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Utensils and Lids. Tools The 4 Best Pans for Outdoor Cooking Cooking al fresco? By Rachel Baron · May 17, Share This Article. Here are some of our favorite styles to make the most of all that summer grilling. Table of Contents For Grilling and Charring: Carbon Steel Grill Pan For Searing: Carbon Steel Frying Pan For Camping: Carbon Steel Griddle For All Terrains: Carbon Steel Griddle System Ready to Shop?

Cookies on this site. Accept All Cookies. Best Seller Quick Shop. Quick Shop. Shop Best Sellers. To find the best grill pans, we tested over 15 grill pans, grilling close to 40 burgers.

In our Lab, we assess the ease of use, cleaning, portability, stability and more for each pan. We consider things like how quickly the pan heats up, how hot it gets, how easy it is to move around, what type of grill marks it leaves on your food and how to clean it after use.

We also test on veggies like asparagus to gauge their ability to grill all your favorite dishes. These are the most popular options:.

Should you opt for a two-burner grill pan, you definitely want to look for a pan in a material that heats evenly, like cast iron, to prevent a cool spot between burners. Cast iron will require a scrub and cannot be placed in the dishwasher, while some hard anodized and nonstick materials are fine to put in the dishwasher, though we recommend hand washing to increase the pan's lifespan.

The large size also makes them more difficult to clean. Round pans distribute heat more evenly, but you lose surface area. Cast iron handles will get super hot, so always handle with heat protection. Metal and plastic handles typically stay cool to the touch, though the latter is likely not oven-safe.

Some grill pans have two handles on both sides, which is nice if the pan is super heavy, though some only have one handle, making them slightly more difficult to clean and maneuver. That said, some grill pans offer no handles, so if swift handling is important to you, it might be best to steer clear of these options.

While a grill pan is certainly not a kitchen necessity, it's great for getting those gorgeous grill marks and turning any random weekday into a summer barbecue.

If you're not quite ready to make the purchase, our pros note that you can get pretty similar results using a regular cast iron pan if you don't want to buy both and are willing to forgo those classic grill marks.

Even the common at-home cook can turn into a chef when they master the art of using a grill pan. Another note on avoiding steaming: We've found it's best to not crowd the pan, which can end up promoting steaming rather than the ideal browning. Once you've made the perfect meal, it's time for clean up.

Although it might seem a little daunting, cleaning your grill pan doesn't have to be too difficult, and it's easy to get a thorough clean by following a few simple steps. Grab a dish brush and a bottle brush — as a duo, they'll allow you to get in between the crevices of the grates.

While a dish brush allows you to use more force, the bottle brush will help you get into the rounded edges as well. You can also soak the pan in hot water and add a little bit of soap to release stubborn bits if you're struggling to get it fully clean.

If you're trying to get your pan back to tip-top shape, try using Bar Keepers Friend one of our favorite stainless steel cleaners for cookware and a non-scratch scrub pad or sponge to get stains off the outside of the pan.

The Good Housekeeping Institute provides expert reviews and advice on everything you could ever hope to stock your kitchen with, including grill pans.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab ,where she oversees all content and testing related to cooking products.

She started testing and helping to develop cooking tools, gadgets, gear and appliances in She is trained in classic culinary arts and is a professional recipe developer. Sara Tane is a food writer and private chef who graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education; she's covered everything from pour-over coffee makers to camping cookware.

Sara Tane is a food writer and private chef based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and has written for Cooking Light, MyRecipes, Saveur, and The Feedfeed.

She also has a serious thing for oysters. The Best Hybrid Mattresses. The Best Bissell Vacuums. The Best Multivitamins For Men. The Best Thread Count for Sheets. The Best Japanese Knives. The Best Latex Pillows.

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Our top picks: 1. Pros Enameled cast iron reaches high temps and is easy to clean Short handle makes pan comfortable to hold Comes in an assortment of colors. Cons Expensive Heavy. Materials Cast iron, enamel Weight 7 pounds Size Pros Budget-friendly Easy to clean Nonstick surface.

Cons Not induction safe. It was the heaviest of the lot we tested, but its two handles made moving it fairly easy. The angled sides provided leverage for turning large pieces of food.

It was slower to heat than most of the pans we tested, largely due to the density of the cast iron construction, but it also retained heat very well, only dropping 80 degrees in five minutes after removing it from the burner.

