Plancha is a Spanish word and I suppose the translation is griddle. The one I have, and can’t live without is flat with an element on the underside. The element spreads the heat so the whole thing gets very evenly hot.
You can cook just about anything on the plancha – meat, fish, vegetables even flatbread and whats great about it is you can cook a whole meal at once. I find it very useful when I’m cooking for myself. I throw everything on, it’s quick without fuss and I have only one thing to wash after.
How do you use it? Easy. Heat it up, pour a drizzle or two of olive oil and sprinkle some coarse salt. When the plancha is nice and hot, put whatever you are cooking on to it. If you are cooking a whole meal, give some thought to the order.
I don’t know why but everything you cook on the plancha tastes really good which is interesting because it uses relatively little oil. Here is Spain they are very affordable. The one we have (from Carrefour) is suitable for gas and electric hobs.