Non-stick or Cast Iron Griddle: Which Is Better?

We are often asked why we practically only have iron griddles, barbecues, and grills in the store. That's why we've put together this complete guide to find out why it is important to use an iron grill if what we really want is to ROAST, since there’s no comparison in the results of using grills, pans, and cast iron grills when griddling, versus doing it in a pan or nonstick grill. You’ll also see tips for choosing among the different types of irons that exist.

Next you will see:

• Why you need a cast iron kitchen grill to really griddle
• The great benefits of cooking with cast iron
• Types of iron grills that exist
• Buy a round grill or a square one
• Reasons to choose between a smooth griddle or a ridged grill
• When it can be of interest to cook on a non-stick griddle
• How to use cast iron grills: tips for cooking on cast iron

1. Why a grill, pan, or cast iron griddle for griddling

When you cook on a griddle, what you want is seal quickly the food to keep all the juices inside and grill meat, vegetables, or fish in just a few minutes, also taking on that distinctive grill flavor of a good barbecue.

For that, to sear and really roast, what you need is TEMPERATURE: very high temperature to sear in a second.

And how do you achieve that high temperature? With iron. Only with one cast iron griddle you’ll get the high temperatures you need for a good barbecue (with non-stick grills, you’ll never get the same temperature; it’s a physical matter of the materials themselves). Iron can be heated until it’s red-hot!

Le Creuset cast iron griddles.

2. Other ADVANTAGES of cooking with iron

1. When you quickly sear on cast iron, the food hardly releases any juices, so all the flavor stays concentrated inside.
2. The juices that are released evaporate quickly, due to the temperature of the iron. In a frying pan or non-stick grill, the food ends up more like boiled for that very reason: the juices are released because you can’t get a proper sear, and that liquid that remains on the grill doesn’t evaporate and keeps boiling the meat instead of really grilling it.
3. An iron utensil lasts a lifetime—literally!
4. You shouldn't put non-stick grill pans over high heat because you burn the non-stick coating (and it becomes harmful to your health, so you'll never manage to get a good griddle sear for that very reason), and over time and washing they lose their properties, get scratched, and have to be replaced.
5. Most iron grills are made entirely of iron, which makes them fully oven-safe pieces. Do you know what you can do with iron grills besides using them as a griddle? From roasting a chicken in the oven to some potatoes, spreading a pizza base on them and baking a delicious pizza in the purest Italian style, making puff pastry tarts also in the oven, baking breads and galettes, making cookies that will brown in a moment. An iron griddle is an oven base ideal for baking dough, for the same reason it's a good griddle: the iron in the oven will get very hot, and it will bake doughs in no time, leaving crisp crusts and fabulous baking.

3. Types of iron grills and how to choose

Broadly speaking, we can classify the iron grills according to 3 features:

3.1. Iron grills by the type of iron used in their construction:

• Enameled cast iron griddles and skillets: The grills and skillets Le Creuset son griddles that have been manufactured by pouring cast iron (iron in a liquid state) into sand molds, cooled, and given an enamel coating that protects them from rusting and also helps keep food from sticking. They are more expensive than other iron griddles, but their design, construction, being able to clean them without having to dry them immediately, and the help the enamel gives in making food stick less, if you can afford it, is worth it. They are grills with a lifetime warranty (Doesn't that say it all?). A one-time investment in a griddle that you will have intact for life.

• De Buyer grills and pans: can you do griddle on the Mineral B iron by De Buyer. Regardless of whether we’re talking about the brand’s Mineral B frying pans, grills, crepe pans, or paella pans, you’ll be searing on an iron griddle that has been shaped with the help of a press, and a layer of 100% natural beeswax is applied to them, which will help to some extent to prevent rust and sticking during the first uses, until a natural patina develops.

• Other iron griddles and pans: new concepts are emerging that are worth considering, such as griddles and pans Fusiontec from WMF. They are still 100% natural grills, made by fusing iron and other minerals at high temperatures, which give them a natural non-stick coating throughout. They are modern, beautiful, and come with a 10-year warranty.

