Introduction to The Modern Grilling Pan
The grill pan is a kitchen appliance that is supposed to be the closest thing to the cooking results of an outdoor grill. Grill pans can be a nice solution for people who live in an apartment and don’t have a backyard where they can place a grill or a barbeque.
However, the pan grill does have some advantages that make people prefer it over an outdoor grill. First of all, you can’t use a grill outside if there is rain or a stormy weather, which wouldn’t be the case with indoor grill pans. Moreover, it is definitely more convenient to use the grilling pan in your kitchen while cooking other foods (like vegetables, sauces or spices), since you can monitor everything that is being cooked and grilled.
There are many grill pan models that are produced by various companies including the All Clad Company, Calphalon, Cuisinart, Le Creuset, the Lodge brand and more. Listed ahead are some of the most popular grill pans that are produced by the brands mentioned above.
All Clad LTD 12 Inch Round Nonstick Grille Pan
Being made of aluminum and stainless steel, this All Clad stovetop grilling pan is very light and easy to maneuver. However, because it’s not made of the heavy cast iron metal it tends to get less hot than most cast iron grill pans.
On a good note, this All Clad grill pan does heat up quickly and has a nonstick cooking surface that help making this pan grill much easier to clean.
Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11 Inch Square Grill Pan
The nonstick surface of this grilling pan makes it very easy to clean and it seems like the nonstick coating can last for a long time.
Being made of pure aluminum, the Calphalon grill pan is not as heavy as other cast iron grill pans, and as long as the pan is not extremely hot you can also grab the handle without a hot pad (this isn’t the case with all grill pans, particularly those that are made of cast iron). Although the surface heats up quite evenly you have to be careful of grease splatter, especially when the pan grill is set over high heat.
Cuisinart GreenGourmet Eco Friendly 11 Inch Square Grill Pan
As the name of the Cuisinart Green Gourmet pan suggests, the unit is manufactured and advertised as a green product that is friendlier to the environment compared to other grill pans.
Apparently, the Cuisinart grill pan doesn’t contain certain substances (such as PTFE and PFOA) that are believed to be bad for the health and the pan is also produced in a way that is less harmful to the environment.
However, most people would like to have a pan grill that can deliver good cooking results rather than being eco friendly (and if you can have them both, it would be great). For more information about the Cuisinart pan grill and whether this grilling pan is worth the money, you can read this review.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 10 1/4 Inch Square Skillet Grills
Being made of cast iron, this grilling pan is not as light as other grill pans that are made of aluminum and it can take a lot of time to cook thick meat.
However, the Le Creuset grill pan cooks the food nicely with sear marks, and although the heat distribution is slow it’s also distributed quite evenly.
On the other hand, this pan grill can be a bit difficult to clean and season, and when you consider its high price it’s hard to compromise on this issue.
Lodge Logic L8SGP3 Pre-Seasoned Square Grill Pan
Since this grilling pan is made of cast iron it’s not surprising that the Lodge Logic L8SGP3 pan is quite heavy. On the other hand, this square shaped pan grill has tall grill ridges that not only leave those nice sear marks but also help dealing with the extra grease.
As its name suggests, the Lodge grill pan comes pre-seasoned and therefore ready to use. It’s important to note that you have to be careful not to touch the pan or the handles while it’s hot, at least not without a hot pad.
