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Allrecipes / Alli Waataja
For apartment dwellers or anyone facing an end to outdoor grilling season, there are many reasons to invest in a grill pan. A grill pan allows you to achieve those stunning sear marks on your stovetop—no electrical outlets needed. And while you may be able to achieve a sear in a traditional skillet (albeit without the marks), the ridges on a grill pan also serve to elevate your food above its juices and fats, giving you a better sear and a less greasy result.
To help you find the best grill pans available, we put 13 of the top options on the market to the test. We considered each pan's construction and design, heat retention, performance, cleaning, and storage. After hours of testing, we're sharing our top picks.
Our Top Pick
Scanpan 10.5-Inch Professional Grill Pan
Why It's Great: Sturdy nonstick coating; narrow grill ridges; heats evenly
Grain of Salt: Difficult to clean
We love this option from Scanpan because it's durable and efficient. Weighing around 4 pounds, it's made with a cast aluminum construction and a nonstick coating free of PFOA and PFOS. Unlike most nonstick cookware, the brand's nonstick coating is safe for metal utensils. The square pan has narrower, closer-together grill ridges than most of the other pans we've seen. Because of this, it sears and caramelizes more of the surface of the food that's cooking, densely striping it with grill marks and imparting more of that delicious seared flavor.
The pan heats relatively quickly and uniformly with no hot or cool spots, and the stainless steel handle stays cool and is comfortable to grip. This pan can be used on most types of cooktops, except for induction, and is oven-safe to 500°F, so the whole pan can be transferred to a hot oven to finish cooking thicker cuts of meat. At 10.5 inches, the pan is just the right size for four or five hamburgers or a few steaks. It can be a little challenging to clean between the grill ridges, but fortunately, the pan is dishwasher safe.
The Details: 10.5-inch diameter; 8.25-inch handle; 3.8 pounds; oven safe up to 500°F
Best Budget
Cuisinel Preseasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan
Why It's Great: Includes glass lid; pour spouts on both sides; easy to clean
Grain of Salt: Silicone handle doesn't protect well against heat
A great option for smaller households, the Cuisinel 10.5-inch cast iron grill pan is just big enough to grill a couple of chicken breasts or four small hamburgers. It is well designed, with high, squared grill ridges that extend almost to the edge of the pan so the entire cooking surface is usable. It also has pour spouts on either side to pour off grease.
Even though it's inexpensive, this pan comes with a couple of bonuses: A glass lid with a stay-cool silicone handle, a scraper tool that fits perfectly between the ridges to scrape off burnt-on bits, and a silicone sleeve for the pan's handle. The lid is great for helping thicker foods cook through. The sleeve makes it more comfortable to hold the handle, but it doesn't do much to make it cooler; it still gets too hot to touch without an oven mitt.
This grill is a good size for smaller burners; it heats fairly quickly for cast iron and maintains an even, uniform temperature. Despite being pre-seasoned, food will stick the first few times—the company advises cooking something very fatty or using lots of oil at first—until the naturally nonstick patina builds up. As with all cast iron, hand washing is required, and it should also be dried immediately and coated with oil to maintain the seasoning.
The Details: 10.5-inch diameter; 5.5-inch handle; 4 pounds
Best Nonstick
Anolon 11" Nonstick Square Griddle Pan
Why It's Great: Available in several colors; rounded ridges; deep design cuts down on splattering
Grain of Salt: Nonstick coating may wear down over time
Some nonstick grill pans do not achieve those coveted grill marks, but if Instagram-worthy seared stripes are your goal, the Anolon Advanced 11-inch Square Grill Pan will not disappoint. It heats quickly and uniformly, and the rounded ridges, which are a little higher than some of the other pans we tested, sear perfect lines into eggplant and zucchini and cook everything uniformly. Even better, there were no noticeable hot spots or cool spots.
The pan is deeper than other grill pans—almost two inches deep—which cuts down on splattering when you're grilling fatty foods like steaks or hamburgers. It also has pour spouts on either side. The handle, which has a silicone insert, is comfortable to grip and stays cool to the touch. This pan is made of hard-anodized aluminum with a durable, chip- and scratch-resistant nonstick coating. The food we cooked released from the pan easily with no issues whatsoever, and it was easy to clean as well, which is a boon since it's not dishwasher safe. The grill pan is a good size for holding four to five burgers or small chicken breasts; the ridges extend almost to the edge of the pan, making the whole cooking surface usable. The pan is oven-safe up to 400°F and can be used on gas, electric, and glass or ceramic cooktops.