It created good grill marks in all of our tests. In our burger test, however, this and many other pans cooked the burgers mostly through before flipping, leaving less-than-perfect grill marks on the second side.

Cleaning was almost pleasant, requiring little more than a light wash with soapy water. The Finex yielded some of the best grill marks in our testing, and its design makes pouring grease and juices easy.

In our tests, the Finex stood out for the distinct, well-defined grill marks it left on food. The design made adding and manipulating food in the pan easy, but the handle, intended to provide a cool place to grip, missed its mark. Since the ribs are slightly higher than some, we expected they would make cleaning more difficult, but the opposite was true.

It was easy to clean with soapy water. As a final thought, the octagonal shape provided options for which direction we could pour off grease and juices, which is a nice touch. The Lodge distributes heat well for a double-burner and performs well with thinner foods, like pancakes, zucchini, and grilled cheese.

It would benefit from higher sides and ribs and perhaps angling the ribs towards the grease collection channel. The heat frequently concentrates under each burner, leaving a cooler spot where the pan sits between the burners. The Lodge does a decent job of distributing the heat, avoiding that cool zone that would be the hottest were it a single burner.

The grill side performed well in most of our tests, although we found that when cooking foods that put off a large amount of grease, like burgers, the ribs and channel system left a bit to be desired in diverting the grease. Yet, it shined when cooking thinner, less grease-producing foods, like grilled cheese and zucchini, and gave great color to pancakes.

Balancing cost, quality, ease of use, and performance, the Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron The material dictates the weight of the pan, how you can use it, and how to clean it.

Cast iron is inherently heavy but gives great heat distribution. It's also exceptionally magnetic, making cast iron a good option if you are looking to build an induction cookware set. Anodized aluminum is slightly lower on the heat distribution scale but at a significantly lower weight.

Some may hesitate to use an eight-pound cast iron pan on a glass cooktop, but aluminum doesn't generally work on an induction burner unless specifically noted.

Nonstick coatings are equally important. Ceramic isn't as long-lived as other coatings but is mainly free of toxins that will leach into your food—popular in top-rated nonstick cookware sets.

Alternative coatings serve well but might not stand up to metal utensils or machine washing. Enamel pans offer longevity and easy cleaning but are not explicitly designed to be nonstick and require a little more finesse in your cooking techniques. One of the most significant construction considerations is the handle, according to both Julio Aguilera, partner and executive chef of Copas in San Francisco, and Alex Harrell, executive chef of Commons Club in New Orleans.

The best construction has a shorter handle cast as part of the pan. The next-best has shorter handles, strongly riveted to the pan. The least preferable is a grill pan with a longer handle with solid rivets. Why all this concern about handles and fasteners?

The longer the handle, the more stress you put on the point where it joins the pan. In a cast iron or aluminum scenario, the handle and pan are one piece, so the entire pan absorbs the stress.

In a riveted situation, the rivets handle the pressure of the weight of the pan and any food in it. This isn't particularly damaging, but heat comes into play.

On the stovetop or in the oven, the metal expands when it is hot and then contracts as it cools. So, when taking weight, heating, cooling, and expanding and contracting into consideration, it's perfectly normal for those joints to weaken and get jiggly.

It happens faster in longer handles than in short ones simply because of the weight distribution. This weakness presents a safety concern when handling hot food and pans and is one of the most common reasons people buy replacement pans. Elements to consider in selecting the correct size for you include the size of the burner that you're going to use and choosing a pan that not only fits that burner but is also adequate for the type of foods that you'll cook and the number of people that you'll cook for.

Look for something with a slightly larger capacity than you'll regularly use to account for unknowns, like having friends or family over for dinner now and again.

Harrell stresses the importance of the depth of the sides as a safety measure. Grease splatters and overflows can lead to fires and burns, and a higher side minimizes these opportunities. How much time and effort do you want to put into the care and feeding of your pan?

Enameled cast iron is easy to maintain and is dishwasher safe. Cast iron takes a larger degree of care and is the subject of much lore about cleaning. Ceramic surfaces might require special cleaners or methods.

Each material has its strengths and weaknesses in cooking but also in cleaning and storage. You'll have to weigh your level of dedication to cleaning vs. cooking results. We strive to replicate the experience any consumer would upon purchasing a grill pan in our testing.

After removing the pans from the packaging, we wash them, and then, pre-seasoned or not, we season any cast iron or carbon steel pans before moving into the rest of the tests.

