Side by Side Comparison of: Black & Decker vs Norpro

I love this thing! I had been toying around with the idea of buying a griddle for a while. I finally dove in because of the good reviews on this particular one. I have not regretted it once. It's easy to use, easy to clean and makes a mean toasted cheese sandwich with just the perfect amount of crunch. Just for reference, I can cook up 6 small pancakes (about 5 inch) at once and I can make three toasted cheese sandwiches at once. If you are teetering on the verge of buying one, go ahead and get this. You can't beat the price and I'm happy with the performance.

I have owned an electric griddle for many years and loved it. When it started to die, I wasn't excited about looking for a new one, but I am so happy I found this one!! It's the perfect size, has a pretty even heat surface and is amazingly non-stick! I love this one even more than my old one!!

I love the large cooking space you can do about 8 hamburger patties at one time. Drip tray is a bit on the small side so you will have to empty it a few times. Very easy to clean and quick to heat up. It isn't foldable so it does take up take up some space.

I had been wanting one of these for a while and when I saw it on the Amazon warehouse deals, I jumped on it. It works great! I cooked a whole meal on it the night after receiving it in the mail. It's hot enough to cook raw meat, yet doesn't heat up my entire house like my stove does. I can move it to anywhere in my house, even outside if I want to, the portability is fantastic. It's a little big for storing, but that's not a deal breaker for me. I love it!

My husband uses this ALL the time. He loves it. Easy to clean, perfect size, and he can cook anything on it. Great gift.

I'm throwing a pancake/waffle party soon and needed an electric griddle to accomodate the 30+ people who are going to destroy my house with breakfast making. I had an old electric griddle a long time ago and loved it but it got neglected and scratched up. So this was going to be my replacement.There's some hate going on in the reviews for this product and not all of it is justified. The gripes worth consideration: yes the cord is very short, so you might need an extension if you don't have a convenient outlet. And yes the bottom heats up quite a bit. It's a budget cooking item and this isn't really a gripe just something you need to be aware of you don't nuke your table.A lot of the other reivews complain about inconsistent cooking or problems with the temperature setting. I feel like that's kind of a weird gripe considering that's true of all electrical heating elements. Just look at the bottom to see where the coils are and plan accordingly. Also let the thing pre-heat and radiate heat throughout and it'll be just fine. Eggs, bacon and pancakes are all easily done and not having to contend with the edge of a pan is so nice.Probably the best part for me is being able to make pancakes for my daughter and myself and not have to choose between waiting for mine to finish while she eats or trying to keep the first batch warm in the oven. Read the instructions, preheat and enjoy!

We use an electric skillet probably more than any other kitchen appliance in our home. We bought this one after a different brand's "non-stick" coating burned off in about 2 weeks of use.This Black & Decker skillet is excellent -- it is large, cooks very evenly compared to all others I have used, and -- very important to me! -- the non-stick surface worked perfectly for about a year of frequent use (sometimes used for breakfast and dinner). Eventually the non-stick surface got a few "thin spots" in it, and we retired the skillet -- but kept it as a back-up, since it still has some life in it. We have learned that it is important NOT to use the highest heat with any non-stick surface, and I suspect if we had kept the temperature to no more than 375-degrees, it would still be in service with us today.So far, this is the best electric skillet I have used.

This is at least the 8th Black & Decker 12-Inch Electric Skillet we've purchased, either through stick/brick stores or Amazon. My wife is a virtuoso in preparing one-skillet meals, and we have one in the house and one in the motor-home.It is just the right size for our meals. When she cooks "drop biscuits," the plate fits nicely under the skillet to keep them warm while preparing the next part of the meal.Eventually, the coating does wear off, hence the number of skillets we've bought. This is a great product, and we love it.

Fabulous- I was debating between a griddle to go over my gas stovetop and an electric skillet. I'm glad I chose the electric skillet because I can also good big dishes in it, in addition to making pancakes. A griddle would be more limited in its uses than this product. And I LOVE knowing exactly how hot I'm cooking with the degree dial. It's very light weight too.

One of the best ones we have owned over the last 42 years.

Finally! Found an electric skillet that actually works! I wish I had bought this the first time instead of wasting money and time on others. I will never ever buy an Oster anything, ever again! Black and Decker has the best by far!

I was a little worried because people complained that they could not see the control under the handle. This is not true. The indicator for the temperature you want is far enough out from under the handle that it is easy to see. The knob is easy to move. And the skillet works very well.What I wanted was a pot that would simmer. Not boil, but simmer. Yes, the heat goes on and off, but I could set the temperature and walk away from the skillet and know that nothing was going to burn. It would bring the food just barely up to boil and turn off again holding the food at reasonable temperatures for long enough for it to cook properly. That was what I wanted and what I got.The first thing I did with the skillet was brown some onions and peppers and then the chicken I was cooking. The browning went very well and took only a small amount of time. Things cooked evenly as well.Recommended.

