I love steak. I am not a cook, just a normal guy who wants a perfect crust on his ribeye without smoke filling the whole house. Over the last months, I tested five different grill pans on my regular home stove. I bought all of them with my own money, cooked more than 50 steaks, and cleaned each pan many times. Some gave me beautiful grill marks and juicy meat. Some made me angry. Today I will tell you everything – the good and the bad – so you can pick the right one without wasting money.
I tested these five pans:
- Backcountry Iron 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan
- Northriver Casting Pre-Seasoned Square Cast Iron Grill Pan
- Generic Lodge-style 10.5 Inch Square Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan
- ESLITE LIFE 9.5 Inch Nonstick Grill Pan with Lid
- CAROTE 11 Inch Nonstick Square Griddle Pan
Here is a simple comparison table:
| Product name | Top features | Product Price |
|---|---|---|
| Backcountry Iron 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron | Super heavy cast iron, pre-seasoned, stays hot forever, real grill marks | Check Price on Amazon |
| Northriver Casting Square Cast Iron | Thick cast iron, includes glass lid, pour spouts, pre-seasoned | Check Price on Amazon |
| Simple 10.5 Inch Square Seasoned Cast Iron | Cheap, two handles, two pour spouts, classic Lodge style | Check Price on Amazon |
| ESLITE LIFE 9.5 Inch Nonstick with Lid | Non-stick coating, light weight, glass lid, works on induction | Check Price on Amazon |
| CAROTE 11 Inch Nonstick Square | Very big cooking area, removable handle, modern non-stick | Check Price on Amazon |
Now let’s talk about each pan one by one.
1. Backcountry Iron 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan
Pros
- Gives the best grill marks I have ever seen at home
- Holds heat like nothing else – perfect crust every time
- Gets better the more you use it
- Made in USA, very thick and heavy
Cons
- Very heavy (almost 7 pounds)
- Takes time to heat up
- Needs oil every time or food sticks
- Hard to clean if you burn something
Who should buy this pan? If you’re like me and you only care about the perfect steak crust and real grill taste, this is your pan. It is not for people who want fast cooking or easy cleaning. It is for steak lovers who are ready to learn a little care routine.
Specifications
- Size: 10.5 × 10.5 inch cooking surface
- Total length with handle: 17 inch
- Weight: ~6.8 pounds
- Material: Solid cast iron
- Pre-seasoned with oil
- Works on gas, electric, induction, oven, campfire
My experience with the most important features
Weight and heat retention When I first lifted the box, I thought they sent me a dumbbell by mistake. This thing is heavy! But that weight is the secret. Once it gets hot, it stays hot. I can cook four steaks one after another and the last one gets the same crust as the first one. With cheap pans the temperature drops fast and the last steak looks pale.
Grill ridges The ridges are tall and sharp. When I press a room-temperature ribeye down, I hear that beautiful sizzle and after 90 seconds I see dark lines exactly like on an outdoor grill. My friends think I started using a real barbecue – that good.
Seasoning and care It came already black and shiny. The first time I only wiped it with oil and started cooking. After ten steaks the surface became even smoother. If you’re like me and sometimes forget to lower the heat, burnt spots happen. I just put it back on fire with salt and scrub – good as new.
Cleaning story One night I fell asleep and left fond (those brown bits) completely burnt. Next morning I was scared. I heated the pan, added coarse salt, scrubbed with paper towel – everything came off in five minutes. No soap ever touches this pan and it still looks perfect.
2. Northriver Casting Pre-Seasoned Square Cast Iron Grill Pan
Pros
- Comes with tempered glass lid – very useful
- Two pour spouts make draining fat easy
- Almost as heavy and good as Backcountry
- Slightly cheaper
Cons
- Handle gets burning hot
- Lid handle is small and also gets hot
- Ridges are a little lower than Backcountry
Who should buy this pan? If you’re like me and you cook fatty steaks (ribeye, New York strip) and hate grease on the stove, the pour spouts and lid make life much easier. Great for people who want cast iron performance plus modern extras.