The first test was to make a grilled cheese sandwich. In that, we took note of the grill marks a pan imparted, how toasted the bread was outside of the grill marks, and how melted the cheese was after the bread was grilled and toasted. Next, we heated the pan to a pre-defined temperature and grilled strips of zucchini, noting grill marks, how well any liquid extracted evaporated, and the final temperature of the pan, to illustrate any temperature variations.

We again repeated the heating process and cooked two burgers in a manner similar to the pork chop and zucchini tests. For reversible or griddle pans, we did the same again with pancakes.

Finally, we cleaned them, noting how easy or difficult the process was. Cuisinart Enameled 9. The circular design diminished its capacity compared to a square pan.

But its uneven heating and poor retention yielded mediocre results across the board.

Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon

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Balancing cost, quality, ease of use, and performance, the Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Inch Square Skillet Grill Pan performed the best Cuisinart Chefs Classic 10 Piece Stainless Steel Grill Set - Spatula, Tongs, Fork,. $ current price $ Best Overall Grill Pan. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Square Grill Pan 10" Ocean. $ at Amazon ; Best Value Grill Pan. Gotham Steel: Cost-effective BBQ Cookware

Its grates were also spaced fairly wide, leaving plenty of space for liquids to Inquiry Form to prevent steaming. The ridges are Cookwqre and not Cost-effective BBQ Cookware high; they Cost-effecfive evenly browned lines and Cookwarw the Try before you buy quickly since the food is closer in contact with the cooking surface than with grill pans that have higher ridges. Yes It's important to note that you won't get the same flavor out of a grill pan that you would from a grill, but it will give that Maillard reaction texture that you would expect from grilled food. If the sides overhang, the pan may not heat up evenly, making it more challenging to cook. Cons Expensive.	The Best Multivitamins For Men. If the Lodge double-burner grill is a little too large for your needs, you can get the same performance with this GrillGrate Set for Yoder Smokers YS Pellet Grill. Best Deep:. It is on the smaller side, with a 9. Sold Out.	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ Best budget grill pan: Cuisinart Inch Square Grill Pan At a fraction of the price of our other top picks, this enameled cast-iron grill Lodge Reversible Grill/Griddle Lodge Cookware is known for its high-quality yet affordable cast iron cookware, and its Reversible Grill and Griddle is no	The Best Budget Enameled Cast Iron Grill Pan · Cuisinart Chef's Classic Inch Square Grill Pan · Key Specs Missing Don't limit your grilling to just grilling! Find a complete line of outdoor cookware, especially cast iron cookware at BBQGuys. Free Shipping offer!
Gourmet food vouchers tested Cost-efrective out alongside Cookqare Squareware lineand Cost-effecitve Try before you buy us Cost-effective BBQ Cookware did the other Squareware. Cookware Most Comfortable Couches Ever. Learn more about our grilling cookware options so you can expand your abilities as a home chef. An enameled cast iron grill pan is a better choice than a nonstick, although as we noted above, even those can't handle the smoking-hot temperatures of seasoned cast iron. Best Design.	The grill side features thick, squared ridges to replicate the grates on an outdoor grill, and a channel along one side for oil or juices to collect; the griddle side is smooth but also has a channel for oil. Our food product experts considered a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, evaluating each pan on important factors like design, size, performance, cleaning and how well they sat on different gas ranges. By Catherine Russell Catherine Russell. Best Overall, Runner-Up. Though still functional, these grill pans fell just short of the competition.	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon	Best Budget: Cuisinel Preseasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan A great option for smaller households, the Cuisinel inch cast iron grill pan is Weber, Camp Chef and Char-Broil are among the most popular Grill Cookware brands. While those brands are the most popular overall, you will also find a great Best budget grill pan: Cuisinart Inch Square Grill Pan At a fraction of the price of our other top picks, this enameled cast-iron grill	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon
