Equipped with two, three or four gas burners, the individual planchas have formats similar to those of barbecues, with the difference of the cover, which is much thinner. The choice has exploded in recent months in specialist retailers, in furniture stores and even in supermarkets. You can now find very decent appliances at $400 or $500, such as those offered by the companies Blackstone and Royal Gourmet, but also by the giant Weber, which has just launched its own line of planchas at competitive prices. You can find portable planchas powered by small propane tanks at $170 – you can cook up to nine burgers on them – while you can spend nearly $2,000 on the larger high-end planchas from Eno, which offer up to half a square meter of cooking surface.
A practical solution for those who want to turn part of their existing barbecue into a plancha, Napoleon offers partial enamelled steel planchas that can be installed directly on the grill of their gas barbecues, while BBQ Québec offers its own stainless steel version. robust. “A good plancha that sits on the grill works with almost any barbecue and can be cleaned in the dishwasher,” says Jean-Philippe Lavoie, co-founder of BBQ Québec. With restaurant prices skyrocketing, cooking your own lunch at home is the equivalent of a small griddle! » The removable planchas do not, however, offer large cooking surfaces and condemn the grill section on which it is placed, in addition to not offering a grease evacuation system, apart from a cavity which must be emptied after each use.
Accessories are also of paramount importance when it comes to enjoying your plancha. “It’s a highly interactive experience, you almost find yourself playing with the food, so you need the tools to take advantage of the versatility of the plancha,” said Patricia Larez, Vice President of Marketing at Weber Canada. We therefore want to offer the accessories compatible with our units. » The essentials are the scraper and a set of spatulas, one rigid and the other more flexible. Several plancha manufacturers sell sets of spatulas, some also include bottles for oil and water. “It’s useful for spraying oil and water on food, the water is for cleaning, but it can help deglaze,” says Simon Jodoin-Bouchard. And don’t forget the burger and bacon presses either! »
The cupolas sold in stores are equipped with a handle, which makes handling them very practical. “You can even steam vegetables on the plancha,” Micael Béliveau assures us. Same for lobster; I cut it in half lengthwise before searing it on the griddle, and I finish cooking with steam under the dome. This is great for keeping the house smelly! Of course, everyone is free to choose what suits them best, especially since there are already some tools in their kitchen that can be very suitable. “I use cul-de-poules instead of domes for stewing. I like to keep it simple,” concludes Jean-Philippe Lavoie.
