The 4 Best Grill Pans

Material: Thermolon Ceramic | Diameter: 11 in

The GreenPan Prime consistently resulted in the best-cooked food in our testing. Though we entered testing as dedicated cast iron enthusiasts, by the time we cooked our last test meal, we knew to expect only fantastic results from this pan. The pan claims to reach 600°F without emitting traces of toxic fumes, though we lacked the technology to test this claim. The bolted-on steel handle is quite good at preventing heat transfer from the pan's cooking surface to a cook's hand, so a silicone sleeve is not as necessary for this pan. The GreenPan's oven and dishwasher compatibility are also very nice perks, rounding out a great pan.

The main drawback to the GreenPan Prime is that the lid is sold separately. Additionally, despite being advertised as 'Metal Utensil Safe,' we could scratch it when using a metal spatula. Still, this is an excellent pan for cooks who wish to add beautiful grill marks to their creations without the upkeep of cast iron or the durability and potential health-related issues of lower-quality nonstick coatings.

Material: Enameled cast iron | Diameter: 10.5 in

Le Creuset's Cast Iron Square Skillet is as beautiful as it is functional. These attractive pans have been handcrafted in France for nearly a century, and many people pass them down as a generational heirloom. The Le Creuset can be used with any traditional heat source, from an induction stove to a campfire. While heat retention, heating evenness, and cooldown times were nearly identical to other cast irons we tested, we found Le Creuset's enameled surface significantly easier to clean than the Lodge Grill Pan.

While the Le Creuset Square Skillet was easier to clean than some other cast irons, it should be noted that generally, cast irons will be more tedious to clean than their nonstick counterparts. Also, while our testing didn't show any wear to the enamel coating from our steel spatulas, chipping is possible with metal tools. If you are looking for a cast iron grill pan, this eye-catching model looks as good as it cooks.

Material: Cast iron | Diameter: 10 in

The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Grill Pan is another great choice for those in the market for a cast iron grill pan. It heats evenly and quickly, creating a fine sear on everything we tested. Like the other cast irons, it is oven-safe and can withstand metal utensils without damage. It's also the most inexpensive pan we had the pleasure of testing.

Cast iron must be hand washed, and the ridges in this pan cling to grease, a common complaint for cast iron grill pans. For those that need a pan that makes attractive grill marks and won't cost you too much, the Lodge Grill Pan pan is a fantastic option.

Material: Cast iron | Size: 10 x 18 in

Because of its large cooking surface and aesthetic design, the Nutrichef Cast Iron Reversible Grill Plate is a wonderful choice for cooks with a few more mouths to feed. Thinner and lighter than the Lodge Reversible Griddle, the Nutrichef plate was the one we reached for to produce stacks of pancakes and big breakfasts quickly. The grill pan produced beautiful sear marks, and our testers loved the flat griddle for all the extra room.

Increased cooking area means increased cleaning area, and (like all cast iron) it must be washed by hand. It comes with a pair of silicone grabbers for handling the pan that were, unfortunately, thin enough to allow an uncomfortable amount of heat through them. These caveats aside, the Nutrichef Grill Plate is still the choice for someone looking for a large cast iron griddle at a lower price point.

Material: Die-cast aluminum | Diameter: 10.5 in

Some pans are designed to cook a specific type of food, but the Jean Patrique Whatever Pan is indeed the pan for cooking whatever. Everything our team cooked in it turned out great, and we found ourselves reaching for it to saute snacks between tests. It's heat-rated to 480°F and is great for frying and roasting in the oven. Like the other aluminum pan we tested, it's a superb piece of cookware that cleans up as easily as it heats up, and it's the only pan in our test that comes with a glass lid, which we found very useful.

The Whatever Pan produced great results and didn't have much in the way of drawbacks. It is aluminum, so metal utensils will damage its nonstick finish. It heats up quickly, and its handles are not insulated, so be mindful when it's on the range. This is a great all-around pan, as the name implies, and we believe you'll be more than satisfied if you pick one up for your kitchen at a low-risk price.

Material: Cast iron | Size: 10.5 X 20 in

Big meals are a cinch on the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Reversible Griddle. The grill side left nice marks on the foods we tested, and the flat griddle was great for churning out large batches of pancakes. On the grill side, the Reversible Griddle has a channel allowing grease to flow away when cooking fattier cuts.

The Lodge Reversible Griddle is a hand-wash-only cast iron, and the ridges in the grill can be tedious to clean. What's more, this is the heaviest pan tested. At 13.5 lbs, it's likely to be one of the more cumbersome pans in your kitchen. It's still a great piece of equipment to own, especially for someone who cooks larger portions or meal preps.