Cons Expensive. But Free snack box Try before you buy who don't have access Cost-erfective outdoor grilling, it's a sound Coikware in your Cost-effectve that can also serve as a conversation piece in your kitchen. Add water to the drip pan to help eliminate unpleasant smoke and grease splattering. The handle, which has a silicone insert, is comfortable to grip and stays cool to the touch. comor amazon.	Staub Enameled Cast Iron Folding Grill. The Most Comfortable Couches Ever. Definitive advice for the kitchen's most stressful cookware. For the best cooking experience with this pan, we recommend using temperatures of low to medium heat. However, we recommend hand-washing to protect the long-lasting non-stick function of your pot.	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon	Nexgrill. 10 in. Round Cast Iron Skillet ; Nexgrill. Grill Topper ; Weber. Stainless Steel Grill Pan ; Nexgrill. Revelry Cooking Skillet Lodge Reversible Grill/Griddle Lodge Cookware is known for its high-quality yet affordable cast iron cookware, and its Reversible Grill and Griddle is no Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon	Bar-B-Q X Heavy Duty Non-Stick Grilling Skillet | Rust Resistant Grill Pan with Handles | Easy to Use Grilling Accessories | Non-Stick Surface | Great for Best Budget: Cuisinel Preseasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan A great option for smaller households, the Cuisinel inch cast iron grill pan is Our cookware is both affordable and easy to clean, for long-lasting care and usage. This grill is finished with our specialty dual-layer non-stick coating
The 5 Best Grill Presses for Smash Burgers and More, Cooiware to Chefs. Like Cokoware Lodge cast iron products, you'll Try before you buy Game demos online re-season Cost-edfective pan CCost-effective cooking oil after handwashing it to maintain its quality. Lodge Chef Collection Everyday Pan, 12". While this pan isn't induction-ready, it does work well with both gas and electric ranges. Check out our favorite grill brushesbarbecue tongs and other top-tested grilling gear. Nonstick Mesh Grilling Bags, Set of 3. This enameled cast iron is just as attractive there are plenty of fun colors to choose from as it is durable.	Cast iron pans like this can be used on any cooking surface, even induction and open flames. The grates on this are high enough to keep food above the grease and make it easy to flip. Alfa 1 Alfresco Grills 6 All Things Barbecue 2 Bayou Classic 2 Broil King Grills 12 Charcoal Companion 3 Delta Heat 1 EcoSmart 1 Finex 11 Fire Wire Skewers 1 Frogmats 1 GI Metal Pizza Accessories 1 GrillGrate 28 GrillPro 4 Halo 1 High-Cue 3 Kamado Joe 18 KettlePizza 2 LEM Products 2 Lodge Cast Iron 62 Napoleon Grills 20 Ooni 2 Otto Wilde 1 PK Grills 4 Primo Grills 13 Smokeware 4 SnS Grills 2 Staub 2 Tablecraft 1 Totally Bamboo 1 Twin Eagles 1 Weber 15 Yoder Smokers Ooni pizza ovens are designed specifically for making the perfect grilled pizzas. Lodge Chef Collection Everyday Pan, 12". Specialty Shapes.	Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon	Best budget grill pan: Cuisinart Inch Square Grill Pan At a fraction of the price of our other top picks, this enameled cast-iron grill Nexgrill. 10 in. Round Cast Iron Skillet ; Nexgrill. Grill Topper ; Weber. Stainless Steel Grill Pan ; Nexgrill. Revelry Cooking Skillet The Best Budget Enameled Cast Iron Grill Pan · Cuisinart Chef's Classic Inch Square Grill Pan · Key Specs	Discover our great selection of Grill Pans on achetermodafinilbelgique.space Over Grill Pans ✓ Great Selection & Price ✓ Free Shipping on Prime eligible orders Lodge Reversible Grill/Griddle Lodge Cookware is known for its high-quality yet affordable cast iron cookware, and its Reversible Grill and Griddle is no Cuisinart Chefs Classic 10 Piece Stainless Steel Grill Set - Spatula, Tongs, Fork,. $ current price $

Cost-effective BBQ Cookware - Don't limit your grilling to just grilling! Find a complete line of outdoor cookware, especially cast iron cookware at BBQGuys. Free Shipping offer! Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon

ATBBQ Jerky Rack. GrillGrate Set for Weber Genesis - Includes 5 Lodge Silicone Hot Handle Holder, Red. Kamado Joe Half Moon Cast Iron Reversible Griddle for Classic Joe 18" Grill.

Broil King Imperial Stainless Steel Rib and Roast Rack. GrillPro Chrome Wire Beer Can Chicken Roaster. Lodge 3. Lodge 7-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. GrillGrate Panel for Kamado Joe. Lodge Bakeware Kamado Joe Ceramic Pizza Stone.

GrillGrate Gap Panel Various Sizes. Fire Wire Skewers - 2 Pack. Kamado Joe Half Moon Cast Iron Cooking Grate for Classic Joe 18" Grill. Weber Medium SS Deluxe Grilling Basket.