NOTE: All of them are iron griddles, 100% natural, chemical-free, suitable for all heat sources (they’re also fantastic on induction) and will last you a lifetime.

Frying Pan Skillet Le Creuset and De Buyer iron grill

3.2. Smooth or ridged griddle: Why choose a ridged griddle or when smooth

You can griddle on a griddle or smooth grill, or on the classic ridged-bottom grill.

• Ridged plates help you:

• So the meat gets marked with the classic griddle stripes
• Less sticking, because there's less surface of contact between the food and the griddle
• Air circulates underneath the food, creating a caramelization effect from the juices that drip and achieving the purest, most authentic griddle touch.

The big downside is that they’re harder and more time-consuming to clean.

The most popular among these are the round grill, the rectangular and the one for Le Creuset folding handle.

• The flat griddles

The flat ones have the great advantage of being extremely quick to clean, and they are also more versatile: we often don’t dare cook certain fish on ridged grills, and above all, since they are oven-safe, on a flat grill you can also make cookies, puff pastry tarts, and pizzas in the oven, something that, because of their grooves, you won’t do as well on a ridged grill.

Unless you’re mainly going to cook meat, you’re a purist about getting that more authentic caramelization effect, you care a lot about the grill-mark look, and you don’t mind the cleaning, we highly recommend the smooth grill grates, they are really more practical to clean and use.

3.3. Choose a round, square or rectangular grill

Burners are usually round, so the best option to start is to choose a round grill for an even distribution of heat, since the distribution is radial and the entire surface and sides will heat up at the same time. If the size of round grills suits you, it's a great option. Also, Le Creuset's best-selling griddle, the smooth round griddle, it is already very wide, 32cm in diameter; or the frying pan Skillet so popular, on which you'll undoubtedly griddle, also comes in many diameters.

But if there are many of you at home or you tend to prepare large quantities of food, you'll need a larger, rectangular grill. Also if you want to use the griddle often to make pizzas and rectangular tarts, or as a baking tray. Those are the cases where a rectangular grill is recommended. The most popular among them is the deep grill with handles Le Creuset and the Le Creuset Tradition.

Rectangular grills with folding handle (also in square), round grill and Le Creuset Square Skillet Pan

When to use a non-stick griddle

In some cases we do recommend nonstick grills, especially:

• If you can't lift much weight and look for a lighter grill. Especially for older people or people with physical difficulties, there’s a benefit in choosing a non-stick grill. We highly recommend the BRA Infinity grill, with ultra-reinforced coating and very spacious, it’s a great non-stick grill.

It should be said, if that's the case, that if you're looking to cook on a griddle on a light yet 100% natural surface, then it's advisable to use a stainless steel frying pan.

• To make white fish and for gentler cooking: it’s tricky to keep white fish from falling apart when griddling, so for that we can recommend a nonstick grill. However, if that’s the case, here’s a tip: use a cast iron grill but place a sheet of baking paper on top, placing the fish on it. You’ll be able to take advantage of the high temperature of the iron to cook the fish, using a 100% natural surface.

Infinity Grill by BRA and Le Creuset iron grill with folding handle

How to use iron grills: tips for cooking on iron

• Iron grills will distribute heat fantastically, but put them at a low heat at first to give them time to spread the heat toward the edges of the grill. Once all of it is hot, you can turn the heat to maximum.
• Iron first grabs the meat and then releases it. That’s why, if you try to flip the food on the grill and see that it’s stuck, it’s because it’s raw. Don’t insist; wait a few more minutes and try again. It may be slightly stuck at some point, but turning the meat when it’s properly seared shouldn’t be hard—when you see you can do it, that’s the moment.
• Iron is ideal for meats, vegetables, and oily fish. White fish needs gentle cooking, and it’s the only thing that’s appropriate to cook on non-stick (so it doesn’t stick or fall apart). Even so, you can also grill white fish on the iron grill: place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the grill and set the fish on top.
• Iron grates don’t scratch; you can handle food with all kinds of utensils, from tongs to iron spatulas.

Remember that you will find all the griddles, grills and skillets we have talked about in our Grills & Barbecues section.