The Details: 11-inch diameter; 2.5 pounds; oven safe up to 400°F
Best Cast Iron
Finex Cast Iron Double-Handle Grill Pan
Why It's Great: Beautiful design; thicker grill ridges; retains heat for longer than others
Grain of Salt: Heavy
Finex is a small, Portland, Oregon-based cookware company. Think of it as a fancier version of its more famous sister brand, Lodge Cast Iron, which acquired the brand in 2019. This pan is beautifully designed, with an octagonal shape that maximizes the cooking surface, a sturdy design (it weighs over 12 pounds!), and beautiful coiled stainless handles that are designed to cool off quickly. The ridges are thicker and deeper than most other grill pans, which closely replicate an actual grill.
Because of its heft, the pan takes a while to heat up, but when it does, it can achieve screaming-hot temperatures perfect for searing a steak and will retain that heat uniformly for quite some time. Even with its pre-seasoning and a little additional oil, food stuck a little to the ridges during tests, but with some coaxing, it released without tearing. The heat dispersed nicely with no hot spots, and the design of the ridges yielded impressively browned grill marks. The handles do get hot, but cool off more quickly than the pan itself. Like any cast iron cookware, the seasoning on this pan needs to be maintained, and it'll get better and better with repeated use as the patina builds up. Taken care of properly, this pan is likely to become an heirloom and a great alternative to firing up the outdoor grill.
The Details: 12.25-inch diameter; 12 pounds, 5 ounces; oven safe up to 500°F
Best Square
Staub Cast Iron Grill Pan
Why It's Great: Last-lasting materials; available in several colors and sizes; easy to clean
Grain of Salt: Expensive
French cast iron cookware company Staub wins out for a great square grill pan. The pan measures 12 inches, though the cooking surface is closer to 10 inches since the tall sides of the pan flare out. The design makes it easy to maneuver a spatula to flip burgers or grilled eggplant. The enamel-coated cast iron cooking surface has a smoother surface than some of the other cast iron pans, so the food releases a little better, even the first time the pan is used. The smoother finish also makes it a little easier to clean than other cast iron, and the enamel coating makes it less finicky to clean.
It heats moderately quickly, and the heat distributes well even if the pan is much wider than the burner; the far edges are a little cooler but not so much that food cooks unevenly. The matching grill press, which is sold separately but also made of enamel-coated cast iron with ridges of its own, is a great complement to this pan. You can use the press to cook food from both sides at once, perfect for paninis or smash burgers. The exterior of this pan is colorful enamel, with a handful of rich, dark colors available from which to choose.
The Details: 12-inch diameter; 10.79 pounds; oven safe up to 500°F
Why It's Great: Ceramic coating; excellent nonstick quality; attractive; oven safe up to 600°F
Grain of Salt: Uneven heating; difficult to clean
The GreenPan Chatham 11-inch Round Grill Pan is a good option for those who want the convenience of nonstick but without the worry of chemical coating. GreenPan uses a durable ceramic-based nonstick coating that's free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium.
With this pan, food does not stick at all, even when you're using very little oil. However, it doesn't achieve the same distinct grill marks as some of the other pans we tested, and it seemed to cook hotter in some parts of the pan than in others. It's also better suited for smaller portions of food since the grill ridges only cover about nine inches in diameter, which is enough room for four small burgers or two chicken breasts. Despite its nonstick coating, the pan can be aggravating to clean: the light grey surface, although attractive, shows every little speck of residue, and it's hard to clean the crevices on either side of the high ridges.
The Details: 11-inch diameter; 7.8-inch handle; 2.97 pounds; oven safe up to 600°F
Best Double Burner
All-Clad Nonstick Grande Grill Cookware
Why It's Great: Heats quickly and evenly; two pour spouts; easy to clean
Grain of Salt: Difficult to store
Even for kitchens with oversized cooktops, the All-Clad HA1 Nonstick Double Burner Grill is generously sized to fit securely over two burners. It heats quickly and uniformly, even in the no-man's-land between the burners. The ridges are rounded and not too high, so they produce evenly browned lines and cook the food quickly since the food is closer in contact with the cooking surface. Pour spouts in two corners make it easy to pour off excess fat or drippings.
