How to choose a grill pan?

A grill pan is one of the most popular new kitchen utensils, which is gaining more and more fans every day. In order to fully enjoy the advantages of this invention, you need to know how to choose a grill pan.

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What is a grill pan?

This pan is just a find, not only for outdoor barbecue lovers, but also for lovers of healthy food. The difference between this dish and a conventional pan is that there are convex ribs on its bottom, due to which the cooked food rises above the bottom, and does not float in oil.

In addition, the food cooks much faster, retains its juiciness and has mouth-watering strips of crusts - the same as they remain after the grill in nature. Actually, thanks to this feature, this pan got its name - “grill pan”.

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Why choose a grill pan?

• The inner surface has non-stick properties, and in addition, the ribs do not allow food to come into contact with the bottom surface. Only lightly grease the food and the bottom with oil. Thus, pork steak or fish will not stick to the pan or drown in fat.
• During cooking, the fat secreted by meat or fish is collected between the grooves, respectively - the dish goes diet.
• It is worth noting that you can cook a large number of dishes on it: meat, fish, vegetables, mushrooms and even hard cheese, such as suluguni.
• In addition, the food is cooked without an abundance of soot and smoke - it does not have this burnt greasy crust, as after cooking in an ordinary frying pan.
• The juiciness of the products is kept to the maximum, they acquire a special taste and aroma. About the recognizable striped appetizing crust, we have already mentioned above.
• Due to its special shape, dishes are cooked faster in the pan.

Important! You will spend 5-10 minutes cooking chicken meat and fish, and 10 minutes or a little more on pork and beef, depending on the thickness of the piece.

• Another undoubted advantage is that in this pan you can cook several products at the same time, for example a steak with vegetables and mushrooms, potatoes and fish.

Important! The only drawback may be the solid weight of the pan, but with all the advantages, this drawback is not so significant.

Of course, you will get all these nice bonuses if the dishes are chosen correctly. Therefore, you need to know which grill pan is which is better. We will deal with all the nuances.

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Grill pan compatibility with your stove

This moment needs to be taken into account first of all, because no matter how you choose a frying pan by material, size, shape - it simply may turn out to be incompatible with your stove.

Usually on the packaging of a frying pan they write what type of plates it is suitable for. Let's take a closer look at this issue:

• A grill pan for a gas stove can be made of any material: aluminum, cast iron or ceramic. Depending on which model you prefer, additional steps may be necessary on your part. Be sure to read about what to do with the new pan.
• For glass-ceramic plates, ceramic or aluminum pans are suitable, the main condition of which is a smooth and even bottom. In addition, the size of the product should not greatly exceed the diameter of the burner.

Important! Cast iron pans for glass-ceramic plates are not suitable, as they have a lot of weight.

• For induction cooker grill pans that have either a flat steel bottom or a steel flat insert at the bottom will do.
• An electric stove gives a high temperature, so the best option for it is a cast-iron grill pan.

Important! There is also an electric grill pan, which is powered by the grid and does not need a cooker.

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How to choose a grill pan in size and shape?

It is difficult for an inexperienced buyer to decide which grill pan is better, because the various shapes and sizes presented in the store are simply amazing. What product should you choose?

Grill pan. Which is better in shape?

The choice of the form of this kitchen invention depends on what you will cook more often and for how many people:

• If you are a big fan of fish, and you will prepare the rest from time to time, then buy an oval-shaped pan. It can be equipped with two handles for convenience. Our culinary post will help diversify your diet with new recipes. "What kind of fish is better to fry in a pan?".
• For a large number of people it is better to cook in a square or rectangular pan. It is more spacious, and in addition, it is more convenient to cook different dishes in one go.
• Steaks, mushrooms, vegetables, meatballs, omelettes for a small number of eaters are best prepared in a round grill pan.

Which size to choose?

The size should, first of all, depend on the burner:

• For a gas stove there is not much difference, but for the other stoves, the correspondence between the size of the pan and the burner is of great importance.

Important! The diameter of the container should not greatly exceed the size of the burner. Otherwise, the dish will not be able to cook evenly.

• Pay attention also to the height of the sides. For frying meat and fish, it is better to have sides higher so that splashes of fat do not fall on the stove. In addition, the high edge during cooking creates the effect of “oven” and the food is evenly fried. The low walls of the pan are more suitable for cooking vegetables.

Important! Separately, it should be noted the following nuance of such dishes: when buying, choose the pan where there is a special “spout”. It is needed to conveniently drain the remaining fat and other fluids.

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Choose material

How to choose a grill pan so that it lasts as long as possible?

The material from which the pan itself is made may be: cast iron, aluminum or ceramic. Consider the pros and cons of each of them.

Cast iron

The best option for a grill pan is this alloy.

Advantages:

• Strong and durable.
• Resistant to mechanical damage.
• Evenly warms up and cools slowly.
• Does not emit harmful substances during cooking.

Important! A non-stick film is created on the inner surface of this porous metal by itself during the cooking process, provided that the pan is washed without detergent chemicals and abrasives.

Disadvantages:

• Impressive weight (a couple of kilograms).
• The impossibility of storing food in a cast-iron pan, as it will acquire a not very pleasant metallic aftertaste.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a lighter metal, respectively - a pan will be literally easier to use.

