Canton Griddle Co. | Pancake/Egg Flipper Griddle | Pat. Apr. 28, 1898

Canton Griddle Company | Canton, Ohio | c. 1898–early 1900s | SSC Museum Collection

★ RARE "FLOP GRIDDLE" — INNOVATIVE 19TH CENTURY PANCAKE TECHNOLOGY ★

Overview

This is a Canton Griddle Company Pancake/Egg Flipper Griddle — a specialized cast iron cooking implement featuring a hinged "flop" design that allows individual pancakes or eggs to be flipped without a spatula. Patented April 28, 1898, this represents a fascinating piece of late Victorian kitchen innovation from Canton, Ohio.

"Flop griddles" were produced by several manufacturers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Stuart Peterson, Wagner, and Canton Griddle Co. These hinged griddles solved the challenge of flipping delicate pancakes on wood-burning stoves — a genuine kitchen innovation that predates modern non-stick technology by nearly a century.

This piece will be preserved to Steve's Seasoned Classics museum standards as an exceptional example of 19th-century American kitchen ingenuity.

How the Flop Griddle Works

The "flop griddle" design is elegantly simple yet remarkably effective:

•       Hinged Sections: The griddle features multiple circular cooking areas connected by a central hinge

•       Pour Batter: Pour pancake batter into the circular sections

•       Cook First Side: Allow the bottom to cook until bubbles form

•       Flip: Using the handle, flip the hinged top section over the base — the pancakes are now cooking on the other side

•       Release: Open the griddle and slide out perfectly cooked pancakes

•       Repeat: The griddle is ready for the next batch

Advantages: No spatula needed. Pancakes flip uniformly and simultaneously. No risk of breaking delicate pancakes during flipping. Works perfectly on wood-burning stoves where precise temperature control was limited.

Identification & Markings

Maker: Canton Griddle Company

Location: Canton, Ohio

Item Type: Flop Griddle / Pancake-Egg Flipper

Patent Date: April 28, 1898 (PAT'D APR. 28, 1898)

Material: Cast Iron

Era: c. 1898–early 1900s

Design: Hinged flip mechanism with circular cooking sections

Handle: Metal (integral cast iron)

Features:

•       Multiple circular cooking sections

•       Central hinge mechanism

•       Metal handle (integral to casting)

•       Patent date cast into iron

•       Designed for wood-burning stove use

Historical Context

The Canton Griddle Company: Based in Canton, Ohio, the Canton Griddle Company was a specialized manufacturer producing innovative griddle designs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Canton, Ohio was part of the broader Midwest manufacturing belt that included many cast iron foundries.

The Flop Griddle Era: Hinged or "flop" griddles were popular from the 1860s through the early 1900s. Several manufacturers held patents for various designs, including Stuart Peterson & Co. (1867, 1869), Canton Griddle Co. (1896, 1898), and Wagner (early 1900s). These griddles addressed a real cooking challenge of the wood-stove era.

Kitchen Innovation: The flop griddle represents the kind of practical engineering that characterized American manufacturing in this period. Rather than simply producing basic cookware, companies competed to solve specific kitchen problems with patented designs. The hinged griddle was essentially a mechanical solution to a common cooking frustration.

Decline: As gas and electric stoves replaced wood-burning stoves in the early 20th century, the need for specialized griddles diminished. Better temperature control and modern spatulas made flop griddles less necessary, and production eventually ceased. Today, these pieces are sought by collectors as examples of Victorian kitchen ingenuity.

Patent Date Note

This piece is marked PAT'D APR. 28, 1898. Research shows Canton Griddle Co. pieces with patent dates of both April 28, 1896 and April 28, 1898. This may indicate:

•       Multiple patents for design improvements

•       Original patent (1896) with reissue or continuation (1898)

•       Variations in the design covered by different patents

The 1898 patent date makes this piece approximately 127 years old — a remarkable survival of late 19th-century kitchen technology.