The HA1 line is one of All-Clad's entry-level lines; it is made of heavy-gauge hard anodized aluminum with a PFOA-free nonstick coating. The coating works great to release food easily and makes for quicker cleanup, especially since a sponge can glide easily over the rounded ridges with no crevices for food to hide. It's also dishwasher safe, although it might not fit in smaller dishwashers.
The fact that the whole thing can go into the oven (up to 500°F) is a bonus, especially when you need to finish cooking thicker cuts such as steaks or chops. Loop handles with flat grips are easy to carry, although they tend to get hot, so oven mitts are a must. One drawback: This pan, measuring 13 by 20 inches, is a bit awkward to store since the handles extend a full two inches above the pan. But, with a pan this size, you could probably cook up eight or more burgers at a time—perfect for your next get-together.
The Details: 13 x 20 inches; 5 pounds, 13 ounces; oven safe up to 500°F
Best Reversible
Lodge Chef Collection Cast Iron Reversible Griddle/Grill
Why It's Great: Thick squared ridges; channel for oil to collect; excellent value
Grain of Salt: Hard to clean; requires more maintenance than others
This reversible grill and griddle is a real workhorse. It can be used on virtually any type of cooking surface: gas, electric, and induction burners; outdoor grills; and even campfires. 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. The handles are designed to be flush with the cooking surface, making this pan convenient to store stacked or on its side.
For cast iron, we found this pan heated relatively quickly and did a great job at maintaining its temperature. Delicate food like salmon stuck a bit to the grill ridges, even with oil. However, with repeated use, a natural nonstick patina will eventually build up and help food release more quickly. There were a few hot spots, particularly where the heat of the burner was most concentrated, but for the most part, food was browned evenly and cooked uniformly. The oven-safe attribute of this grill is a bonus, especially for thicker foods that need a little more cooking time.
This grill would be great for making grilled pizza—you could transfer the whole pan to the oven afterward to melt the cheese. Just be prepared to put in the work it takes to maintain cast iron: The grill ridges are challenging to clean, especially when bits of food stick to them, and the pan needs to be dried immediately and treated with a light coating of oil to maintain its seasoning.
The Details: 16.5 x 10 inches; 10 pounds, 9 ounces; oven safe up to 550°F
Our Takeaway
Our top pick, the Scanpan 10.5-Inch Professional Grill Pan, impressed us during tests with its cast aluminum construction and durable nonstick coating. We especially love the narrow ridges, which allow for more caramelization and denser grill marks. For a budget option, the Cuisinel Preseasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan offers great value and includes an oven-safe glass lid, a silicone handle, and a scraper tool for easy cleaning.
How to Pick the Right Grill Pan
Size and Shape
Grill pans usually average around 10 to 11 inches in size, enough room for grilling four to five small hamburgers. You may decide to go smaller if you only need to serve one to two people, but if you're feeding a crowd, you may want to spring for a double-burner grill pan. As the name suggests, these are rectangular-shaped grill pans that span the length of two stovetop burners for increased surface area.
We found in our testing that most grill pans on the market are square, and for good reason. Surface area is key when grilling—your food needs to be cooked in a single layer, as opposed to a stir-fry or any sauteed dish. Square grill pans offer more surface area. But round pans do have their advantages: They tend to heat more evenly than square pans, which don't always get as hot around the edges and corners. Some grill pans even feature reversible sides, one with a ridged surface for grilling and another with a smooth surface for griddling.
Material
- Cast Iron: Cast iron is a no-brainer for a grill pan. It can reach and maintain high temperatures, mimicking the grates of an outdoor grill. It's also oven-safe, so you can easily finish up thicker cuts of steak in the oven after you've developed a nice sear on the stovetop. However, the clear disadvantage of cast iron is that it always requires more maintenance. With time, cast iron will develop a naturally nonstick patina, but that requires regular use and routine seasoning with oil. And as with all cast iron, it must be hand washed and dried immediately.
- Enameled Cast Iron: Although it comes with a heftier price tag, enameled cast iron gives you the heat retention of cast iron without the finicky cleanup. The enamel glaze helps to prevent sticking and rusting, so no seasoning is required.
