page_title: Griddle
section_title: Modulating
hierarchical_section_title: Griddle / Commercial / Temperature control / Thermostatic / Modulating
context_page_description: A griddle is a cooking device consisting of a broad flat surface heated by gas, electricity, wood, or coal, with both residential and commercial applications. In industrialized countries, a griddle is most commonly a flat metal plate, elsewhere typically a brick slab or tablet.
  A residential griddle may be composed of chrome steel, aluminum, or carbon steel. The vast majority of commercial grade griddles are made from A36 steel, though some are stainless steel or composites of stainless and aluminum. Almost all residential and commercial griddles are heated directly or indirectly by flame or electrical elements.
context_section_description: The modulating thermostat, also referred to as the throttling thermostat, is the most basic thermostat control offered in the commercial griddle market and is typically found in lower priced griddles where some control is necessary but performance is not critical. It offers the advantage of being a mechanical system that doesn't require electric power, which simplifies design and reduces overall unit cost. In this particular style of control the fluid in the bulb expands and contracts with temperature and slowly actuates an internal diaphragm which controls gas flow to the burner. One drawback to this control is long response time, which causes the overall control to overshoot and undershoot the temperature target by as much as 40 °F (22 °C). For example, at a set point of 350 °F or 177 °C, the griddle surface temperature over the probe can range from 310 to 390 °F or 154 to 199 °C.
  Another important aspect of this control is the bypass flame setting, which allows gas to bypass the control of the thermostat diaphragm and allows the burner to operate irrespective of thermostat set point. If the bypass setting is too high and the griddle plate is not being cooled by cooking loads, the surface temperature of the griddle can drift well beyond the thermostatic set point.
caption: Modulating (throttling) thermostat
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