This is a review page of the Le Creuset enameled cast iron 10 1/4 inch square skillet grill. If you want to get this unit, Click Here.
Unlike other grilling pans that are made of aluminum or other light metals, the Le Creuset grill pan is made of cast iron. Therefore, it is quite heavy compared to other pans, so you should be careful when moving this cooking tool, especially if it’s hot or contain grease.
The cast iron metal allows this unit to heat more evenly than pans that are made from other metals, and although it takes some time for this item to heat up, the pan does maintain the heat pretty well once it’s get hot.
However, you may have to use a potholder in order to move this skillet while it’s hot, and it’s also important to note that it takes some time for this product to cool off.
In addition, the ridges on the bottom of this Le Creuset model elevate the food that is being cooked and thus cause the food to absorb less grease and fats, since those accumulate between the grill’s ridges. On the other hand, it takes a bit longer to cook food on this particular unit – probably because of the same reason (the ridges create a small distance between the hot surface and the cooked food).
Despite the fact that this kitchen tool is a bit slow to heat up, it does cook most foods quite good and evenly too. However, the surface of this skillet design is not nonstick – so it might be harder to clean it if you compare it to other griddles or grilling pans that have a nonstick surface.
But unlike the average nonstick coating that is going to wear out sooner or later, the cooking surface of this unit is much more durable and doesn’t contain certain substances in nonstick appliances that may be dangerous for humans. Nevertheless, you’ll still have to treat the surface of this grilling pan well if you want to achieve good results with it.
As with any cast iron pan, this product needs to be seasoned regularly in order to prevent the food from sticking to the cooking surface and in order to prolong the life of this kitchen item.
It’s recommended to hand wash the grilling pan despite the fact that the appliance is dishwasher safe. The reason is that the dishwasher can have a negative impact on the creation of a protective layer that builds up with time if you season the pan and treat it well.
Unfortunately, the price of this model is far from being cheap, and when you consider the fact that this pan is heavy, cooks slowly and a bit hard to clean – it’s hard to accept the high price. On the other hand, this Le Creuset square shaped grilling design does have a nice heat distribution, it cooks various dishes well, it’s a durable appliance and the ridges are capable of separating the food from the grease, thus allowing for healthier cooking.
I loved it that it comes in various colours – I have been using the Colbat grill pan for about 3 weeks now and it sears the fish beautifully! Yes, it’s pretty heavy but it feels good to know that your food is being cooked on a Cast Iron surface instead of those nonstick ones… It’s a bit slow to heat up but it does what I wanted it to.