Advantages:

• Low weight of the vessel.
• With proper use of the pan of this material will last several years.

Disadvantages:

• Unlike cast iron, food can stick to aluminum, so the pan is coated with a non-stick layer from the inside.
• Aluminum can not be exposed to temperatures above 260 degrees, otherwise the layer will collapse and carcinogens will enter the food.
• When cooking, you can use only silicone or wooden appliances.
• When cleaning such pans, do not use abrasives or harsh chemicals.

Ceramics

Ceramics is a rather convenient and environmentally friendly material.

Advantages:

• Withstands high temperatures and does not emit any harmful substances in food.
• Ceramic grill pans are stable, beautiful, easy to wash by any means.

Disadvantages:

• A significant disadvantage is fragility. Like all ceramics, these pans are afraid of shock and sudden changes in temperature. From this they crack or even become unusable.

Important! When choosing a grill pan, give preference to those with a thicker bottom.

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Type of coverage. How important is this setting?

The type of coating matters with aluminum pans. As stated above, cast iron does not need coating due to its porosity. Ceramics also have their non-stick properties. But aluminum requires a non-stick upper layer.

Options for the non-stick layer may be as follows:

• Most often, Teflon acts as a coating - a long-thought-out universal spraying that does not allow food to stick to the bottom and does not react with it. Cons - it is undesirable to scratch with metal devices and clean with abrasives, and in addition, Teflon can break down at temperatures above 260 degrees.

Important! For many grill pans, for convenience, the center has a “thermal spot” - an indicator of optimal heating. If it turns bright red, it's time to cook the dish.

• There is also a marble coating. It is much stronger, withstands high temperatures, retains heat for a long time, but the price of such pans is an order of magnitude higher.
• Not so long ago, products with a thermolon coating appeared on the tableware market. It is similar in appearance and properties to ceramics, but much stronger, withstands temperatures up to 450 degrees.

Important! When buying, beware of Chinese-made fakes. From scratch they declare this coating on the product, taking advantage of the fact that people still know little about it and have not seen it in their eyes.

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Handle and lid in a grill pan. Which are better?

Lids do not always come with a grill pan, sometimes they are sold separately and are selected according to the shape and size of the product.

Important! If there is no lid on sale and in a complete set, then you can simply cover the prepared dish with foil if necessary.

But the handle in the pan, pay special attention. A handle often gives a poor-quality frying pan - it will be metal covered with ordinary plastic, bolted to the wall of the pan.

On a good product:

1. The handle should be coated with silicone, wood or bakelite - a material that can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees.
2. At the same time, it must be screwed in or be cast. This is especially important if the grill pan is cast-iron and weighs a lot.

Important! There are also products with folding handles. This is convenient if you cook in the oven, as well as during storage. Then the pan takes up less space.

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Manufacturer

How to choose a grill pan by the manufacturer? Several brands have proven themselves in the market of these products:

• Tefal (France). They produce pans and other products with teflon coating.
• Berghoff (Belgium). Impeccable quality and affordable price.
• Ballarini, Risoli, Pensofal - Italian brands that produce decent quality grill pans with non-stick coating.
• Biol is a domestic manufacturer, mainly engaged in cast-iron pans with a thick bottom. In the assortment of products there are models with removable handles. Price - affordable to most buyers.
• Gipfel (Germany) Produce cast iron pans with a three-layer non-stick coating.
• Lodge (USA). They produce excellent quality grill pans from cast iron at an affordable price.
• Vinzer (Switzerland). It specializes in the production of aluminum cookware of good quality, inexpensive in price.
• Home Club is also a domestic manufacturer of grill pans, roasting pans and barbecue accessories.

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How to use a grill pan? Cook tips

In the end, we will give you some valuable tips from experienced cooks on how to cook in a grill pan:

• Before first use, heat the pan with salt, then shake it off and do not rinse. This will increase non-stick properties.

Important! This is especially true for cast iron products.

• Use a minimum of oil during cooking. All you need is to brush the bottom and surface of the dish that you will fry with a brush. Put the food on an already hot pan to prevent it from sticking.
• For high-quality frying, the thickness of a piece of meat should not exceed 2 cm, and if you want to speed up the cooking process, pour a little water between the ribs of the bottom. For taste, you can pre-soak the meat in the marinade.
• If you often like to experiment with such dishes, our selection of ideas will definitely come in handy. “How to cook pork in a pan?”.
• Fish cooks fast. Try not to overexpose it, otherwise - it will fall apart, especially fatty varieties. Enough up to 3 minutes on each side over medium heat. For convenience, lay it diagonally relative to the bottom strips.
• Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper in advance, and not during cooking. You need to fry them for 5-10 minutes. Young potatoes need to be boiled in advance until half ready.
• It is enough to fry chicken chops for 2-3 minutes on each side.

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Stock footage

Now, knowing how to choose a grill pan for a gas stove, electric, induction and glass-ceramic, you can confidently go to the store. Thanks to the useful information from this article, the acquisition will help to prepare tasty wholesome food and will facilitate the process itself, making it less time-consuming and more enjoyable.