Griddler or grill pan?

[bladerobbins]

I am tired of avoiding recipes that call for grilling just because i live in New York and have no outdoor space. Any advice on good indoor grills or grill pans? Is one better than the other? Can they both do the same thing?

Thanks in advance!

[sel]

I have a couple of relatively inexpensive Lodge maybe 10" grill pans that are great and the largest Le Cruset rectangular pan for larger preparations. I use the Lodge pans on an almost daily basis for burgers, steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts and fish. They work best when they are very hot and this can be a problem for most folks because of all the smoke that is generated. I have a commercial type hood with two large blowers which suck out most of the smoke.

My mom has a Geo. Foreman Grill which is awful, she buys prime NY's and ruins them with it.

Some folks on this board like the Cuisinart Griddler and claim that it is hot enough to do a good job searing meats but I haven't tried it and remain skeptical!

[laurendlewis]

I have a Lodge cast iron double burner, double sided grill pan. It is not quite yet the best seasoned pan, but I'm getting there.
When we lived in an apt with an electric stove, however, it didn't do as well as it now does on our gas range (the pan didn't distribute the heat evenly so it was really only useful on one burner).
FYI if you have an electric cooktop.

[bear]

Lodge sells the same pan pre-seasoned. It still needs care, but beats doing it yourself. It is a terrific pan, and usually you can get a good deal on Amazon.

It is quite hefty, so expect a workout moving it around.

[Tom Steele]

I've tried nearly every method of indoor grilling imaginable, and the best I've found is the Cuisinart Griddler. For one thing, it has a thermostat. For another, it's the easiest electric grill to clean. And you can use it as a griddle (makes wonderful corn fritters), an open grill, a two-sided grill that closes (like George Foreman's, only MUCH better), or it becomes a fine panini press.

Two or three times a month, I marinate various vegetables in a balsamic vinaigrette with herbs, then grill the vegetables in the closed Griddler with some sausages and halloumi cheese. Just out of this world.

[pdxGK]

Second the Griddler; it's pricier than the George Foreman, but is quite well-constructed.

I enjoy the panini function quite a bit; something to use all of that No-Knead Bread for...

[chef chicklet]

Oh yes I use this all the time, and my husband that has the cadillac of bbq systems, will willingly allow me to grill when he is tired, or the weather not so great.
My multi purpose griller, two sides for two different functions.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7220939@N03/685436233/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7220939@...
A heavy duty cast iron grill I can't live without, I use it for grilling a lot of veggies, or pancakes or french toast, or I cook an entire breakfast all on the one pan. Not too fancy but it really works well when I want to char chilis or tomatoes and do a large amount grilling at once. it browns mushrooms beautifully, eliminates the moisture problem for quiches.
Yes I paid $14 at a hardware store. When I'm not using it I store it in the oven, and be reminded, you do need to season it first for the best results, which is simple.
For other things, I use my pannini maker for sandwiches and pressing frozen meat into a quick thaw. Try it.

[rexmo]

Just ordered a couple of these 14" round griddles to use outside, best price I have seen on such.

http://www.vtarmynavy.com/cast-iron-r...

Have a few of the rectangular grill pans from yard sales, thrift shops, etc., but no real reason to use them indoors. I have been using a W Puck panini maker to warm things up instead of microwaving. It definitely gets hot.