Collection: Electric Skillets

Electric Skillets: Flipping Carefully

In essence, electric skillets (also known as frying skillets) are round or flat skillets with a built-in electrical heating element at the bottom of the appliance that heats the surface of the food quickly. To cook, simply pack an electric skillet into your car to take on a road trip, set one on your porch or patio for breakfast, or even use it as an extra cooking surface at the kitchen counter. The advantage to this type of skillet is that you can use it immediately without waiting for the food to heat up. This can come in handy if you're in a rush, since most people don't have enough time. The disadvantage is that these skillets don't come cheap. If you want to save money and make a meal that impresses friends and family, here's how you can do it:

Buy two skillets - One large and one small, the smaller skillet will probably work better for you. Keep the larger one in your car, and the smaller in your oven. Heat up the smaller skillet until it's hot, then place the glass lid on the skillet and put it in the oven or microwave for a minute or so. When you open the lid, you'll see that the food is done.

Cook food evenly - When you cook food in electric skillets, it's important that you keep the temperature consistent, which usually involves flipping the food often. When flipping, make sure the side that's lower is cooked first, and then turn the other side. Continue doing this until each side is fully cooked to your desired temperature. Don't overheat the skillet by cooking an entire side at once, because it can result in burning.

Cook larger dishes faster - If you buy one of those thin electric skillets made of cast iron, you can flip it over so that the other side is cooked first. This will allow you to use less oil and cook your foods faster. Just be sure not to overheat the skillet, or else the outcome won't be as you would like. Some of these cookers even come with two separate pans so that when you flip one over, both sides are equally cooked.

Easy clean - Your electric skillets can be washed and cleaned with just water. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you have a metal skillet, you'll need to dry it first, before actually washing it. You can use a towel or dryer and run under hot water until the surface is nice and easy to clean. Non-stick kitchen handles are great for easy cleaning, too.

Flip it over - Many electric skillets have non-stick removable bottom or handles. If your skillet has one of these, simply flip it over so that both sides get equal cooking time. By doing this, you can turn up the heat for slightly less, so that both sides are evenly cooked. It's also easier to mix the batter with the non-stick parts coming off the skillet than if you had to use a frying pan.

Take it off the stove - Once you have finished cooking on one side of your skillet, simply take it off the stove and fluff up the coals, putting them away neatly. Now, let your skillet cool down. Clean up any spills on the bottom and fluff up the handle or lid with a spatula. Then put the skillet back onto the stove to start cooking the second side. Wait until the other side is ready before flipping. Using your electric skillets handles or lids, flip so that both sides are cooked evenly.

Be Careful with Your Coating - Even though non-stick coating will seem to melt immediately after removing it from an electric skillets' oven, it is not actually non-stick. The coating gives the skillet a smooth, semi-sticky surface, but it still conducts heat very well. Once your skillet has cooled down completely, turn it over so that both sides are cooked thoroughly. When flipping your non-stick coated skillet, make sure to pay special attention to the center. This area of your stovetop will burn the most if you leave it open when flipping.