I bough this ~$2 spatula because we lost one. I figured if it melted or got damaged in any way, who cares? It’s awesome! It’s sturdy and works great!

I really like this spatula. I bought 2 total. I’m a full time college student living in a rented room, with full access to the kitchen. So basically I started out with no kitchen items and had to buy the basics. I like this spatula so much more than the cheapie one I got from a dollar store - it doesn’t scratch the nonstick finish on my fry pans, it is very easy to rinse off and clean, and it’s durable (doesn’t melt or burn if it touches a hot pan). I recommend this basic spatula for every kitchen!

Our household needed a spatula to get by with, and this was by far the cheapest one I could find. Thankfully, it works up to standards, and I have no real complaints. It's really light, and seems sturdy enough to use. It's easy to clean and I'm glad I picked this spatula!

flips great, lets the greeze drain through the slots. Gets a nice pickup on the swing with the air holes making a nice TWACK on landing.

Happy with this little purchase, bought two and they seem to hold up nicely easy to clean seem of high quality even for the price.

Can't believe I have been without this spatula. MY other plastic one, that I thought was the greatest size, broke It was a flat one. This has a slight incline, and I believe it will work great for my use...Good size, good price and seems very sturdy. If it does not work , or last I will let you know in another review.

Great griddle. Not quite as large as I thought it would be but it gets the job done that a normal skillet couldn't. I only wish it got a little hotter even turn to the highest temp doesn't see quite hot enough for cooking some things like bacon for instance.

Great size. But there are parts that have already broken off. Not due to the product being defective, but banging it around accidentally. Still, I was surprised things were so easily broken off (not essential parts but the plasticky bits) so could be a bit cheaply made.

Have to preface this by saying that I got this when it was about 50% off MSRP, and very happy with what I got. Cooking surface is very non-stick (will try to update after some time passed to see if that's still the case) and easy to clean off even though it's one piece. Main gripe (and again, for the price it's understandable) is that the removable drip tray doesn't hold a lot and overflowed when we were cooking a small package of bacon. Just be aware of that, and otherwise very nice product.

My aunt bought me one a few years ago and I said "I will never use this" Turns out... we use it ALL THE TIME! So much so that my previous one broke and I purchased this as a replacement! Great for breakfast, bacon, Peppers and onions, etc. Perfect for when you need to make a larger quantity of food or multiple things and dont want to dirty too many pans. Easy clean up. Just let cool and wipe clean!Only downside is that the tray at the bottom that catches the oil broke. The same happened to my first black and decker electric griddle. :o( for now I just put a piece of papertowel down there.

Nice size griddle. The cord is a little short and the power connector is pretty bulky. It works well for pancakes though so that is all that matters!

I'm confused. The description said this unit without the probe is dishwasher safe. And it states as much on the box as well. But the instructions inside say "Do not immerse the unit in water." So which one is it?

I like it but I was really excited for the quick release for the temperature thing and it was not present on my skillet

Several features on this pan that I really like. Especially the little 'handle' to release the plug from unit. I like to bake (especially in summer) in pan and this works really well for that purpose. Easy to clean and I can watch progress through glass top.

I use my electric skillet a lot. Great for one pan meals. My last one from black and decker came with a handle on the cord for quick cord release. This one did not. That is the only feature I was dissappointed with. Picture shows the cord release handle but actual item did not come with one.

Works well on top of my stove under the vent. The white face dial for the temperature control makes the numbers easier to read than my old one. This one isn't as deep as my older one but that hasn't been a problem. Initially I was worried about not having a vented lid but that hasnt' been an issue either. I establishes the selected temperature quickly & seems to maintain it well.

I wish I had read description better. You can not put the skillet in water. I like the size and the way it cooks but wish I could put it in water. My old one you could which makes it easier to clean. But over all I like the skillet but just wish I had read the description better.

I bought this electric frypan because I've had a black and decker before. I love the 12" size and it is very versital. I didn't realize it wasn't as deep as the one I had before and it does not have the extra lip on the handle to tip the grease to one end. However, this model is still great! It works well, heats quickly and pretty evenly, has the teflon coating so is easy to clean. It is a good product.

Lightweight & dishwasher safe. Filled our need perfect, just don’t expect a heavy duty flipper!

it is plastic product. When you cook it with hot oil, it maybe not healthy.

A little smaller head than I thought it would be. Be aware of the temperature it can be used at.

They do the job at a low cost.

Ordered these to add to the one I have - it was identical and I am very pleased.

