Non-stick or iron cooking plate, which is better?

We are often asked the question why in the store we practically only have irons, grills and iron grills. That is why we have made this complete guide to know why it is important to use an iron grill if what we really want is to GRILL, given that there is no color in the results of using iron grills, pans and grills when grilling, versus doing it in a nonstick skillet or grill. You will also see tips to choose between the different types of irons that exist.

Next you will see:

• Why you need an iron cooking grill to really grill
• The great benefits of cooking in iron
• Types of iron grills that exist
• Buy a round or square grill
• Reasons to choose between a smooth griddle or a grill with grooves
• When you might be interested in cooking on a non-stick griddle
• How to use iron grills: tips for cooking in iron

1. Why a grill, pan or iron griddle to make a griddle?

When you grill, what you want is to quickly seal the food to retain all the juice inside and roast the meat, vegetables or fish in a few minutes, also getting that grill flavor so characteristic of a good roast.

To do this, to seal and really roast, what you need is TEMPERATURE: a lot of temperature to seal in a second.

And how to achieve that high temperature? With iron. Only with an iron griddle will you achieve the high temperatures you require for a good barbecue (with non-stick grills, you will never achieve the same temperature, it is a physical issue of the materials themselves). Iron can become red hot!

Le Creuset iron plates .

2. Other ADVANTAGES of cooking in iron

1. By quickly sealing with iron, foods practically do not release juices, so all the flavor is concentrated inside.
2. The juices that are released evaporate quickly, due to the temperature of the iron. In a non-stick pan or grill, the food is more boiled precisely for this reason: the juices are released because you cannot seal properly, and that liquid that remains on the grill does not evaporate and boils the meat instead of really roasting it.
3. An iron utensil lasts a lifetime, literally!
4. You should not put non-stick grills on high heat because you burn the non-stick (and it becomes harmful to your health, so you will never be able to make a good griddle for that same reason), and over time and washing they lose properties, they scratch and crack. they have to change.
5. Most iron grills are entirely made of iron, making them completely oven-safe . 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 cakes also in the oven, making breads and galettes, making cookies that will brown in a moment. An iron griddle is an ideal oven base for cooking dough , for the same reason that it is a good griddle: the iron in the oven will reach a high temperature, and will cook the dough in a moment, leaving crispy crusts and fabulous baking.

3. Types of iron grills and how to choose

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

3.1. Iron grills according to the iron of their construction:

• Vitrified cast iron griddles and skillets: Le Creuset grills and skillets are griddles that have been made by pouring cast iron (liquid iron) into sand molds, cooled and a vitrified coating that protects them. from oxidizing and also helps food not to stick. They are more expensive than other iron plates, but their design, construction, being able to clean them without having to dry them immediately and the help that vitrification provides to prevent food from sticking, if you can afford it, is worth it. They are grills with a lifetime guarantee (Hasn't that all been said?). An investment that you make only once, in an iron that you will have intact for a lifetime.

• De Buyer grills and pans: you can grill on the De Buyer Mineral B iron . Regardless of whether we are talking about pans, grills, crepe makers or paella pans from the Mineral B brand, you will be roasting on an iron griddle that has been shaped with the help of a press, and a layer of 100 beeswax is applied. % natural, which will help to a certain extent to prevent them from rusting and from sticking during the first uses, until a natural patina is generated.

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

NOTE: All of them are iron plates, 100% natural, chemical-free, suitable for all types of fires (they also induct wonderfully) and will last a lifetime.

Le Creuset Skillet Skillet and De Buyer Iron Grill

3.2. Smooth or grooved iron: Why choose an iron with stripes or when smooth

You can grill on a smooth griddle or grill or on the classic grill with a striped bottom.

• Plates with grooves help you:

• That the meat is marked with the classic stripes of the griddle
• That the food sticks less, because there is less contact surface between the food and the iron
• That the air circulates under the food, generating a caramelization effect of the juices that are released and achieving the purest and most authentic touch of the grill.

The big con is that it is more difficult and entertaining to clean them.

The most popular among these are the Le Creuset round, rectangular and drop-handle grills .

• The smooth grills

The smooth ones have the great advantage of being very quick to clean, and they are also more versatile: we often do not dare to cook certain fish on the grooved grills, and above all, since they are suitable for the oven, on a smooth grill you can also make cookies , flaky cakes and baked pizzas, something that due to its indentations you will not do as well on a grooved grill.

Unless you are mainly going to make meat, you are a purist about making meat with that more authentic caramelization effect, you care a lot about the aesthetics of the stripes and you are not lazy about the issue of cleaning, we highly recommend smooth grills , They are actually more practical when it comes to cleaning and using.

3.3. Choose a round, square or rectangular grill

The usual shape of the stove is round, so the best way to start is to choose a round grill for a homogeneous distribution of the temperature, since a radial distribution is made and the entire surface and sides will be heated at the same time. If the size of the round grills suits you, it is a great option. In addition, Le Creuset's best-selling griddle, the smooth round griddle , is already very wide, 32cm in diameter; or the very popular Skillet frying pan , in which you will undoubtedly grill, also exists in many diameters.

But if there are many of you at home or you usually make a large amount of food, you will need a larger, rectangular grill . Also in case you want to use the griddle often to make pizzas and rectangular cakes, or as a baking tray. These will be the cases in which a rectangular grill is recommended. The most popular among them are the Le Creuset Deep Grill with Handles and the Le Creuset Tradition .

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

When to use a non-stick griddle

On some occasions we do recommend non-stick grills, especially:

• In case you cannot take on a lot of weight and look for a lighter grill. Especially for older people or people with physical difficulties, they see a benefit in choosing a non-stick grill. We highly recommend the BRA Infinity grill , with ultra-reinforced coating and very wide, it is a great non-stick grill.

It should be said, if this is the case, that if you are looking to grill on a light but 100% natural surface, then what is recommended is to use a stainless steel pan .

• To make white fish and for softer cooking: it is difficult for white fish not to crumble when grilled, so for this we can recommend a non-stick grill. Although if this is the case, I'll give you a trick: use an iron grill but place baking paper on top, placing the fish on top. You can take advantage of the high temperature of the iron to make the fish, using a 100% natural surface.

BRA Infinity Grill and Le Creuset Flip-Handle Iron Grill

How to use iron grills: tips for cooking in iron

• Iron grills will distribute the heat fantastically, but set them to a low heat initially to give it time to distribute the heat to the ends of the grill. When everything is hot, you can turn the heat to maximum.
• The iron first grabs the flesh and then releases it. That is why, if you try to turn the food on the grill and see that it is stuck, it is raw. Don't insist, wait a few more minutes and try again. It may be a little stuck at some point, but turning the meat when it is sealed done shouldn't cost you - when you see that you can do it, it's time.
• Iron is ideal for meats, vegetables and oily fish. White fish requires gentle cooking, and it is the only appropriate thing to do in non-stick cooking (so that it does not stick or crumble). Despite this, you can also grill white fish on the iron grill: apply baking paper on top of the grill and place the fish on top.
• Iron grills do not scratch, you can handle the food with all types of utensils, from tongs to iron spatulas.

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