GrillGrate Set for Lodge 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven, L8DOL3. Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet Lid. Broil King Premium Grill Basket. Broil King Stainless Steel Dual Prong Skewers, Set of 4.

Our skillets are uniquely designed to top any other cookware coating system, offering you countless hours of cooking enjoyment while keeping you and your family safe. Made of high-grade cast aluminum alloy, the Marbellous non-stick pans are rock-solid in build and are encapsulated with a powerful magnetized induction bottom, allowing you to cook with maximum efficiency over any cooking surface.

Let your Marbellous pan cool before cleaning to prevent warping. It can be used on all cooking surfaces, including induction. The saucepan is accompanied by a flat, premium-quality glass lid with a silicone ring for an easy pouring and clean-up process.

MADE OF HIGH QUALITY PRESSED ALUMINUM - This pan is engineered with professional-grade materials. However, we recommend hand-washing to protect the long-lasting non-stick function of your pan.

During its design and manufacturing process, we made sure to create an eco-friendly, PFOA, PTFE, APEO, lead, and cadmium-free saucepan that will revolutionize your cooking experience.

With its amazing non-stick properties, the WaxonWare Non-Stick Saucepan allows you to saute, deep fry, stir fry, bake, boil, and braise—with very little amounts of oil. For the best cooking experience with this pan, we recommend using temperatures of low to medium heat.

Our cookware is designed to retain and distribute heat evenly, and is most effective over low heat levels. Let your saucepot cool before cleaning to prevent warping.

Simply add cold tap water to your pot, and let it sit for 5 minutes. With its amazing non-stick properties, the WaxonWare Non-Stick Pan allows you to saute, deep fry, stir fry, bake, boil, and braise—with very little amounts of oil. STONETEC - This revolutionary 5. However, we recommend hand-washing to protect the long-lasting non-stick function of your pot.

With its amazing non-stick properties, the WaxonWare casserole allows you to saute, deep fry, stir fry, bake, boil, and braise—with very little amounts of oil.

Let your casserole cool before cleaning to prevent warping. Close menu. SHOP ALL. LEARN MORE. Learn About Non Stick Cookware.

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Cost-effective BBQ Cookware - Don't limit your grilling to just grilling! Find a complete line of outdoor cookware, especially cast iron cookware at BBQGuys. Free Shipping offer! Best Overall: Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. $ Amazon ; Best Nonstick: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Non-Stick 11" Square Grill Pan. $ We've got all the barbeque cookware you could need when firing up the grill & experimenting with new recipes. Covering marinating bowls Best Overall: Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan at Amazon ($) ; Best Budget: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan at Amazon

Balancing cost, quality, ease of use, and performance, the Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron The material dictates the weight of the pan, how you can use it, and how to clean it.

Cast iron is inherently heavy but gives great heat distribution. It's also exceptionally magnetic, making cast iron a good option if you are looking to build an induction cookware set. Anodized aluminum is slightly lower on the heat distribution scale but at a significantly lower weight.

Some may hesitate to use an eight-pound cast iron pan on a glass cooktop, but aluminum doesn't generally work on an induction burner unless specifically noted. Nonstick coatings are equally important. Ceramic isn't as long-lived as other coatings but is mainly free of toxins that will leach into your food—popular in top-rated nonstick cookware sets.

Alternative coatings serve well but might not stand up to metal utensils or machine washing. Enamel pans offer longevity and easy cleaning but are not explicitly designed to be nonstick and require a little more finesse in your cooking techniques.

One of the most significant construction considerations is the handle, according to both Julio Aguilera, partner and executive chef of Copas in San Francisco, and Alex Harrell, executive chef of Commons Club in New Orleans.

The best construction has a shorter handle cast as part of the pan. The next-best has shorter handles, strongly riveted to the pan.

The least preferable is a grill pan with a longer handle with solid rivets. Why all this concern about handles and fasteners? The longer the handle, the more stress you put on the point where it joins the pan. In a cast iron or aluminum scenario, the handle and pan are one piece, so the entire pan absorbs the stress.

In a riveted situation, the rivets handle the pressure of the weight of the pan and any food in it. This isn't particularly damaging, but heat comes into play. On the stovetop or in the oven, the metal expands when it is hot and then contracts as it cools.

So, when taking weight, heating, cooling, and expanding and contracting into consideration, it's perfectly normal for those joints to weaken and get jiggly. It happens faster in longer handles than in short ones simply because of the weight distribution.

