For those who live in city apartments with no backyards, summer is often a bitter time. It is the time of the year when backyards are filled with cookouts and bombarded with barbecue recipes and juicy burgers. While you don’t have a backyard, out doesn’t mean you ought to miss out on the fun.
You know what, armed with a grill pan, you can get your grilling groove on at the comfort of your apartment. Grill pans have been useful over the past couple of years in mimicking outdoor grilling. For the best results, you need the right type of grill pan that yields mouthwatering char marks and grilled taste.
One such excellent griddle is the Denmark 11-inch nonstick aluminum square griddle. It is one of the best cookware for getting a perfect chargrill on the sumptuous steak you just bought. Do not let a rainy day ruin your BBQ routine while creating sauces full of flavor.
Denmark 11-Inch Nonstick Aluminum Square Griddle Review
What is a Grill Pan?
Often, a grill pan is what some people refer to as a griddle pan. Both names refer to the same cookware. In fact, they are even called broiler pans throughout the United States as well as Canada. All three terms refer to the same grill pan cookware.
A grill pan in its true definition is a pan with ridges arranged in lines within the cooking surface. The ridges referred to as grill lines have a spacing of between 1 and 2 centimeters from one to the other, raised half a centimeter high.
The ridges are meant to allow for the free dripping of food juices onto the galleys as you are cooking. While it is true that most of the pans have ridges, there is a new crop of the pan that is flat. These can be mistaken for frying pans.
The Denmark 11-inch nonstick aluminum square griddle has a nonstick surface, like most of the grilling pans of today. However, you can always find other materials available as well.
Overview
This dual-purpose pan is a great asset for those who would love to recreate the feeling of outdoor grilling during summer. Since the pan is coated with granite, it gives the pan a nonstick ceramic property, making foods slide right off its surface as you grill or fry salmon, bacon, and burgers. These would make for a great afternoon with friends and family.
Besides the exceptional nonstick performance, this griddle is made from cast aluminum. The process yields high-strength cookware, capable of handling the high temperature required for a proper steak grill. Because of the high heat resistance, this pan can be safely used in an oven heated up to 3500F.
Whereas you can use this nonstick square pan on most of the cooktops, they are not compatible with induction. Aluminum on its own is not magnetic, hence does not possess magnetic properties. Still, the granite speckled interior makes the Denmark 11-inch nonstick aluminum square griddle a stylish addition to your cookware accessories.
Since this griddle is ceramic nonstick, the only recommended washing method is by hand. Using the dishwasher is greatly detrimental to its ceramic coating. It wears off fast, with food ending up sticking to the surface every time you try grilling. The cast aluminum also provided for excellent heat distribution on cooktops.
A draining sprout installed on the side allows you to effortlessly transfer the contents of the pan to another container. Also, the sprout keeps spills along the sides of the pan to a minimum if not eliminated. Unlike traditional round frying pans, this particular option is square-shaped. This shape drastically raises the sides, creating more grilling space. Hence, you can have more steak and salmon at once, than in a traditional frying pan.
As you gently wash the pan with a soft cloth then drying it, remember not to use only plastic or wooden tools. Any sharp tools would damage the nonstick surface after a short time. In case of stubborn food remains, soak the pan in warm water and a mild detergent. Leaving the pan overnight works.
Tips on How to Make the Most of Your 11-Inch Griddle
- Pick the Best Griddle
When looking for the best griddle for grilling, cast iron is often the go-to pan because of its excellent heat retention. However, if you don’t fancy cast iron, then ceramic-coated nonstick griddles still work just fine. The reason why such pans like this product do not have pronounced ridges is the inability to withstand being stamped in ridges and valleys.
Still, aluminum and granite coating retains heat pretty well compared to stainless steel. Whereas the lack of ridges may inconvenience you in a way, it still makes the best pan in terms of versatility. When not being used for grilling, the pan would still make great frying and sautéing pan.
- Don’t Expect Grill-Like Results
Yes, a griddle replicates an outdoor grill in a way but is in no way a like-for-like replacement for the grills. By adjusting your recipes and knowing what cues to look for, you can achieve comparatively good results on an indoor griddle. Do not rely solely on the time spent on the griddle.
Check for browning on the outside of the meat and use an instant thermometer to check for the internal temperature of the food being cooked. Still, achieving the smoked flavor is impossible on a griddle, so you need to accept that. Sometimes, the caramelization and grill marks may not be visible, or you may get 2-3 marks. That’s fine.
Conclusion
The Denmark nonstick aluminum square griddle is a great griddle for grilling your protein-rich foods. Such foods include steak flanks, pork tenderloin, pork chops, and chicken breasts. Also, nonstick grill pans produce the best results when used for preparing seafood such as scallops. Even fish steak produces impeccable outcomes on a griddle.
Because this griddle is nonstick and can work as a frying pan, there are a host of other foods that can be prepared on it. We would recommend you try vegetables such as eggplants, zucchini, asparagus, and even fruits on these grill pans. The juices adds extra flavor as they drip onto the pan.
