Review: Emeril by All-Clad Cast-Iron 2-Burner Reversible Grill / Griddle

Review of the Emeril by All-Clad Cast-Iron Reversible Grill / Griddle. This pan is great for getting an outdoor grill flavor and cook on your indoor stove top.

I wasn't looking to buy a cast-iron grill pan when I was shopping one day after Christmas, but I just couldn't resist purchasing this product when I saw it on post-holiday sale. I already have more kitchen gadgets and accessories than I ever have time to use, but I have always wanted a nice heavy grill pan, and a griddle ... so what could be better than getting both at the same time? I've also had good experiences in the past with my Emeril cookware, mostly skillets and saute pans, so I figured I could trust the quality of this product as well.

It's now been several months since I bought my Emeril Reversible Grill / Griddle, and I must say it has actually turned into one of my most used and favorite cookware items in my kitchen! I had a bit of a "learning curve" in using it and it does have a few quirks and tricks to get used to, but overall I couldn't be happier than I am now with this purchase. I love being able to enjoy grilled food year-round without having to go outside, and it lets me prepare healthy grilled vegetables and meats any time I want. I love it and would recommend it to anyone! Read on and I'll share some more details about this product and ways in which I've used it.

Cooking some pork chops on my Emeril by All-Clad Grill Pan

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Do you own an indoor grill pan?

Emeril by All-Clad E6019764 Cast-Iron 2-Burner Reversible Grill Griddle, Black

A versatile pan, the reversible grill griddle features a large grill pan on one side and a flat griddle on the other. Cook many of your favorite dishes in this one great pan. Ca...

~~$47.15~~ $40.0

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This heavy-weight, enamel-coated cast-iron pan measures 20" x 10-1/2" x 1" in size. It is oven-safe up to 600 degrees F so you can take it right from the stove top to the oven (for instance, to cook through larger cuts of steak or chops, or to keep food warm before serving). It weighs over 13 pounds - so it is definitely a study pan! One side is smooth for using as a griddle, the other features deep grill notches (so that fat and grease while cooking stays away from your food).

Grilled steaks...enjoy them year round with an indoor grill pan

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Emeril by All-Clad Cast-Iron 2-Burner Reversible Grill / Griddle

My Review

The first thing that really stood out about this piece of cookware when I bought it was the weight. It's heavy. Really heavy. But for a cast-iron skillet or pan, that's a good thing!

The instructions explained that unlike traditional cast-iron cookware it would not need to be seasoned, as it had a enamel coating which would "resist flavor absorption" - only a light coating of oil was supposed to be needed to prevent food from sticking to it.

Grilling Results

The grill fit nicely over the burners of my gas stove. I tried using it the first time to grill up some small filet steaks that I'd been marinating for a few hours, along with some vegetable skewers. They did all come out very tasty, although I found that the steak did still want to stick to the grill, even after coating the pan with oil before using it.

In grilling up several different meals since then, from swordfish skewers to pork chops, I've found that the grill definitely has "hot" and "cooler" spots depending on where the stove burners are beneath it. Even with allowing the pan to warm up for 10-15 minutes or more before using, this seems to be the case. That's not necessarily a bad thing: for instance, when cooking thick pork chops I placed the bone in the hottest zone, so that the meat there would cook through thoroughly without overcooking or drying out the outer parts of the pork chop. But it's important to keep in mind when using the pan, and understanding how to try to take advantage of the heat properly.

You can definitely develop nice grill marks on your meat and vegetables using this pan, and the grilling flavor is quite comparable to using an outdoor gas grill. Do make sure to have your stove vent running, though, when using this pan - the night I made the steaks on the pan I really started to smoke up the house!

The Griddle

I've only used the griddle side of the pan once so far, to make pancakes. It worked well, although I'd note that the surface of the griddle side is a bit rough - I'm not sure how well it would work for, say, cooking eggs or something else more delicate. However I'm looking forward to using it the next time I'm making a Mexican-style dish and want to warm up my tortillas nicely.

Cleaning the Pan

Cleaning the pan, specifically the grill side, has been the biggest issue I have with this cookware so far. Even with oil coating it before use, meat tends to stick to it and if it burns on to the ridges, it can take a long time and a lot of work to get clean! I've found my best solution is to pour hot water over the pan immediately after use (before moving it off the stove), then clean the pan in the sink right after eating. If you leave the pan to sit overnight before cleaning it, or wait too long otherwise, it's just a mess.

Storage

Storage of this pan is also a bit of a hassle. I have a big kitchen, but even so finding room for this pan when not in use and when I may need all four burners on my stove is a bit of a nuisance. Fortunately I have a double-oven and it's rare I need both of them, so I tend to store the pan in the second oven. But for someone with a small kitchen I'm not sure how practical a large grill/griddle like this would be.

Overall opinion

The more I use this pan, the more I love it. Yes, cleaning it is definitely the biggest hassle but I find I use it easily 2-3 times a week at this point - in fact I haven't even touched my outdoor grill once all summer as I prefer the results using this grill pan!