Condition Summary (Original Preservation)

Based on images — piece will be preserved in original, unrestored condition:

✅  Complete hinged mechanism

✅  Patent date visible (Apr. 28, 1898)

✅  Metal handle intact

✅  Circular cooking sections intact

✅  Hinge functional

✅  Canton Griddle Co. marking

✅  Original patina preserved (no restoration planned)

✅  127+ year old artifact in original condition

Collector Value

Flop griddles are highly collectible among cast iron enthusiasts for several reasons:

•       Rarity: Production ceased over a century ago; surviving examples are uncommon

•       Innovation: Represents genuine Victorian kitchen technology

•       Display Appeal: Unique hinged design makes for striking display pieces

•       Historical Significance: Documents the wood-stove cooking era

•       Regional Interest: Canton, Ohio piece adds to Ohio cast iron heritage

•       Conversation Piece: Visitors always ask "what is that?"

Functional Note: While technically functional, this piece is best preserved as a display item due to its age and historical significance. Modern pancake preparation doesn't require this specialized tool, but it remains a fascinating artifact of kitchen history.

Care & Preservation Notes

ORIGINAL PATINA PRESERVATION: This piece will be left in its original condition. The authentic patina accumulated over 127+ years represents irreplaceable historical character that restoration would erase.

•       NO restoration — original patina preserved

•       NO stripping or re-seasoning

•       DISPLAY ONLY — preserve as historical artifact

•       Keep in climate-controlled environment

•       Light protective oil on bare metal only if needed

•       Operate hinge gently if demonstrating function

•       Document condition photographically

•       Store flat to protect hinge mechanism

Rationale: At 127+ years old, this piece has survived with its original surface character intact. Advanced collectors and museums prioritize original condition for artifacts of this age. The patina tells the story of over a century of existence — a story that cannot be recreated once erased.

Why This Piece Matters in the SSC Collection

The Canton Griddle Co. Pancake/Egg Flipper adds a unique category of cast iron to the SSC collection — specialized cooking implements that represent the innovative spirit of American manufacturing. While skillets and Dutch ovens are the backbone of any cast iron collection, pieces like this flop griddle document the full range of kitchen solutions that 19th-century foundries produced.

This piece also expands the collection's Ohio cast iron heritage — Canton, Ohio joins Sidney (Wagner), Wapakoneta (Wapak, Ahrens & Arnold), and Piqua (Favorite) in documenting the state's remarkable contribution to American cast iron manufacturing.

At 127+ years old, this is one of the oldest pieces in the SSC collection — a direct connection to Victorian-era home cooking that few artifacts can match.

Catalog & Naming (SSC Standards)

Catalog Number

SSC-CTN-FLP-00-1898-001

Inventory Name

Canton Griddle Co. | Pancake/Egg Flipper Griddle | Flop Style | Pat. Apr. 28, 1898 | Canton, Ohio

Catalog Code Key

•       SSC: Steve's Seasoned Classics

•       CTN: Canton Griddle Company

•       FLP: Flipper/Flop Griddle

•       00: Size not numbered

•       1898: Patent year

•       001: First specimen

SSC Ohio Cast Iron Collection

This piece expands the SSC representation of Ohio-made cast iron:

•       Wagner (Sidney, Ohio): Multiple waffle irons, skillets

•       Wapak (Wapakoneta, Ohio): Indian Head No. 3 Skillet

•       Ahrens & Arnold (Wapakoneta, Ohio): No. 3 Skillet

•       Favorite Piqua Ware (Piqua, Ohio): No. 7 Smiley Logo Skillet

•       Canton Griddle Co. (Canton, Ohio): Pancake/Egg Flipper 1898 (THIS PIECE)

Preservation Statement

Preserved as a museum-quality specimen of Victorian-era kitchen innovation, this Canton Griddle Company Pancake/Egg Flipper Griddle represents a category of specialized cast iron that has largely vanished from modern awareness. Patented April 28, 1898, this hinged "flop griddle" solved a genuine cooking challenge of the wood-stove era — flipping delicate pancakes without a spatula. At approximately 127 years old, this piece documents both the ingenuity of American manufacturing and the daily kitchen life of late 19th-century America. The Canton Griddle Company of Canton, Ohio produced these innovative implements for households across the nation, and this surviving example joins the SSC collection as testament to that remarkable era. Steve's Seasoned Classics is honored to preserve this exceptional artifact of American culinary history.