Best griddle pans 2020: 10 top grill pans to use in the kitchen

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Char meat, vegetables and more with the help of a grill pan

A grill pan is a must-have in any kitchen. The rise and fall of the pan ridges are where the magic happens; juices and fat caramelise in the wells, imparting smokey and intense flavours to whatever you’re cooking. They also produce those familiar blackened grill lines you see when using the barbecue - ideal for when the weather won't let you venture into the garden.

Just want to know what our top picks are? Look no further:

Best grill pan: Staub American Square GrillBest griddle pan for cooking steak: Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron GrillitBest non-stick grill pan: Ballarini SalinaBest carbon steel grill pan: Salter Pan for LifeBest budget grill pan: Tower Forged Aluminium Grill PanBest griddle pan for two people: Le Creuset Classic Cast Iron Grill PanBest griddle pan for families: Anolon Authority Round Grill PanBest griddle pan for stove-to-table cooking: GreenPan Venice Pro Extra PanBest lightweight grill pan: Circulon Momentum Grill PanBest low-maintenance grill pan: GreenPan Featherweight Pan

Opt for a health grill if you’re looking to cook more healthily, but the ridges on a grill pan mean they’re healthier than using a frying pan. The deep ridges stop meat from cooking in its own fat and imparts a smokey flavour.

To get the best results, take your meat out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before cooking (depending on thickness). Immediately season with salt and leave on a plate.

Five minutes before cooking, heat up your griddle pan and pat it with a paper towel, then oil it lightly. When the pan is hot, add the steak - don't touch it! After a couple of minutes, lift one corner and peek underneath, if it's caramelised (not grey), turn it over and leave to cook. Once it's ready, leave it to rest before serving.

French brand Staub is perhaps best known for its versatile cocottes, but the performance of its cast iron grill pan is just as impressive. It's pre-seasoned and has tall, thick ridges that reach all the way to the edge of the pan. It took around five minutes to heat up and although food initially stuck to the ridges, it slipped off once cooked, leaving dark, even and well-defined grill marks. Meat had a brilliant sear and tasted rich and caramelised. The handles get very hot though, so you’ll need a tea-towel to move it. It's also very heavy.

Key specifications: Material: Cast ironSize: 26cmWeight: 3.6kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 250°CDishwasher safe: No, hand-wash only

Like our winner, Le Creuset is another brand known for its brilliant cookware. This pan comes in 14 colours and has tall grill lines with wide channels in-between. It's also pre-seasoned, meaning it just needs a quick rinse before first use. Meat was seared well on either side and the grill marks were a deep, dark colour, although this was less defined towards the edges. The flavour remained intense and rich though. Food will initially stick, but releases easily once cooked. Beware, the handles do get hot.

Key specifications: Material: Cast IronSize: 26cmWeight: 2.86kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 250°CDishwasher safe: No, hand-wash only

From the Italian brand Ballarini, this non-stick grill pan is a brilliant buy. It's quick to heat up, taking just two minutes, and has a handy pouring lip either side - ideal for both left- and right-handed users. The grill lines were quite shallow compared to others on this list but nothing stuck. Meat was nicely charred, although the grill lines weren't too well-defined. The handle remained cool though, and it took nothing more than a quick wipe with a sponge to clean.

Key specifications: Material: AluminiumSize: 28cmWeight: 1.3kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 260°CDishwasher safe: Yes

If you’re likely to find cast iron too heavy, opt for this lightweight offering from Salter. It needs pre-seasoning before use, only has a pouring lip to the left of the pan and, like the Bellarini, the grill lines are quite shallow and not defined. When cooking vegetables though, it produced one of the best chars on test - black, thick and flavoursome - while meat also cooked well. The handle remained cool and is comfortable to use. This is a great pan, especially considering the price.

Key specifications: Material: Carbon SteelSize: 26cmWeight: 1.4kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 200°CDishwasher safe: No, hand-wash only

Here's one for anyone on a budget. The results were similar to the Salter pan (above) - it charred food well but grill lines were poorly defined. When cooking meat, the grill marks were uneven but it had a good sear overall. Food was flavoursome and rich, too. It's easy to clean and quick to heat up, while the handle also remains cool.

Key specifications: Material: AluminiumSize: 25cmWeight: 0.8kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: NoDishwasher safe: Yes

This circular pan comes with two small lug handles rather than one protruding one, meaning it’ll take up very little room on the hob or in the kitchen cupboard. Beware, they do get hot though. Meat cooked brilliantly with even and well-defined char marks and an intense, rich flavour. Vegetables also cooked well but the grill lines weren't as well-defined. Food initially sticks to the surface, too. Available in six colours.

Key specifications: Material: Cast IronSize: 25cmHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 250°CDishwasher safe: YesWeight: 1.87kg

This large, professional-looking pan is quick to heat up and reach high temperatures - ideal for cooking meat. The handle does also get hot though, so take care. Grill lines are relatively shallow but they reach the edge of the pan. Fat rendered nicely off meat to create a crisp crust and it had an intense savoury flavour. Results were the same when cooking vegetables - flavoursome but not quite there aesthetically. A reliable choice for family dinners.

Key specifications: Material: stainless steelSize: 30cmWeight: 1kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 180°CDishwasher safe: Yes

From the same range as one of our top-scoring pan sets, this grill pan has two lug handles for easy transfer from stove to table, meaning it doubles up as a serving dish. The ridges are tall and thick, while the pan is relatively quick to heat up. The non-stick coating is what impressed us the most though, nothing sticks. Vegetables cooked well but the grill marks were not as defined as we’d have liked and results were the same for meat, although it had the rich, charred flavour we were looking for. Handles cooled quickly when taken off the hob.

Key specifications: Material: ceramicSize: 28cmWeight: 1.52kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 260°CDishwasher safe: Yes

Although this isn't the lightest pan on this list, it's the best performing of the lightweight options we tested. It has high, raised ridges and a comfortable and secure handle. The cooking surface is spacious, too. The non-stick coating saw vegetables and meat release from the surface with ease, while veg and meat had pleasingly deep char marks. We’d have liked to have seen more browning on the areas that didn't touch the ridges though.

Key specifications: Material: aluminiumSize: 29cmWeight: 1.22kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 204°CDishwasher safe: Yes

While not quite as light as the name suggests, this pan performed well in our tests. The ridges are tall and thick, and we like how long the handle is (although it does get hot during cooking). What impressed us the most was the non-stick coating though; nothing stuck, yet this pan still managed to produce dark grill lines. Food was noticeably slow to cook, but that only gave the pan more time to impart smokey flavours.

Key specifications: Material: CeramicSize: 26cmWeight: 1.43kgHob suitability: AllOven safe: Yes, up to 200°CDishwasher safe: Yes

Appliances & Household product tester and writer who is constantly on the hunt for innovative products. A lover of all things food and homeware, I can be found in the GHI kitchen testing a whole host of appliances to enhance the cooking experience! Nigella Lawson is my hero.

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