I own lots (and lots and lots…) of specialty kitchen items, and it’s not unusual for my husband to ask me if we “really need” this or that thing. The answer is always yes, of course, but it is more like “absolutely” when it comes to the electric griddle, because there is simply no other way to make pancakes or French toast for a crowd without being stuck in the kitchen all day. A good griddle allows you to make 8 pancakes at a time, with no hot spots or need to rotate items around, and it’s worth it weight in… well, okay, maybe not gold… maple syrup? Yes. Worth its weight in real Vermont maple syrup.

So it would be a no-brainer to spring for this Black & Decker family-sized electric griddle now that it’s dropped to $15.02 at Amazon. It averages 4.5 stars with nearly 700 reviews, and it looks like it handles 8 pancakes at once.

If I didn’t already have a trusty griddle, I’d be all over this one.