Grill pans are great cookware pieces that everyone should have within their kitchen. When cooking outside on a grill is not an option a grill pan can easily fill that void of getting grill tasted food from your indoor kitchen cooktop.
Using one of the best grill pans can allow you to get that great outdoor grilling experience from within your kitchen. Grill pans are great as they do not take up much space and can be used on a variety of cooktops.
Take a look at some of the best grill pans that you can purchase to start grilling indoors on your cooktop now.
So what is a grill pan?
A grill pan has all the characteristics of your typical frying pan but the inside has grill lines that are higher in areas so that oil and other drippings to flow through so you can get grill marks on your food. In its simplest form, we remove the oil or water away from the food and the heat which acts like your outside grill would perform.
Best grill pans product reviews
Below are some of the best grill pans on our list. They range from smaller cook areas to large grill pans that can feed an entire family in one cook. Keep reading to find out more.
1. Cooks Standard Hard Anodized Nonstick Square Grill Pan
This ranks as our highest grill pan because of its aluminum core that distributes heat evenly for great cooking. Not to mention it has an anodized surface that is harder than stainless steel so it is a workhorse in the kitchen.
What we love
We love this pan because its 11 x 11 inch which is a good size pan to cook a steak, shrimp, chicken, or anything else you would normal want to cook on a grill. The heavy Gage aluminum is a real nice features because it distributes heat evenly throughout the pan making cooking even no matter where you food is positioned on the grill pan.
The exceptional nonstick coating will also give you exceptional performance that makes cleaning a breeze. This pan is also lead, cadmium and PFOA free.
The stainless steel handle says nice and cool and is riveted for extra strength. You can also put this directly into the oven up to 500F.
(4.8 / 5)Pros
- Aluminum core distributes heat evenly
- Anodized surface harder than stainless steel
- Nonstick coating makes cleaning easy
- Works on electric, gas, glass, ceramic, halogen, etc
- Oven safe to 500F
Cons
- Not induction compatible or dishwasher safe
2. Backcountry Cast Iron 12" Large Square Grill Pan
The Backcountry cast-iron makes our list as one of the best-cast iron grill pans. This cast iron grill pan has awesome heat retention for even cooking and it comes pre-season that gives the interior non-stick cooking similar to Teflon. The 12″ surface gives you ample room to cook steak, chicken, and much more right from your kitchen.
What we love
- Pre-seasoned: We love the pre-seasoned square grill because it is seasoned by the company blend of the finest food grade oils that make for a great cooking experience. The company uses iron micro-globules which is an in-house invention that ensures the seasoning to the pan adheres quickly and easily.
- 12-inch square: We love the size of this pan as it can easily handle a large steak, chicken, shrimp, fish, and much more to feed an entire family.
- Produced in the USA: This Pan was proudly designed in the USA
- Raised grill bars: The raised grill bars allow for oils and fat to stay clean of the grilling surface to help create those perfect grill marks.
(4.6 / 5)Pros
- Large 12-inch size
- Pre-seasoned with the finest food grade oils
- American Made since 1896
- Pre-seasoned for Teflon like non-stick cooking surface
Cons
- May be to heavy for some to work with
3. Le Creuset LS2021-2667 Enameled Cast Iron 10 1/4" Signature Square Skillet Grill
This grill pan is a top-selling pan for a reason. Its square grill pan is made of cast iron even heating enabled and the outer shell comes a variety of colors that will match anyone kitchen taste. It also has two places to grip the pan for convenient transport and stability.
What we love
The size and the shape make this perfect for grilling all kinds of food like shrimp, steak, veggies, and much more. The large ridges allow for liquids to be removed from the food during cooking given a great grill mark look.
The strong grill handle stays cool during cooking on the stove. It also has chemical free (PFOA free)
Dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Another great feature we love is it can be used on an induction cooktop. Youll love this grill pan.
Le Creuset LS2021-2667 Enameled Cast Iron 10 1/4" Signature Square Skillet Grill
(4.4 / 5)Pros
- Made of even-heating enabled cast iron
- Superior heat distribution and retention
Cons
- Expensive compared to other 10-inch grill pans
- Could have better non-sticks
4. All-Clad E7954064 HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick
This grill pan is considered one of the top grill cookware pans and ranks as one of the best grill pans to cook flank steak, strips, veggies, shrimp, and much more. The ridged bottom makes perfect grill marks and keeps liquids flowing so it does not touch the food.
What we love
- We love the square 11-inch pan that has deep groves to keep your food away from liquid to achieve excellent grill marks.
