Grilling Year Round with Scanpan and Le Creuset Grill Pans
David Kahn |
Australians love grilling, we love grilling in the summer, in the winter, on the patio and at the beach. But obviously, even in sunny Australia, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. So what’s a hungry Aussie to do when they’re in desperate need of some Portuguese style flat chicken and lamb chops on a rainy winter day?In short, that’s when it’s time to break out the grill pan. These pans recreate some of the best aspects of an outdoor grill into even the tiniest kitchens. The best of them offer beautiful sear marks on everything from grilled peppers to juicy steaks. The worst of them, well perhaps it’s best not to imagine.But first, what exactly is a grill pan?
Grill Pan 101
So the purpose of a grill pan is to recreate the cooking performance of a grill indoors. To do that, you start with a regular pan (though many grill pans are square instead of round because you’re generally not using sloped sides to flip food like with regular pans). Then you create a series of raised lines which give you those great sear marks while also allowing fat to drop down into the crevasses.As a result, besides being a great way to get some grill flavour indoors, grill pans are widely seen as a healthier way to cook fatty meats. If you’re curious about the health aspect, here are some great recipes to get your imagination going. Still, grill pans can’t achieve the high amounts of radiative heat that outdoor grills offer, and can’t give you much smoky flavour (unless you want to fill your home with smoke). But compared to a regular pan, they imitate a grill better than anything around.So which brands of grill pans can you rely on to make your indoor grilling as amazing as anything you’ve ever eaten outdoors? Here are two of our favourites.
Scanpan Non-Stick Grill Pans
Scanpan’s classic cookware line offers two unique grill pans. Both use Scanpan’s patented ceramic titanium non-stick cooking surface. This well designed non-stick surface is PFOA free, but more importantly is oven safe up to 260°C. Compared to most non-stick pans, that’s a very high heat tolerance and an environmentally friendly construction.Does that translate into a great grill pan? Yes, particularly if you want something that’s easier to clean than your average grill (admit it, just thinking about cleaning your grill makes you anxious). That non-stick surface means that bits of food that might fall into the cracks and get a bit overcooked will release more easily.Still, these pans can’t handle as high heat as we’d like in order to get truly great char so that ease of cleanup comes at a small price. If you want simple indoor grilling, you can check out Scanpan’s 27cm model with higher sides or its 28cm model without them (giving you more cooking space).
Le Creuset Cast Iron Grill Pans
The main advantage of the Le Creuset grill pan versus the Scanpan cookware mentioned above comes down to the material. Cast iron retains heat exceptionally well, meaning it will lose less heat when it comes into contact with colder food. That translates into better searing. The issue is that the enamel coating on pans like the Le Creuset Signature Square Grill limits the heat levels to 190°C.Still, that coating makes the pan much easier to clean and more non-stick than traditional cast iron. However, if you’re willing to work a bit more on cleaning and maintenance, the huge Le Creuset Satin Black Cast Iron Giant Rectangular Grill is made from pure cast iron, meaning it has no upper heat limits. So if you’re ready to dive into the world of indoor grilling headfirst and never look back, this is the solution for you.Overall, deciding between all of these options has to come down to your thoughts on cleanup, your budget, and how many people you’d like to grill for at once. But no matter which you choose, you’re getting a ticket to grill paradise.
Get Inspired!
Excited to say goodbye to the days when a bit of rain could bring your grilling plans to a grinding halt? Whether that’s with cast iron or Scanpan cookware, you can look forward to making all of your favourites this summer, winter, and everything in between. If you still need some inspiration, just take a look at these fantastic summer grill recipes. Or, if you’d like to see more grill pan options, check out our full lineup.
So the purpose of a grill pan is to recreate the cooking performance of a grill indoors. To do that, you start with a regular pan (though many grill pans are square instead of round because you’re generally not using sloped sides to flip food like with regular pans). Then you create a series of raised lines which give you those great sear marks while also allowing fat to drop down into the crevasses.
As a result, besides being a great way to get some grill flavour indoors, grill pans are widely seen as a healthier way to cook fatty meats. If you’re curious about the health aspect, here are some great recipes to get your imagination going. Still, grill pans can’t achieve the high amounts of radiative heat that outdoor grills offer, and can’t give you much smoky flavour (unless you want to fill your home with smoke). But compared to a regular pan, they imitate a grill better than anything around.
So which brands of grill pans can you rely on to make your indoor grilling as amazing as anything you’ve ever eaten outdoors? Here are two of our favourites.
Scanpan’s classic cookware line offers two unique grill pans. Both use Scanpan’s patented ceramic titanium non-stick cooking surface. This well designed non-stick surface is PFOA free, but more importantly is oven safe up to 260°C. Compared to most non-stick pans, that’s a very high heat tolerance and an environmentally friendly construction.
Does that translate into a great grill pan? Yes, particularly if you want something that’s easier to clean than your average grill (admit it, just thinking about cleaning your grill makes you anxious). That non-stick surface means that bits of food that might fall into the cracks and get a bit overcooked will release more easily.
Still, these pans can’t handle as high heat as we’d like in order to get truly great char so that ease of cleanup comes at a small price. If you want simple indoor grilling, you can check out Scanpan’s 27cm model with higher sides or its 28cm model without them (giving you more cooking space).
The main advantage of the Le Creuset grill pan versus the Scanpan cookware mentioned above comes down to the material. Cast iron retains heat exceptionally well, meaning it will lose less heat when it comes into contact with colder food. That translates into better searing. The issue is that the enamel coating on pans like the Le Creuset Signature Square Grill limits the heat levels to 190°C.
Still, that coating makes the pan much easier to clean and more non-stick than traditional cast iron. However, if you’re willing to work a bit more on cleaning and maintenance, the huge Le Creuset Satin Black Cast Iron Giant Rectangular Grill is made from pure cast iron, meaning it has no upper heat limits. So if you’re ready to dive into the world of indoor grilling headfirst and never look back, this is the solution for you.
Overall, deciding between all of these options has to come down to your thoughts on cleanup, your budget, and how many people you’d like to grill for at once. But no matter which you choose, you’re getting a ticket to grill paradise.