This weakness presents a safety concern when handling hot food and pans and is one of the most common reasons people buy replacement pans. Elements to consider in selecting the correct size for you include the size of the burner that you're going to use and choosing a pan that not only fits that burner but is also adequate for the type of foods that you'll cook and the number of people that you'll cook for.

Look for something with a slightly larger capacity than you'll regularly use to account for unknowns, like having friends or family over for dinner now and again. Harrell stresses the importance of the depth of the sides as a safety measure.

Grease splatters and overflows can lead to fires and burns, and a higher side minimizes these opportunities. How much time and effort do you want to put into the care and feeding of your pan?

Enameled cast iron is easy to maintain and is dishwasher safe. Cast iron takes a larger degree of care and is the subject of much lore about cleaning. Ceramic surfaces might require special cleaners or methods. Each material has its strengths and weaknesses in cooking but also in cleaning and storage.

You'll have to weigh your level of dedication to cleaning vs. cooking results. We strive to replicate the experience any consumer would upon purchasing a grill pan in our testing. After removing the pans from the packaging, we wash them, and then, pre-seasoned or not, we season any cast iron or carbon steel pans before moving into the rest of the tests.

The first test was to make a grilled cheese sandwich. In that, we took note of the grill marks a pan imparted, how toasted the bread was outside of the grill marks, and how melted the cheese was after the bread was grilled and toasted.

Next, we heated the pan to a pre-defined temperature and grilled strips of zucchini, noting grill marks, how well any liquid extracted evaporated, and the final temperature of the pan, to illustrate any temperature variations. We again repeated the heating process and cooked two burgers in a manner similar to the pork chop and zucchini tests.

For reversible or griddle pans, we did the same again with pancakes. Finally, we cleaned them, noting how easy or difficult the process was. Cuisinart Enameled 9. The circular design diminished its capacity compared to a square pan. But its uneven heating and poor retention yielded mediocre results across the board.

Unfortunately, it warped during our testing and delivered poor results. Cast iron cleaning is the stuff of lore and is subject to many misconceptions. Everyone has their own method, and most of them are not wrong.

Harrell likes to clean his with some salt, a little water, and a bit of Dawn dish detergent, then scrub the pan with a balled-up piece of aluminum foil before drying it on the stovetop and applying a little vegetable oil. You can use a grill pan for anything you would typically put on the grill.

That could be meats, poultry, vegetables, meat substitutes, or any combination of the above. It's important to note that you won't get the same flavor out of a grill pan that you would from a grill, but it will give that Maillard reaction texture that you would expect from grilled food.

Outside of that school of thought, you can use a grill pan to develop texture in your dishes that you wouldn't get from simply pan-searing or give visual dynamics to a dish from those beautiful charred marks that grilling provides. That depends on several variables.

Harrell likes to bring a couple of cast iron grill pans with him when he goes camping to account for the chances of the grill at his campsite being in disrepair or left in a poor state by previous campers. The cast iron pans are a great replacement for cooking on a sub-par grill.

That said, not all grill pans are equal in this area. I've ruined the finish of a few enamel cast iron pans by using them on a grill over an open fire. The enamel tends to have little ripples in the finish that trap soot from the fire and leave black smudges all over the pan.

Check your manufacturer's recommendations for the safest means of using a pan on the grill. Not covered here, but worth noting: Aguilera is a fan of new pans available on the market designed for sauteing on the grill.

They have strategic holes in them to give your foods that grilled flavor while maintaining the texture and quick cooking of a saute. Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry.

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. For apartment dwellers who have no access to a yard, grill-marked chops and veggies can sometimes inspire feelings of wistful longing.

And even if you do have an outdoor BBQ setup , a grill pan can still be a nice addition to your arsenal. And as is the case with barbecue cooking, they should also thrive over high heat.

Given the range of materials, coatings, sizes, depths, and shapes, it can be a dizzying task to choose which one will be right for you. So read on for our top picks. And to learn more about what we think makes one pan better than another and how we tested grill pans, scroll further down.

Best grill pan overall Best preseasoned grill pan Best budget grill pan What we looked for How we tested Other grill pans we tested The takeaway. Le Creuset is known for its beautiful, high quality cookware that comes in an array of striking colors.