This is a good priced spatula that works well. It's sturdy and durable but has flexibility and some bend when trying to flip food such as pancakes in a skillet. This is a frequently used item in my kitchen and one that I find I grab most often. It's held up well so far and has proved to maintain it's durability after many trips to the dishwasher. Overall I'm satisfied with this product and would purchase again!

I like it, but you have to have it at a certain temperature ( about 350) for it to even turn on. There are lower temperatures on the dial, and 350 is about 3/4 of the way. Also, it does not cook evenly. Other than these two issues, I do like this product.

Works fine, but it's not tilted at all so the grease doesn't drain well. It's claim of being non-stick isn't entirely true. I still had to use Pam to keep pancakes and eggs from sticking.

Purchased this for our camper. The quality is pretty good and so far is very sturdy. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to cook food evenly from one side to the other. We are still able to use it, just have to be a little more mindful and move food around a bit while cooking.

SO i bought it for my dad for fathers day last year, and i worked pretty good for a while, then all of a sudden the cord stops working! and i spent $50 on this thing so i was a little disappointing. Good thing i bought warranty with it

Mechanically it works fine. This is the second one I purchased. The first one fell out of one end of the unsecured box. It fell maybe 8-10 inches and the base shattered. I tried to contact the company to get another base (Which I was will to pay for) with no luck. I just went ahead and purchased another.

Easy to operate but it has areas presumably where the heating element is that gets hotter than other areas, so my pancakes turn out well done in one area and less than well done in the next area. Seems like the heating element is about two inches wides so temp varies greatly every two inches.

ok

I am very pleased with the size of this as I wanted something large. It is quite large. However, I did not feel that the heating is as even all over as it should be. There clearly is one coil, and it is either too hot, or goes off entirely. I could not simmer slowly, it was either a rolling boil or not at all no matter where I adjusted the dial. So, I am sorry to say that I am disappointed, although I have not used a lot of electric skillets, so perhaps it is better than others that are out there.So far I have used it both for stir-fries and for home made soup. It is big enough to do a 10 cup batch of soup in. When sauteing meat in it the ones over the coil brown nicely, but the other pieces don't cook well. So, again, just not as even heating as I would like. Which is a disappointment as it is supposed to have even heat. Alas. Other than that, it appears to be well made. And I would have to say I have been very happy with other Black & Decker products in the past.

It was OK if you have a lot of time to wait for your food to be cooked. It takes a long time to heat up and then it doesn't get that hot.I sent it back and Amazon gave me a full refund. Thank you

It works ok. The description and the box says that it has a vent. It doesn't. Tried loosening the knob on the lid but it made no difference.

The pan is okay, just keep in mind it will be 50-75 degrees lower than the setting.The end close to the control was 75 low and the far end 50 low.We shall see how long it lasts.

Unfortunately this skillet is like most in that the hear is concentrated in the circle formed by the heating element. If food is in the exact center or corners, it does not brown and requires longer to cook. I'm still looking for the steam vent it's supposed to have - one of the biggest reasons I purchased this brand.

Sure wish these things weren't so susceptible to heat or could handle the heat a little better.

Nothing amazing but it does the trick for a small spatula.

It's hard to use, the handle is too long.

Not as big as i thought, but will make a good egg flipper.

I bought it to replace a cheap one I broke at an extended stay hotel. So my expectations were low to begin with. Would not buy this for myself. However, it works for what I needed it for.

Don't buy this if you have a gas stove and aren't willing to be careful. I was making eggs and laid the spatula on the kitchen counter with one end of the spatula on the rim of the cooking pan. Next think I know, spatula's melting and coming apart. Otherwise, good functionality - would recommend for electric stoves.

The drip pan for this griddle is way too small.

Lacks greece drain when cooking a pound of bacon

I really liked the griddle, but tonight after less than ten uses total since the purchase in March we had smoking and an electrical burning smell coming from the area where the plug goes into the griddle. We immediately unplugged it. So I would have loved it had it lasted more than 3 months with very light use.

had to send it back since did not have the right thermostat unit and after sending me the wrong one twice, even after sending them pictures. Apparently could not decipher female end and male end of plug.

Was encouraged by the other good reviews, but this griddle has very noticeable hot spots that make for uneven pancakes.

This is suppose to be a family grill but I feel the surface is still kind of small. For a black and decker I really did expect more. The cord is so short so you definitely have to have it in a space where a socket is close by. The turn knob sometimes get stuck. It heats well but not as hot as if you were cooking on the stove. Sometimes, it seems like it's not hot all over the place. It does seem like the sides are a little cooler but it will do for my family and when we are traveling.It will have to do because I am giving it as a gift. I have mine that have the issues so I hope the gift one does not.

