Cast Iron Grill Pans for Stove Top

[Sephora]

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to put this. It's a cross between a grilling question and a cookware question.

I love my outdoor grill now that I've gotten the hang of it, but in NC the weather can be very unpredictable and there have been days where my dinner plans were rained out and we ended up with alternative dinners.

So now I'm wondering about the stove top grill pans I've seen. THe ones that either cover one or two burners. Are they as good as they look when Emeril or other Food Network cooks use them? Do they work well as a substitute? Will they work with an electric stove (the label says they do, but I want to know from real world cooks)?

Thanks

 

[Ishbel]

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but I have a couple of ridged grill pans made by le Creuset. They put really good 'char' marks on steaks, chops and salmon. I recommend them.

 

[BigDog]

I think Emeril always uses gas (that's all I've seen on both shows) grills, not grill pans. I know Rachael Ray uses a grill pan on 30 Minute Meals, but that is heated by gas burners.

 

[Sephora]

I think Emeril always uses gas (that's all I've seen on both shows) grills, not grill pans. I know Rachael Ray uses a grill pan on 30 Minute Meals, but that is heated by gas burners.

I wish I had gas burners. Unfortunately, I rent and have not had gas in over a decade. Apparently electric is easier for landlords to maintain or something. They do have a single burner size, but that would mean eating in shifts which I am tired of doing. If I want to eat in shifts I can just use my George Forman ~ NOT!

 

[JMediger]

We have a Calphalon grill pan and I love it. I can fit 4 hamburgers on it and while we have gas now, we had electric when we first got it. It works well for searing steaks and doing chicken as well. My mom has a double burner pan that we use for pancakes and it also works well. For meat, though, I can only fit 6 on her pan so it doesn't seem that much of a better deal to me.

As far as cast iron versus other materials, it comes to personal preference. I love my cast iron skillet but I REALLY love my Calphalon. I think as long as you take care of it, any stove top grill pan would work for anyone.

Good Luck!

PS ... rentals generally have electric everything for safety reasons. You can't blow up your house or die of asphyxiation with electric. Also, it costs them less if they are stuck with unpaid renter bills.

(edited to add ps ...)

 

[eatsOats]

I have a 12" CI grill-pan and like it quite a bit. Plagued by the same stove type as you, I too, cook on an electric range. It gets plenty hot and lends itself to wonderful gril marks.

 

[Caine]

Three years ago, my S.O. insisted we needed a two-burner cast iron grill. So I bought a Lodge two burner grill from my loacal Le Gourmet Chef store, brought it home, properly seasoned it, and stuck it in the bottom of my oven for safekeeping. It is STILL sitting there!

 

[ChefJune]

I have a 12-inch round Cuisinart hard anodized grill ppan...ridged. I used it allthe time before I got my JennAir PorStyle range with the grill on it.... I live on the 5th floor... no outdoor grilling for me, at least not on any regular basis.

I don't know how many people you are talking about feeing, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a second one of these. They make great grill marks, cook evenly, and clean like a breeze.

 

[Essie]

I have a Lodge cast iron which fits over two gas burners. It works very well.

 

[Barb L.]

I use my grill pan (which covers two burners) on my electric stove, does very well -just no bbq flavor--

 

[Gretchen]

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to put this. It's a cross between a grilling question and a cookware question.

I love my outdoor grill now that I've gotten the hang of it, but in NC the weather can be very unpredictable and there have been days where my dinner plans were rained out and we ended up with alternative dinners.

So now I'm wondering about the stove top grill pans I've seen. THe ones that either cover one or two burners. Are they as good as they look when Emeril or other Food Network cooks use them? Do they work well as a substitute? Will they work with an electric stove (the label says they do, but I want to know from real world cooks)?

Thanks

I have a one burner pan I got at Target for $12 that does a great job. Have a Lodge two burner I got on Amazon that I have yet to use, but it is a nice pan.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I have a 12" round Lodge cast iron ridged grill pan that fits & works perfectly on my electric stove burners. It's now VERY well-seasoned, & I LOVE it!! Use it to grill everything from sea scallops to chicken breasts to small steaks.