- Hard-Anodized Aluminum: This is a term you'll see thrown around a lot when it comes to grill pans and other cookware. It refers to aluminum that has been hardened through a chemical process of oxidation to make it more durable and resistant to corrosion. It's usually coated with a nonstick coating for easy cleanup, and the aluminum base provides excellent conduction. Keep in mind that you should avoid using metal utensils or cooking over super high temperatures with nonstick cookware.
- Cast Aluminum: Cast aluminum cookware comes from molten aluminum that is poured into a mold. The process, known as "casting," creates a harder and more durable product. Like all types of aluminum, it's an excellent conductor, and it's much lighter than cast iron. And like hard-anodized aluminum, it's often layered with a nonstick coating.
- Ceramic Nonstick: Often touted as the alternative to Teflon-based nonstick coatings, ceramic-coated cookware is usually made of a metal base (either aluminum or stainless steel) that has been coated with a silicone-based nonstick coating. It offers an easy-to-clean nonstick surface with optimal heat conduction but is said to be less durable than its traditional nonstick counterparts.
Handles
You'll find grill pans with one handle or handles on both sides. Dual-sided handles make it easier to move the pan to and from the stovetop or oven, especially if it's made of a heavier material like cast iron. Some handles can become very hot to the touch, such as cast iron and certain metal handles. However, you can find metal and plastic handles that stay cool to the touch, but keep in mind the latter may not be oven safe.
Pour Spout and Channels
Many grill pans feature pour spouts or grease channels. Though not essential, these can make it easier to clean and discard accumulated grease. Plus, a pan that has accumulated a lot of grease can make it more difficult to achieve a proper sear.
About Our Tests
To test each grill pan, Allrecipes product tester Jessica Harlan used them to cook the following recipes:
After use, Jessica cleaned each pan according to the manufacturer's instructions. During testing, we paid special attention to the following factors:
- Construction and Design: What materials is it made of? What is the size and weight? Are the handles comfortable to hold?
- Heat Retention: How quickly does it heat? How well does it maintain that heat? Any hot spots?
- Performance: Does food stick to the surface? Does it produce well-defined grill marks? What about a nice sear or caramelization?
- Cleaning and Storage: Is it dishwasher-safe? Is it difficult to clean between the grooves? Does it feature a pour spout or grease channel? Is it too bulky to store or is it easily stackable with other cookware?
The Leftovers: Other Grill Pans We Tested
Though still functional, several of the grill pans we tested fell just short of the competition.
We appreciated the durable coating and the stainless steel loop handles on the GreenPan Premiere Ceramic Nonstick Outdoor/Indoor Square Grill Pan, but it didn't produce sharply defined grill marks during tests. Likewise, the slippery ceramic finish caused food to skitter out of reach as we tried to flip it. While the grill pan heated quickly on the burner, it didn't heat evenly over the heat source.
The Sky Light Nonstick Grill Pan was in the running for our Best Budget pick, but ultimately, the heat distribution wasn't quite as good as some of the other grill pans we tested. We liked the handle that folds inwards for storage as well as the lightweight yet spacious design, but thicker foods like chicken tended to burn before they finished cooking.
Common Questions
How do you use a grill pan?
A grill pan is a frying pan with raised ridges that help create distinct, charred grill marks onto food and impart a similar flavor you'd get from grill grates. Be sure to check which types of cooktops your grill pan is compatible with, but most cast iron grill pans are safe to use on any type, as well as in the oven. Preheat your pan (cast iron will usually require more time to heat up), and then add oil to keep the food from sticking. You can also use a grill brush to distribute the oil evenly throughout the ridges. When the oil is hot, you're ready to cook.
What is the best way to clean a grill pan?
Charred protein and veggies tend to get stuck to a grill pan's ridges, so it's important to look for one that is easy to clean. Check your manufacturer's care instructions since the best way to clean your pan will likely depend on the material it's made from. Traditional and enameled cast iron can be scrubbed with a brush or sponge, adding a little bit of soap as needed. Be sure to dry your grill pan completely before putting it away.
Why Take Our Word for It?
All of the products on this list were tested by Jessica Harlan, a recipe developer and food writer who has written nine cookbooks on topics ranging from ramen to homemade condiments. Melanie Fincher, an Alabama-based food writer with nearly seven years of writing experience, wrote this roundup with the help of Jessica's testing insights.