Good size pan, but too many safety features. Give me moms old fasioned 1950s style pan any day. This one is thin by comparison and is awful at frying things like bacon or ground beef, because of safety feature, which don't let it stay on long enough to fry the Food, before turning off again. Its great for keeping things warm, like gravied dishes.

Skillet did not heat well at all.

Does not heat evenly

it still peals like the others.

Very disappointed with this product. First very light weight. Second does not hold the heat. Right in the middle of cooking something the heat goes off and then the steak or what ever you are cooking just sets and simmers. The reason I bought was because it was non-stick. I have a great stainless steel electric pan but hard to clean.Oh well, you get what you pay for these days and its not always top quality

Although the reviews were good, my pan is a disappointment. It is very slow to heat up and does not maintain a good temp so you are constantly turning up the thermostat, they suddenly it is too hot and the food burns. Additionally, the sides are surprisingly low so you must be careful when stirring or turning food. Not worth the price.

Smaller shorter and narrower than expected. Kinda cheap looking. Could have done better at the dollar store for less.

There is nothing particularly bad about this product. I needed several of these and thought this might be good, as I order quite a bit from Amazon with pretty good results. The one I just bought at Walmart for 88 cents (not on sale) is somewhat better than this one. Unless you are house bound, I would not bother with this one.

This is not a quality utensil. I wouldn't buy it again. It's in the cheapie, throw-away category.

The end of the spatula began melting and fraying after just six months. I'm pretty gentle on this spatula - I only use it on nonstick pans on low-medium heat, and I hand wash it. Low quality spatula; would not recommend.

We must have different definitions of what "high heat" means. This was a nice size and shape until melted too much from flipping eggs and other basic cooking. A few months of use and I'm finding chunks of plastic in my food? No thanks.At least the low price made it easy to throw away?

There's not even a tag at all? I just got it with no protection at least it might need to be wrapped up? However.. It's too small it would only fit a fried egg.. that would be it I had a stainless spatula at home and it destroys my pan so much but it's much bigger than this one.. I don't think the price is reasonable. For this quality, we could get it from some 99cents stores.

Thin cheap plastic, used once then plastic broke into pieces

Arrived cracked and because this is an item not used very often, I just opened it last weekend and the return date was past due. I guess I should have opened the box sooner.

The first time I used it, the grease tray slid out, hit the floor and broke into three pieces. This could be a great product if there was something to hold the grease tray in.

After about a month, the hotplate now turns off when it gets to temperature. Will not stay on. Makes the product unusable.

Extremely disappointed gave as a gift for Christmas and it broke on the first use. The connection for the power cord broken and is useless after one use.

Does not heat up to 400 degrees. Cooks unevenly.

Product broke at the plug after a few uses. Can send pictures if needed. Would like a replacement please.

Nice while it lasted. Handle/leg assembly broke off after about a month of occasional use, and company unable to fix, even though I would happily pay for, and replace myself, the part. Very disappointing!! Will never chose Black and Decker again!

We have gone through 2 of these skillets this year. The 1st one we returned as defective, and the 2nd we just threw out. The non-stick part was fine, although I imagine we didn't own it long enough to know otherwise. The problem was that the frying pan would briefly work, but then suddenly NOT work. "Work" meaning heating up over 100 degrees for normal cooking! We would put it on 350 and still nothing would happen! We tried different rooms & different plugs. Very disappointed in Black & Decker. We are trying the West Bend 12 x 14" electric frying pan next, hoping for a better product!

Went to use it for the first time and....nothing! Checked the cord and outlets, but nothing. Took it out and tossed it in the trash!

This frying pan is virtually impossible to use. The plug that goes into the pan does not fit properly --the socket is very weird--and slides out. You can't tell if food is being cooked, that is, until you notice that it isn't Since it's too late to return, I will have to purchase a different one, hopefully, one that works properly.

Boxed up the POS and sent it back!

The top MELTS if you're trying to sauté. Please do not purchase.

Spatula melted at moderately high temperature.

I bought this for pancakes on Christmas morning. The first time I slid the spatula under a pancake to check for doneness all the batter bunched up on the spatula. I couldn't even get the batter off. I could not use it and felt like I'd gotten "ripped off".

This item was packed loose with no protection in a box with larger items and was broken on arrival. Not a very durable plastic and appears to be very brittle. As warning to other buyers: when I tried to get a replacement or refund on this item, Amazon would not replace or refund this very cheap spatula.

This turner is small, stiff, and slippery. I hate using it. It is so short that you don't have much space between your hand and the hot surface. But what I dislike the most is the ergonomics. Yes, it is not expensive as turners go, but it is overpriced for what it is. Something you'd find in the dollar store.

I never thought I'd be disappointed by something as simple as a spatula but this is impossible to clean, even when I soak it for a long time. There are just so many surfaces. Maybe if you have a dishwasher? But I hand wash.