Now my electric stove is the coil-element type, not a smooth glass top. In fact, yet another reason why I didn't want a smooth-top range was because the smooth-top range manufacturers strictly advised NOT to use any cast-iron cookware - or woks either for that matter - & I use both quite frequently.

 

[Sephora]

Glad people with electric stoves chimed in. I'll definitely put it on the list for next week. Pay day can't come soon enough

 

[Robo410]

I have a lodge reversable cast iron grill griddle (2 burner). I works fine on electric. (For a glass top electric I would recommend the AllClad or Calphalon as they sit flatter on the surface and will heat better.)

2 things to remember...no smoke flavor although there is "grill" flavor, but liquid smoke, or smoked salt will help compensate. You need good ventilation or the smoke alarms will be going off for sure!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Oh, & just for reference sake, I bought my Lodge grill pan a few years ago in the "Camping/Sporting Goods" deparment of our local WalMart. Paid less than $20 for it.

 

[suzyQ3]

I have a lodge reversable cast iron grill griddle (2 burner). I works fine on electric. (For a glass top electric I would recommend the AllClad or Calphalon as they sit flatter on the surface and will heat better.)

2 things to remember...no smoke flavor although there is "grill" flavor, but liquid smoke, or smoked salt will help compensate. You need good ventilation or the smoke alarms will be going off for sure!

I don't know about Calphalon, but All-Clad's nonstick double-burner grill is not recommended for ceramic/glass top stoves.

 

[Sephora]

Oh, & just for reference sake, I bought my Lodge grill pan a few years ago in the "Camping/Sporting Goods" deparment of our local WalMart. Paid less than $20 for it.

Wonder if Bass Pro Shop would have them. Our Walmart didn't have the double one just a single one that didn't look like it would hold more than two hamburgers.

 

[suzyQ3]

Wonder if Bass Pro Shop would have them. Our Walmart didn't have the double one just a single one that didn't look like it would hold more than two hamburgers.

Sephora, check online -- maybe Amazon. Often you can get a good deal and free shipping. Keep in mind that if you're talking double-burner, cast iron is heavy. I've picked up the Lodge Logic (preseasoned), and it's definitely hefty.

I was recently in the market for a double-burner grill myself but wanted to stick with a pan that is convenient to handle and to clean. I was torn between the Calphalon One anodized infused (not nonstick) and the All-Clad LTD nonstick. After reading all the wonderful reviews for the All-Clad, my fears about a nonstick grill were lessened. The fact that it was also a third less expensive also helped in my decision. I bought the All-Clad online for $99, free shipping. I haven't yet had a chance to see whether it lives up to its reputation.

P.S. Before any cast-iron devotees jump all over me (you know who you are ), I have some cast-iron skillets and love them.

 

[jennyema]

Now my electric stove is the coil-element type, not a smooth glass top. In fact, yet another reason why I didn't want a smooth-top range was because the smooth-top range manufacturers strictly advised NOT to use any cast-iron cookware - or woks either for that matter - & I use both quite frequently.

I have a smooth ceramic top electric stove and I use cast iron skillets, Le Creuset french ovens and my wok on it nearly every day (not all at once though ). They work great.

There is no functional reason not to use them. The reason they tell you not to is the risk of scratching or cracking the surface. Mfs. don't want to pay for this if under warranty.

On topic ... I had a Le Creuset grill pan that I gave away. Frankly, I found it useless for anything other than putting grill marks on my food. "Grill" pans, IMO, are just skillets that put marks on your food.

I do have an All Clad nonstick 2 burner griddle which I use all the time.

 

[subfuscpersona]

I have a gas stove and a reversible castiron grill that fits over 2 burners. While the area directly over the heating elements heats up fine, the area on the castiron grill *between* the 2 burners does not get equally hot, even if the grill is heated for a long time.

This means that the grill is not suitable for something long (for example, a whole fish) that would take up the entire grill.