Best grill pans

Grilling food outside is one of the best parts of warm days. When chilly weather hits, particularly if you live in a cold climate, the magic of grilling in the great outdoors can be suspended. Today, you can recapture the delicious tastes and smells indoors with a grill pan.

Grill pans are similar in style to a frying pan but have raised ridges throughout the cooking surface that resemble the wires on a grill grate. Those ridges draw fat and grease away from food, leaving you with flavorful, healthier meats, fish, and vegetables complete with grill marks. Best of all, these pans are easier to clean than your outdoor grill.

Whether you're watching your cholesterol, looking for a way to prepare your favorite grilled food year-round, or want to try something new, we've rounded up a list of the best grill pans to please your tastebuds and your wallet.

The Lodge cast iron grill pan has been my go-to for years. I love the generous 10.5-inch cooking area. It's big enough to sear, fry, bake, stir fry, and sauté. This is one of the best cast iron grill pans if you have an induction stove or plan to cook over a campfire because it is safe to use on all types of stoves. You can even pop it in the oven. This pan comes pre-seasoned and ready to use right out of the box, and cleanup is a breeze.

Jean Patrique's The Whatever Pan can handle everything you throw at it. Vegetables, meats, fish, seafood, and even breaded food all cook evenly to perfection. Grease slides into the pan's grooves and stays there, leaving nothing but flavor-filled food behind. The Whatever Pan is useable on any stove style and can be popped in the oven as well. Even better, cleanup won't take hours, thanks to the non-toxic, non-stick finish.

Cast iron grill pans cannot go in a dishwasher without risking rust and losing the seasoning that's built up over time. Gotham Steel's 10.5-inch grill pan is different. It's made to go in the dishwasher and cleans up just as easily by hand. With shallow sear ridges, a stainless steel handle, and tough ceramic and titanium coating, this is a durable model that goes from stovetop to oven to kitchen table with ease. And when dinner is done, it slides right in the dishwasher for hassle-free cleaning.

If you have a big family or prepare meals in advance, you're going to love the Legend cast iron grill. With two pre-seasoned sides, you can cook eggs, pancakes, and French toast on one side and char your veggies and protein on the other. The pan's deep ridges remove unhealthy fats from meat and fish while retaining all the juice and mouth-watering flavor. This is one of the best grill pans for gas stoves or those who love to cook over an open fire.

The ESLITE LIFE grill pan works on all stovetops, including induction stoves. Layered with a non-stick granite coating, it's a cinch to whip up dinner without adding extra oil. Two pour spouts at the pan's sides allow you to remove grease so it stays away from food. This model heats evenly, leaves grill lines behind, and has a wooden handle that never gets hot.

Unique to the Cooks Standard grill pan is the lightweight build. Made of aluminum and topped with a hard-anodized surface that's tougher than stainless steel, this is a grill pan that's easy on the wrists and a hard worker in the kitchen. This model works on most stove surfaces and is oven-safe, too. The ridges are deep and plentiful, allowing grease to drip away from food. My favorite feature: a handle that stays cool to the touch.

Get your grill on

All of these grill pans allow you to enjoy freshly grilled food even in bad weather. Our staff pick, the Lodge cast iron grill pan, is compatible with all stoves and ovens, and can even be used over an open fire in the backyard or on camping trips.

Another of my favorites is the dishwasher-safe Jean Patrique The Whatever Pan. It comes with a glass lid, has a non-stick surface, and plenty of room for proteins and vegetables.

And if you're cooking for a big family, you can't go wrong with the Legend cast iron grill pan. It's dual-sided and cooks everything from bacon and eggs to steak and potatoes well.

Why trust us?

At GardeningEtc, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Why trust me?

I've been grilling food since before I was allowed to play with matches. I own several of the best grill pans on the market today, including our staff pick, and use them year-round.