Like its world-class Dutch ovens, the Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill is enameled cast iron, which, while not a perfect nonstick coating, does prevent food from getting too glued on. Weighing in at a light compared to others we tested 6. Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill.

It was the most spacious of any grill pans we tested and had the tallest, most sharply cut grates, which yielded the most defined sear marks.

A hefty pan, weighing almost 11 pounds, it really stays put on the stovetop. This means that it takes longer to preheat; but the payoff is that it heats more evenly — even into the further reaches of the pan, away from the heat source — than any others that we used. Unlike the enamel-coated cast-iron, this preseasoned cast-iron pan requires a bit of maintenance.

Additionally, this is a heavy pan. While its heft ensures even heating, it also makes it difficult to maneuver. Smithy No. At a fraction of the price of our other top picks, this enameled cast-iron grill pan is a bit more compact in size but delivers defined grill marks at the stovetop.

Weighing 6. Large proteins and some whole vegetables might not fit without trimming down. Cuisinart 9. To find the best grill pan, we tested 10 popular models.

We looked at both uncoated pre-seasoned cast iron and enameled cast iron varieties to determine which was more versatile and easy to clean. When all was said and done, we spent more than 30 hours evaluating the grill pans. With moderately deep grill grates and just 0. It had low sides, which made it easy to maneuver food.

While enameled cast iron is not quite as versatile as standard cast iron nor will it ever become more seasoned , this pan offered beautiful grill marks and was easy to clean.

It was rather heavy, at 7. It was deep, too, so dripping fat stayed in the pan instead of spattering out onto the stovetop. Food was released easily, and the pan was super easy to clean.

This pan seared well and cleaned up nicely. Its grates were also spaced fairly wide, leaving plenty of space for liquids to evaporate to prevent steaming. For quick cleanup and less maintenance on a budget, this enameled cast iron grill pan from Cuisinart heated evenly, seared well, and was fairly wide.

We also liked the longer handle, which made it easy to move one-handed. A grill pan should have grates that are high enough to keep food elevated from the bottom surface of the pan; this helps create the signature browned grill marks and allows fat and moisture to channel away from the food, both of which can inhibit browning.

The Tramontina Grill Pan had the lowest grate height of the bunch at 0. In the case of burgers, these shallow grates trapped rendered fat around the burger, essentially frying the entire bottom of the patty in its own fat.

On the other hand, the FINEX Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan had the highest grates—a full quarter-inch deep. Because of this, the grill marks that resulted were bold and defined. However, the chicken took longer to cook through fully, and the grilled cheese was too soft due to the lack of true radiant heat from the bottom of the pan.

To balance height with heat, the sweet spot for grate height seemed to be around. Enamel-coated cast iron offers plenty of perks: it can absorb and distribute heat just as well as regular cast iron, without you having to worry about ever seasoning it.

Comparatively, cast iron had no issues getting—and staying—super hot. It performed well at smoking temperatures, which helped us attain the grill marks and char we were looking for. Easy-to-grip handles were vital—for making adjustments while cooking or holding the pan steady while washing.

Handles that were rounded like on the Tramontina pan were hard to grip with an oven mitt ; they were also slippery while cleaning.

The FINEX pan, in particular, had a surprisingly efficient quick-cool handgrip, but it was nearly impossible to grasp comfortably due to the bulbous, spring-shaped design. Comparatively, our winning models had flatter handles, with rectangular angles that offered leverage for a secure hold.

A great grill pan should heat evenly and get hot enough to create grill marks and a little char. Lastly, it should have flatter, broad handles that are easy to hold so you can maneuver the pan easily with oven mitts on.

What we liked: The Lodge Chef Collection grill pan was a breeze to clean and heated evenly. The grill grates were high enough to keep the food off the bottom of the pan and out of any rendered liquid , creating crispy textures and winning grill marks.

The shallow sides made it easy to move food in the pan with tongs or a spatula. What we liked: This pan created nice caramelization and grill marks in all three tests.

It required a little more time to preheat, but it held onto that heat and distributed it evenly over the entire cooking surface. It was also the easiest of the enameled cast iron pans to clean. This pan also experienced some very light sticking during the chicken test, but it released easily after an extra 30 seconds or so of browning.

It's also expensive, but if you're set on an enameled cast iron model, we do think it's worth paying for the craftsmanship of a heritage brand like Staub. What we liked: This was by far the heaviest pan of all our top picks, and the extra material retained more heat than any other model we tested—it still registered at ºF five minutes after the heat was cut.