Is the Le Creuset Square Skillet Grill Worth It?
Based on tests by America's Test Kitchen (Jun 2025). How we score
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Why
America's Test Kitchen rated Le Creuset's grill pan Recommended, with 2 of 3 for performance. "While this handsome enameled pan produced excellent grilled panini, it didn’t perform as well with stickier, more delicate salmon, whose char marks stuck in the pan," and it usually took a fair amount of scrubbing to clean. ATK's winner, the Lodge Chef Collection grill pan, earned full marks for performance, ease of use and cleanup with taller ridges and a bigger cooking surface, for a fraction of the price. The Le Creuset's enamel needs no seasoning, which is its main advantage.
Cheaper alternatives, scored against the Le Creuset Skillet Grill
Chef Collection 11 Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill Pan
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen's winning grill pan, with full marks for performance, ease of use and cleanup. "It arrived with a well-seasoned surface that released food and cleaned up easily and tall, well-defined ridges that produced excellent grill marks." It's bare cast iron, so it needs occasional seasoning. "At the end of extensive testing, it still looked new."
| Criterion | Le Creuset Skillet Grill | Lodge Chef Collection |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2/3 | 3/3 |
| Ease of use | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Cleanup | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
From America's Test Kitchen: The Best Grill Pans (updated June 24, 2025)
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Grill Pans (updated June 24, 2025), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
Common questions
Is the Le Creuset grill pan worth it?
Not according to America's Test Kitchen: salmon stuck to it and it took scrubbing to clean. ATK's winner, the Lodge Chef Collection grill pan, scored higher for performance and cleanup for a fraction of the price, though it's bare cast iron that needs seasoning.
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Grill Pans (updated June 24, 2025), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
