Grill pan: how to choose and use

Do you like the smoky smell and taste of barbecue, but don’t always have the opportunity to cook outdoors? A good alternative for you would be a grill pan - a special dish with a thick, grooved bottom. The special design creates the effect of frying over an open fire, creating a unique barbecue aroma. But before you rush to the store, get acquainted with the properties of this useful utensil.

Features of use

A grill pan is a special frying device that creates the effect of an outdoor barbecue. It has a rectangular shape and is often equipped with a spout for draining liquid.

At the bottom of the dish there are parallel sides approximately 8 mm high. The grooved surface ensures that fat drips away, giving the food a characteristic dark crust, as if it had been fried over an open fire. The thick bottom distributes heat evenly, speeding up the cooking process.

In this mode, meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables are perfectly cooked. The cookware is suitable for frying sausages and cutlets, and heating hot sandwiches. There is no need to lubricate the bottom with oil, as the food does not have time to burn.

Using an unusual frying pan has its own characteristics - for example, products need to be cut into pieces 1 cm thick. They need to be laid out evenly on the bottom, in one layer. The dishes are preheated without fat. To give the slices a nice crust, they are greased with butter. Since the top part is not cooked through, the pieces have to be turned at least once.

Benefits of using a grill pan

In addition to the spicy taste of shish kebab, the dishes provide six more advantages:

• convenience - the product does not require labor-intensive maintenance, like a barbecue or convection oven. It does not require firewood or coal, and you do not need to clean the grate after each use;
• Health benefits - food is cooked on a grill pan with a minimum amount of oil. Excess fat drains off during frying, so the dishes turn out healthier;
• aesthetic appearance - “branded” stripes on the slices give the dishes a restaurant look;
• easy to clean - the sides on the bottom reduce the sticking of food, thereby making cleaning easier;
• safety - the frying pan does not throw heat on your face like a kebab maker, pieces of food do not fall into the fire, there is no splash of hot oil;
• no smoke – if you use the cookware correctly, the food will not smoke during cooking.

A grill pan offers functionality that regular pots, pans and sauté pans cannot provide. It helps create an atmosphere of outdoor recreation without leaving the kitchen.

Distinctive features of the grill pan

The shape and design of the cookware creates a special effect - fast, but uniform heating. Thanks to this, the product combines the functions of several kitchen appliances at once - a barbecue grill, an oven, a toaster and a regular frying pan. The ribbed bottom allows you to preserve the natural juices of food and enrich its flavor.

For those who have not used a grill pan before, you need to consider its features:

• heavy weight. Heavy dishes are difficult to move on the stove;
• the need for strong heating. Before placing food, the product must be heated on the stove for at least 5 minutes;
• presence of additional elements. It is more convenient to use a frying pan with removable handles, as it is suitable for both the oven and burners. Products with a fixed handle will not fit in the oven.

It is also important to consider that food often sticks to the ribbed bottom. To prevent the formation of smoke, burnt particles must be removed directly during the cooking process . Typically, scrape them off with a wooden spatula, then wipe the bottom with a paper towel.

How to choose the right grill pan

This convenient kitchen appliance is available in different sizes - from miniature grooved trays that can accommodate one steak to huge ones that occupy two burners at once. The shapes of the product are no less varied - square , round , oval , with spouts and handles. If you haven't used this type of pan before, check out the experts' tips. They recommend starting with your own culinary preferences.
If you are going to prepare family dinners for a small family, choose a product with a diameter of 18-25 cm. For those who like to treat friends with delicious dishes, dishes with a diameter of 28-35 cm are suitable. It is important to consider several more factors, including material, appearance and compatibility with the stove .

Form

Regular frying pans are mostly round. But on the grill, food should be placed in one layer, so a rectangular shape is more convenient. It increases surface area by almost 30%. Angles helpedThey ensure uniform heating of the entire bottom. The oval shape is similar in properties to the rectangular one.

Pay attention to the presence of a spout. It helps drain excess fat and juices, so the dish cooks faster and is healthier.

An important element is the presence of handles in the kit. They increase the weight of the product, but simplify the cooking process. Sometimes, instead of handles, the sides are equipped with loops that help move dishes.

Material

Manufacturers use cast iron , steel , aluminum , ceramics, and a variety of non-stick coatings for grill pans. The best option is cast iron, which retains heat well and prevents burning. Cast iron products are heavy, but they heat up quickly, allowing you to cook steaks, cutlets, and slices of vegetables in a matter of minutes.

Aluminum cookware is lightweight, but less durable. This is an acceptable option for those who do not intend to use the grill very often. Ceramic molds heat up quickly, but can crack if used for a long time. Stainless steel is durable and ensures even cooking of food. However, steel cookware is difficult to wash, as food burns strongly on it.

Pay attention to the inner coating. Enameled products last longer and are easier to clean; they can be soaked in water. The non-stick coating prevents the formation of smoke, but it must be protected from scratches.

Grooving height

An important factor is the ribbed bottom surface. The higher the protrusions, the more distinct the pattern of delicious stripes will be. High relief promotes better fat separation. The optimal height of the protrusions is considered to be 1-1.5 cm.

Stove compatibility

If your kitchen has a regular gas stove or electric hob, you can choose a frying pan of any shape and size. The cookware is also suitable for ceramic stoves, but only if it has not been used on a gas stove before. Changing the heat source may cause deformation of the product. For induction panels, you need to look for a frying pan with a magnetic bottom.

Which grill pan to choose

The sure-fire option is to buy products from a well-known brand of cookware. Manufacturers with a good reputation offer products made of stainless steel and high-strength aluminum. The surface is treated with a non-stick coating based on titanium or stone dust. Utensils are often equipped with removable handles and lids.
The rating of grill pan manufacturers is topped by five companies: Risoli (Italy), Ilsa (Italy), Prohotel (China), Lodge (France), Matfer (France), Paderno (Italy).