- The nonstick All-Clad that process a truly non-stick cooking experience. This makes cleaning your grill pan a breeze. Not to mention this pan is also dishwasher safe.
Pros
- 11-inch square grille pan
- PFOA-free and scratch resistant nonstick coating
- Stainless-steel handle with steel rivets
- Oven safe to 500 degrees
Cons
- Not for induction cook tops
5. GreenPan Levels Stackable Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick, Round Grill Pan
This circle Grill pan makes our list of the best grill pans because of its advanced Thermolon Diamon healthy ceramic nonstick coating. It is free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium. The hard Anodized body is scratch-resistant and is designed to stand up to tough cooking conditions. It is also safe up to 400°F in the oven and is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
GreenPan Levels Stackable Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick, Round Grill Pan
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- PFAS, PFOA, Lead, and Cadmium free
- Dishwasher safe
- Oven safe up to 400°F
Cons
- Not for induction cook tops
6. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle Pan
This is an excellent cast iron reversible grill and griddle that is perfect for heat retention and distribution. IT fits over two stovetop burners to give you a huge 20 x 10.5 x 0.81 inches of cooking space. It’s pe-seasoned for an easy-release finish.
What we love
- This American made cast iron cookware is super tough for decades of cooking and it has unparalleled heat retention and even cooking.
- We love the size. It has a large cooking area that can produce a lot of great food at one time.
- Reversible so you can also make pancakes and eggs along with grilling steak, chicken, shrimp, and much more.
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle Pan
(4.7 / 5)Pros
- Large cooking surface
- Extremely tough
- Revesable so you can grill and make pancakes and more on a smooth surface
- Evenly heats
- Works on all cooktops
Cons
- Large and heavy, may be hard to store in kitchen
Best grilling pans buying guide
Finding the right grill pan can quickly turn you into an indoor grilling believer. This grill pans taste and leave food looking like they came off a grill. From material to size lets look at what makes the best grill pan.
Size & pan shape
A grill pan size is important. Especially if you only are going to purchase one grill pan we recommend purchasing a pan large enough that you can grill a steak, chicken, or other foods correctly with enough room in the pan so you are not crowding food.
If you are a larger family that needs to have enough food grilled to satisfy your entire group. If you are a single person cooking for yourself then you could get away with a smaller pan.
Square pans will offer more space especially when you need to grill for more people or larger pieces of food.
Material & heat distribution
Some of the best grill pans we reviewed are made up of different materials. Some are more rigid than others. One important factor is heat distribution so you get an even heat flow that cooks food even no matter where the food is laying on the pan. Having an extreme hot spot will surely run your cooking experience.
Features that are important to you
There are specific features that may or may not be important to you. For example, do you need an induction grill pan? If so, you’ll need to make sure the grill pan you are looking at is induction capable.
Some of our best grill pans listed above are not, however some are. Also how important is dishwasher safe? Some products are able to be washed using your machine while others can not be. Take for example cast iron. They cook great but are not for the dishwasher.
Using your new grill pan
Using your grill pan is easy. In-fact it is similar to using cookware on your oven like you currently do. Here is a guide to using your new grill pan.
- Start on medium heat and place your grill pan on the stove. Like most pans, it will take about 4 to 5 minutes to bring the pan up to heat. You will want to let the pan heat up properly before place food on it.
- The pan itself really doesn’t need oil when cooking certain foods. when cooking beef, fish, or chicken this foods will produce their own fat that will melt into the grill pan. This fat will then drip down into the grates leaving the food to get grill marks. However, if you cooking veggies you can toss the veggies in olive oil, or avocado oil, salt, and pepper or use any other seasons you want and toss them before putting them on the grill pan.
- Lay your food on the grill and start cooking. For meats and fish check the underneath like you would if you were cooking on a grill outside or pan to see if you have grill marks. Flip and repeat until your food is cooked the way you want it.
Can a grill pan be used on induction or glass surfaces?
Not all, but a lot of grill pans can be used on induction and glass. Be sure to check with the manufacturer to double-check if the grill pan can be used on those types of surfaces. This is not to say that all cannot because they can. We have some listed above that is induction ready.
What is the best grill pan on our list?
There are a lot of great grill pans on the market. Some are better than others because of material and heat distribution while cooking. With that the winner for the best grill pan is…
Cooks Standard Hard Anodized Nonstick Square Grill Pan
This pans offers a square and large cooking space that heats up fast and evenly for great cooking. The handle stays cool and is strong that will allow for cooking for a long time within your kitchen.
While we also love cast iron and cook on many of these types of surfaces you will not be disappointed with any of the cast iron choices above as well.
