 Some griddle-grilled foods may have grill marks applied to them during the cooking process with a "branding plate", to mimic the appearance of charbroil-cooked food.A flattop grill is a cooking appliance that resembles a griddle but performs differently because the heating element is circular rather than straight (side to side).This heating technology creates an extremely hot and even cooking surface, as heat spreads in a radial fashion over the surface.