Grill pans: which one to choose and how to use it properly

A grill pan is a frying pan with a ridged base that leaves those lovely crosshatch marks on meat, fish or vegetables. The ridges lift the food up: the fat runs off into the grooves, and only the very hot ridges do the searing. I use one almost every day, and I made a few mistakes before finding the right one.

The three main types

	Bare cast iron	Enameled cast iron	Nonstick aluminum
Searing	Excellent	Excellent	Decent
Weight	Very heavy	Very heavy	Light
Care	Needs seasoning, no dishwasher	Easy	Easy, but fragile
Lifespan	A lifetime	Very long	A few years
Induction	Yes	Yes	Only with a special base

Bare cast iron: my favorite

It’s the queen of searing: once it’s hot, it doesn’t cool down when you lay a cold rib steak on it. It gets better over time, because the layer of baked-on fat (the “seasoning”) makes it more and more nonstick. Its only drawbacks: the weight, and the fact that you have to dry it and oil it after every wash so it doesn’t rust.

Enameled cast iron: cast iron without the fuss

Same cooking qualities, but the enamel protects it from rust: you wash it like any saucepan. Watch out for knocks, as the enamel can chip, and never heat it empty for too long.

Nonstick aluminum: for getting by

Light, cheap, easy to handle. But it heats less evenly, and the coating gets damaged if you heat it very hard — which is exactly what you want from a grill pan. Fine for vegetables or fish, less so for a nice piece of meat.

The 4 moves for beautiful grill marks

1. Preheat for a long time: a good 5 minutes over medium-high heat for cast iron. A drop of water should sizzle and evaporate instantly.
2. Oil the food, not the pan: a brush of oil on the meat is enough; oil poured into the pan burns in the grooves.
3. Don’t touch it: let it sear for 2 to 3 minutes without moving it. When the meat releases on its own, it’s ready to turn.
4. For the crosshatch, rotate the food a quarter turn halfway through cooking each side.

Care

Clean the pan while it’s still warm with a brush and hot water. For bare cast iron, no dishwasher and no soaking: dry it over the heat for a few seconds, then wipe on a thin layer of oil with a paper towel.

What I look for before buying

• Tall ridges (at least 4 to 5 mm): otherwise the meat touches the base and stews in its own juices.
• A pouring spout to drain off the fat.
• A helper handle opposite the main handle: a 28 cm cast iron pan often weighs more than 3 kg.
• A square shape: more usable surface than a round one for the same footprint.