A grill or griddle cooks on its surface, not in a chamber — so its thermostat answers a different question from an oven control. It is not reading air; it is reading a slab of steel, holding that slab at cooking temperature through constant loading and unloading of cold food, in the greasiest corner of the kitchen. This guide covers how capillary thermostats are specified for contact grills, griddles and planchas, and where the selection usually goes wrong.
Contact heat and radiant heat are sensed differently
On a contact appliance — a smooth or grooved griddle, a plancha, a clamshell grill — the sensing bulb belongs in the plate itself: inserted in a well drilled in the plate or clamped firmly against its underside, so it reads the metal the food touches. On a radiant appliance — a chargrill over lava rock or open burners — there is no plate to read. The bulb sits in the air stream above the cooking surface and reads air temperature, which swings far more than plate temperature does; the control and its differential have to be chosen for that slower, looser loop. Specifying a radiant grill with a plate-sensing mindset (or the reverse) is the most common cause of “the thermostat is inaccurate” complaints on grill lines.
Plate uniformity is a sensing problem
No wide plate is one temperature. Edges lose heat, centres sit over burners, and a loaded corner drops while an idle corner climbs. One thermostat with one bulb can only hold the point its bulb reads. Wide griddles therefore run one control per heating zone, each bulb centred under its own zone of the plate. If a griddle cooks unevenly left-to-right, the fix is rarely a “better” thermostat — it is a bulb per zone, placed where that zone actually cooks. Our fryer thermostat guide covers the same zone logic for multi-tank fryers.
Ranges and ratings for grill duty
Griddle plates typically work between 150 and 300°C; planchas and searing plates run higher, toward 400°C. The AG16-K control (16A / 20A, 50–400°C) covers both bands. Large electric griddles draw heavy element loads, and there the AG32 family takes over: the single-pole AG32-1K up to 32A, and the three-pole AG32-3K (16A / 32A / 50A, up to 400V) for three-phase plates, switching all phases together.
| Model | Rating | Range | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|
| AG16-K | 16A / 20A · 110V / 250V | 50–400°C | Automatic |
| AG32-1K | 16A / 20A / 32A · 110V / 250V / 380V | 50–450°C | Automatic |
| AG32-3K | 16A / 32A / 50A · 110V / 250V / 400V | 50–350°C, three-pole | Automatic |
Technical data is a catalogue reference. Confirm final ratings, dimensions and approvals for the selected model before ordering.
Grease, steam and heat: the working environment
The grill station attacks the capillary, not just the contacts. Route the tube clear of grease traps, drawer slides and the sharp undersides of plates; seat the bulb fully in its well so cooking spray cannot reach the sensing fill; and keep the control body out of the direct heat plume rising off the plate. Where washdown and steam reach the control point, the TY316 waterproof variant (16A, 50–380°C) is built for wet environments. Our installation guide covers bend radii and routing rules in detail.
The limiter behind the plate
A griddle left on high with no food on it is a fire risk with a thermostat happily doing its job — control failure is not the only overheat path, and a welded contact removes the control entirely. An independent manual-reset limiter sits behind every grill control: the AG16-S with fixed trip points at 380 / 400 / 430°C for single-phase appliances, or the multi-pole AG32-3S / AG32-2S (tripping at up to 400°C) on three-phase plates. Choosing the trip point is covered in our safety limiter guide.
Certifications
Our thermostats are produced under a TÜV-certified quality system — certificate R50309054 (EN 60730-1 / EN IEC 60730-2-9), verifiable on Certipedia. Confirm the approvals carried by the specific models you select.
FAQ
Why does one end of my griddle cook hotter than the other?
Because one bulb cannot read a whole wide plate. Each heating zone needs its own bulb, placed at the centre of that zone under the plate; a single control stretched across two zones will always favour the zone its bulb sits in.
What temperature range does a plancha need?
Planchas and heavy griddles work hotter than standard griddle plates and can run toward 400°C at full power. The AG16-K control's 50–400°C range covers the full working band with headroom, without wasting dial resolution.
Can a capillary thermostat survive the grease around a grill?
Yes, with correct routing: keep the capillary clear of grease traps and sharp plate edges, seal the bulb well, and where steam and washdown reach the control, use the waterproof TY316 variant (50–380°C) from the same control family.
Capillary Control Thermostats · High-Current Control Thermostats · Manual Reset Safety Limit Thermostats