Why Trust GearLab

We researched the market for the most popular and high-performing grill pans available, choosing the most appealing options to purchase and test for two weeks of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. On top of everyday use, we created a gauntlet of tests designed to highlight performance advantages and let-downs. First and foremost, our grill pan had to produce quality meals and noticeable grill marks. Throughout our testing, we seared various meats, vegetables, fruit, and bread. We carefully assessed all construction features, materials, and a few accessories that came with some of the pans we purchased. Finally, we tested for ease of cleaning by hand-washing each pan after every meal our team cooked.

Lead grill pan tester Matt Rowe is no stranger to the kitchen. Having spent several years in the restaurant industry as a prep cook and a server, he has plenty of experience cooking hundreds of dishes using countless utensils and pan varieties. This experience instilled a passion for home cooking in Matt, who now enjoys foraging forests for mushrooms, selecting the best zucchinis from his garden, and politely asking for cuts of venison from the hunters in his family. Matt might be happiest when preparing delicious, delicate, and savory meals for his friends and family.

Analysis and Test Results

Grill pans are only differentiated from other styles of pans by raised ridges that produce the namesake grill marks. Die-cast aluminum, cast iron, enameled cast iron, & Thermolon-coated ceramic were some of the materials of the pans we tested, and they each had unique properties. The pans came in a variety of shapes, and a few even came with accessories of varying usefulness. Metrics such as quality, durability, and ease of cleaning are the same as what we would use for testing any other pot, pan, or cooking utensil, and we focused on their cooking performance and searing ability.

Cooking Performance

A pan must first and foremost be judged by its ability to cook a fantastic meal. We measured how quickly and evenly each pan heated up on a gas range using a temperature gun. Readings from all over the pans and handles after a minute on high heat showed us which pans distributed heat the most evenly. We also recorded the time each pan took to reach 300, 350, and 400°F. We let the pans reach 415-425°F and seared rounds of pork chops and ahi tuna steaks for a few minutes on each side, then removed the pans from the heat and once again used the temperature gun to check how the heat dissipated at 1-minute intervals. To test how food sticks to the pan, we seared bread, yellow squash & fresh peaches with and without oil.

Most pans heated up quickly and evenly, and all could produce an excellent sear. Cast irons like the Lodge recorded the most even temps after a minute of high heat, while aluminum models had the biggest discrepancies. Despite this, the food we cooked in nonsticks like the GreenPan seemed to come out slightly nicer compared to the cast iron pans. Both Lodge pans and the Nutrichef left lovely, defined grill marks in tuna steaks, pork chops, and peaches. The Nutrichef and Lodge Reversible griddles didn't heat as evenly due to their long shape and gas range heat source but still made a splendid sear on the meats and vegetables we tested.

Quality & Durability

Judging quality involved an assessment of all construction features, from the handle to the extra accessories. We judged durability by noting whether or not the pans showed wear and tear after weeks of cooking and deliberate use with metal utensils, even on the more vulnerable nonsticks. Most of the pans came with instructions on how to care for and maintain the pan properly, and our testing team followed all guidelines to ensure the pans made good on their claims. Aesthetic appeal was also taken into consideration.

The cast iron models edged the competition in this category, lacking nonstick coatings that steel utensils could scratch. Le Creuset, which has an attractive enamel coating, was resilient to our use of steel spatulas. It also included a convenient booklet specifically detailing how to care for and maintain the pan. As for the nonsticks, our team appreciated the bolted-on steel handle of the GreenPan that didn't require a potholder to grab while cooking. We wished the silicone grabbers on the Nutrichef were better at keeping our hands from feeling the heat of the hot pan.

The Jean Patrique Whatever Pan's glass lid was easily the most useful and appreciated accessory. All of the nonsticks, even the Thermolon-coated GreenPan, showed visible scratches from use with metal utensils.

Ease of Cleaning

Round after round of cooking and searing was followed by rounds of hand-washing and scrubbing. For some rounds, we washed immediately after cooking; for others, we let the pans sit for over an hour before cleaning up. We followed maintenance guidelines for each pan, which meant no soap for the cast irons (except for Le Creuset). We used dish soap, a soft cloth-covered sponge, and a hard bristle brush on the hand-wash-only pans. The nonstick pans also took a spin in the dishwasher.

As expected, pans with nonstick coatings like the Jean Patrique Whatever Pan and the GreenPan were far easier to clean than the cast irons. Grease and fat came off these pans rather effortlessly, often with just a blast of hot water from the faucet. The Le Creuset lived up to its easier cleaning claim. The enamel coating was stickier than the nonsticks, but we found the grease to scrub off much easier than all the other stubborn cast iron pans. In fact, the Nutrichef and Lodge cast irons, with their deep ridges and aversion to soap, were quite tedious to clean if not taken care of shortly after cooking.

Conclusion

A nice grill pan can elevate your cooking and eating experience, and we want you to find the one that suits your culinary needs best. We found that each pan could produce a nice sear on various foods and, with proper care, was relatively easy to clean and maintain. The right model for your kitchen depends on what you like to cook and how much time you want to spend maintaining your pan's surface, but any of the options we tested are capable of producing great meals.