Specifications
- Size: 10.5 inch square
- Weight: ~6.5 pounds
- Glass lid included
- Two pour spouts
- Pre-seasoned
My experience
The glass lid changed everything. With normal cast iron you never cover the steak – it steams and you lose crust. But with this lid I can cover for only 30 seconds at the end to warm the center without overcooking the outside. Perfect medium-rare every time.
Pouring fat while the pan is screaming hot is safe because of the two spouts. I tilt, fat goes straight into a bowl, no mess on stove.
The ridges are good but not amazing. I still get clear lines, just not restaurant-level deep. For home it is more than enough.
3. Basic 10.5 Inch Square Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan
Pros
- Cheapest cast iron option
- Two small helper handles – easy to carry when hot
- Works exactly like Lodge everybody knows
Cons
- Thinner than the first two – cools faster
- Seasoning from factory is okay but needs work
- Grill marks are light
Who should buy this pan? If you’re like me and you just want to try cast iron without spending much, start here. Good for students or first apartment.
My experience It works. You get better crust than any non-stick pan. But when I cook two thick steaks, the second one has weaker marks because the pan lost some heat. After I re-seasoned it myself three times, sticking became almost zero. For the price it is fair.
4. ESLITE LIFE 9.5 Inch Nonstick Grill Pan with Lid
Pros
- Super light – easy to shake and move
- Zero oil needed
- Glass lid
- Works on induction
Cons
- Non-stick dies after some months of high heat
- Grill marks are fake – just light brown lines
- Aluminum cools very fast
Who should buy this pan? If you’re like me and sometimes you are lazy and want easy cleaning, this is nice for chicken or fish. Not for serious steak lovers.
My experience First two weeks I loved it. Zero smoke, zero sticking, dishwasher safe. But after cooking steaks above medium heat many times, the black coating started to look dull. At week eight I saw tiny scratches. Grill marks never looked real – more like painted lines. It is convenient, but steak taste is only okay, not great.
5. CAROTE 11 Inch Nonstick Square Griddle Pan
Pros
- Biggest cooking surface – four steaks easy
- Handle removes – fits in small oven
- Very modern look
Cons
- Same non-stick problems as above
- Handle removal system feels cheap
- Even lighter than ESLITE
Who should buy this pan? If you’re like me and you cook for family and need space, it is useful for pancakes or burgers. For steak – only if crust is not important.
My experience I can fit four steaks without touching – perfect when friends come. But the crust is soft, not crunchy. After one month of steak cooking the non-stick already looks tired. Good all-purpose pan, bad dedicated steak pan.
Quick Buying Guide – Best Type of Pan for Frying Steak
- Want the absolute best crust and real grill taste? → Heavy cast iron (Backcountry or Northriver)
- Hate cleaning grease and love the lid? → Northriver Casting
- Low budget but still want cast iron? → Basic 10.5 inch
- Want easy cleaning and light weight? → Non-stick (but accept weaker taste)
- Cook for many people? → CAROTE for size, but not for steak quality
Which Product Is Best?
In my opinion, the clear winner is the Backcountry Iron 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan. It gives the deepest grill marks, the crunchiest crust, and the real steakhouse taste at home. Yes, it is heavy. Yes, you need to use oil and clean it properly. But every time I use it, the steak tastes like it came from a $80 restaurant. If you’re like me and steak night is a big deal, this pan is worth every penny and every extra minute of care.
Runner-up: Northriver Casting – almost the same performance plus useful lid and spouts.
Final Touch
Steak is simple: hot pan, good meat, salt, pepper. The pan makes 70% of the result. After testing all five, I now keep only the Backcountry on my stove all the time. The others are in the cupboard for special days. Spend once on a good cast iron and you will use it for the rest of your life. Your steak deserves it.
By day, I’m a Doctor of Clinical Psychology student (Psy.D.) at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – basically learning how the brain works while drinking way too much coffee.
By night (and weekends, and lunch breaks…), I’m a total kitchen geek. I’m that person who gets excited over a new spatula, owns three different vegetable choppers “for science,” and has strong feelings about which nonstick pan actually stays nonstick.