp and gamble with your slice of bread when cooking a grilled cheese sandwich.
Griddles take all the guesswork out of the equation and provide you with a stable and even cooking surface that you can use to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Making A Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled cheese sandwiches may not seem complicated but they still require quite a lot of forethought. Everything from the cooking time, cooking temperature, and technique needs to be perfect to make a great-tasting sandwich.
Here are a few detailed steps:
Step 1) Griddle Temperature
The griddle temperature is everything when it comes to this delicious sandwich.
Crank it up too high and you will burn the bread before melting the cheese, miss the temperature mark and you will end up drying the bread while leaving the cheese cold.
There is a sacred temperature range that you can use to cook a well-balanced sandwich: 260-275°F. This temperature range makes it possible for all the ingredients to cook at the same time without over-drying or leaving behind cold spots.
Setting the temperature between 260-275°F will produce extremely crispy yet soft and gooey sandwiches that will trump any stove-cooked sandwich!
Note: If you are new to cooking sandwiches on the griddle then we recommend always starting with 275°F rather than a higher or lower temperature.
Step 2) Cooking Time
Once you have an appropriately hot griddle, it’s time to cook the bread! Apply room-temperature butter to two slices of room-temperature bread slices. Using softened butter will prevent the bread from tearing.
Lift the buttered bread with a spatula and put it down over the hot griddle – butter side down.
At the same time, add a slice or two of either cheddar or American cheese. You can also use a combination of different cheeses – we are not here to judge.
Now immediately add the other slice of bread over the cheese – butter side up. Cook the bottom slice for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to peek and to check for doneness.
Step 3) Flipping the Sandwich
After the bottom slice has been cooked, carefully flip the sandwich and continue cooking the other buttered side.
But this time, press down on the sandwich so that the bottom slice makes full contact with the griddle – and to fully distribute and “adhere” the cheese to both slices.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the sandwich from the griddle. Use a serrated knife to cut through the slices and serve hot!
If you are left with some leftovers (unlikely) then you can store them in an airtight bag and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days. The sandwich will also freeze well and should remain edible for 3-4 weeks.
If you’re more of a visual learner, take a look at this great tutorial from Food Truck on YouTube.
Cooking Times And Temperatures
You can use varying temperatures to cook the sandwich too – but the trick here is to remain within the range of the ideal temperature!
Here is a quick chart to help you figure out the cooking time for different temperatures:
| Cooking Temperature | Cooking Time |
| 275°F – Ideal Temperature | 3 minutes on each side. |
| 250°F – Slow-cook Temperature | 3 – 4 minutes on each side. |
| 285°F – Fast Cook Temperature | 2-3 minutes on each side. |
| 300°F – Blazing Hot Temperature* | 2 minutes on each side. |
*Use the steam method mentioned below for this temperature.
If you are looking for the perfect sandwich, then we recommend staying around 260-75°F.
For people who don’t have the time, crank up the temp to around 285°F or even 300°F – but there are a few things to keep in mind while using high temps, though!
More Tips For Cooking Grilled Cheese
Here are some tips for generally cooking grilled cheese at varying temperatures:
Bread And Heat
Always remember that the bread is the first point of contact between the cheese and the griddle and since bread contains sugar, the slice is bound to caramelize in a matter of minutes.
Too much caramelization can lead to the bread burning without melting the cheese while less heat may not give it the right texture.
This is why when you opt for higher temperatures, always use steam to your advantage. Steaming is the perfect way to melt the cheese and cook the slices on each side.
Begin by cooking the buttered side normally – now before flipping the sandwich, spray some water around the hot griddle and then flip the sandwich.
Cover up the sandwich and steam using a rounded heat-resistant dish and let the sandwich cook for a few minutes.
The steam will help melt the cheese while the griddle will do its job as usual! In the end, you will have a quick and perfectly cooked sandwich within minutes!
Applying Butter On Griddle
This tip is great for two reasons, it will allow you to skip a step and quickly cook the sandwich without softening the butter and it will also slightly caramelize the butter before the bread hits the griddle, adding flavor.
When the griddle reaches the desired temperature, add the butter to the pan or glide the stick around the hot griddle to lubricate and melt the butter. Once the griddle starts steaming and sizzling, add the bread slice.
Additionally, you can also cook the sandwich by melting butter on the side of the bread when it is already on the griddle. The extra butter will seep in through the sides and will add texture and flavor to the bread!
Use Room Temp Cheese for Lower Temperatures
If you are cooking a grilled cheese sandwich at 250-260°F then we recommend using room temperature ingredients.
This means that the bread, cheese, and even butter will need to be at room temperature for the sandwich to cook properly.
Using frozen cheese will only make it harder for it to melt at lower temperatures and you might risk drying the bread too.
You can try using the steaming method for lower temperatures but be careful when adding water to the griddle as adding too much may bring down the temperature even further.
Related Questions
The right temperature is just as important as anything else when making a great grilled cheese sandwich. Now that you know how to cook it on an electric griddle, here are some related questions:
Can you reheat a grilled cheese sandwich on a griddle?
Yes. Reheat the sandwich by first preheating the griddle to 275°F. Add the leftover sandwich to the griddle and immediately add a splash of water while covering the sandwich with the steam.
Turn off the griddle and cook the sandwich on each side using the ambient heat until adequately warm.
Can you use a sandwich maker to make a grilled cheese sandwich?
You can make a grilled cheese sandwich in a sandwich maker but you will likely end up with some mess.
A sandwich maker quickly cooks bread and other ingredients by compressing them together, the high temperature and build-up of steam can cause the cheese to ooze out from the sides causing a mess!
This is why a griddle or a pan is the best way to cook a grilled cheese sandwich.
Should you re-flip a grilled cheese sandwich when cooking on a griddle?
Once the sandwich has been fully cooked on each side, you may flip the sandwich again to slightly reheat the first side – but do not let the bread heat for more than 15 seconds or you might end up overcooking it.
This trick is completely optional and should only be used when you want a piping hot sandwich.
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