Well, the ridges do allow for fats to drain away. That's an advantage over using a flat cast iron skillet. And, those grill marks do contribute to the eye appeal of the finished dish. If it's true that we eat first with our eyes...then, yes, there's a real reason to use a grill pan. Otherwise, IMO, a good heavy cast iron skillet gives just as good a sear.

/tricia (who has two grill pans a LC & a Paul Dean from QVC)

We just recently started eating hamburgers and I have been cooking them on the grill but one night I finished them on the stove because I didn't cook them long enough. My word! The fat that came out of those was amazing. No way could I cook these in a frying pan...but a grill pan would be perfect.
But, that was the last time I buy a box of hamburgers! (all chuck btw)
Back to boneless skinless chicken breasts although the hamburgers were delicious.

triciae, do you notice any difference in the two grill pans you have? I hate trying to store one more thing in the kitchen but I would love a grill pan.

Yes, I actually like the QVC Paula Dean pan much better. It's my 'go to' skillet. It's very heavy & holds heat better than my LC. It's also larger to I can get two huge porterhouse steaks in without any crowding. Also, the Paul Dean pan has a high lip around the edge so it catches more drippings. Normally, I wouldn't make a pan sauce in a grill pan but the Paul Dean one has those 1/2" or so sides & I have several times made a quick sauce stirring around the ridges.

The Paula Dean pan is around $30. The LC is around $100 (maybe, a bit more?).

/tricia

Triciae-- the "LC" you mention is All-Clad? (I know that doesn't fit, but I can't figure what LC is!) There are many grill pans over at Amazon, nice to know the cheaper one works better.

I'm thinking LeCreuset.

I have two grill pans - one with narrow ridges for vegetables and one with wide ridges for fish and sausage, which are the only meats I grill. My favorite vegetable to grill is zucchini, and it would not be the same if cooked on a skillet.

Lars

I have a LeCreuset grill pan too, which until now I seem to use only for searing Ahi tuna. It works great. But after having dinner with another cooking friend she told me that she sears her "grilled vegetables" in her LC. She said it's more reliable than the grill and after burning the zucchini at last night's dinner party, I'm inclined to agree. I was too busy tending the salmon and the chicken on the grill to realize that the veggies were cooking on such a high heat.

Here's the set I have from the Paula Deen collection (gosh, I've been spelling Paula's name wrong for years!). I purchased them on a TSV sometime last winter for around $35 for the set. I like both pans. They're large, heavy, & well made.

Yes, I'm sorry for being a lazy typist...LC = LeCreuset.

Hmmm, I don't use either pan for veggies. I either use the outdoor grill or, more often than not, toss veggies in the oven on a sheet pan & roast.

The Paula Deen pans are large enough to comfortably sear a 3-1/2 to 4 lb. roast. I 'think' the LC is 10" square & Paula's is 11" square. Even not as a TSV, the price of Paula's pans is great.

Note: Paula's pans are pre-seasoned but they are obviously not enameled. Nothing sticks.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Paula's pans

Hmmm, the QVC link just won't work for me this morning.

Paula's pans are Item #K14984.

/t