As summer comes, so does the barbecue season, but you don’t have to wait for an entire year to enjoy delicious grilled meat. With the popularity of Korean BBQ on the rise, you can gather up all your meat-loving friends to enjoy the greatest barbecue experience inside your home.
Don’t sleep on this trend. There’s something special about sitting up to a grill and cooking the meat yourself. In Korean BBQ, you and your guests just have to sit in front of a grill and choose the meat to cook themselves. No-fuss, no mess, everyone gets what they want. It’s tradition to have lots of different sides and dips to go with the meat, and Korean BBQ is no different.
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How Korean BBQ Grill Pans Can Save Your Time and Appetite
Korean grill pans are gaining popularity because they provide lots of benefits for a great BBQ experience.
Easy to transfer from the stovetop to tabletop
You can use it as a cooking pan and your plate at the same time. It is not too heavy to carry around either.
Ease in cleaning
The pans in our list are all non-stick pans, which make cleaning quick and stress-free. Many pans are also dishwasher safe, which makes it even easier.
Designed to work indoors
With smokeless cooking and compact design, grilling has stopped being an outdoor activity. You can have a great BBQ with such a small, simple device.
Even cooking
Whether your pan is electric or gas, the heat distributes evenly throughout the pan, unlike other grills. It’s heavy and thick surface makes this possible.
Large surface or large diameter
Korean BBQs are a social event with lots of people eating and cooking in the same pan. These pans are designed to hold lots of food for 4-6 people.
Our Top 5 Picks of Best Korean Grill BBQ Pans
Read our comprehensive review on the best Korean grill BBQ pans available today. You’ll know that they are here on the list for a reason. No matter what you choose, you will be content with the product in your hand.
1. TeChef Stovetop Korean BBQ Grill Pan
Made with high-quality materials in Korea, you can have a great grilling experience and taste authentic Korean BBQ flavors using this grill pan. The device is mainly designed for indoor cooking and grilling but it can also be used for commercial purposes.
Features
- Has been coated five times with the new safe PFOA free Teflon
- Fat/Grease drainage system which makes cooking more healthy and flavourful
- It’s a 12-inch pan made with a thick aluminum coating
- Weighs around 2 pounds
It heats up evenly. Whatever type of meat you have, a long cutlet or short pork belly pieces, they will get uniform criminalization at the same time. Unlike many pans, post-cleaning is very easy. It has a thick aluminum construction with multiple layers of Teflon. The Teflon prevents sticking of grease and fat and promotes easy cleaning.
You can become stress-free of harmful chemicals because there are no traces of lead, cadmium, or PFOA in this pan.
Speaking of health, it has a nice swirling design that makes patterns and functions as a slow grease drainage system. Less fat in your stomach, and less smoke in your lungs.
One other perk is that it is dome-shaped at the bottom so it fits nicely on top of the stove with fewer chances of spillage.
Reasons to Buy
- Uniquely designed for optimum home cooking
- Innovative swirl design to drain excess oil, leaving less smoke and developing more flavor
- Gives a pretty pattern on your cooked meat and veggies
- Professionally constructed and designed in Korean
- Quick in reaching high temperatures and maintaining it
- It is dishwasher safe and easy to clean by hand as well; use soap and water to gently scrub the surface of the pan with a sponge
- Oven use safe up to 450 degrees F
- Has no harmful chemicals like PFOA, lead, or cadmium
- Uniform distribution of heat all over the pan
- Easy to use with no complicated knobs or buttons
- High durability with the use of thick aluminum
Your Possible Dislikes
- You have to buy a separate grease bowl that will collect the excess oil.
2. Gotham Stovetop Korean BBQ Grill Pan
This is one of the top Korean BBQ grills pans that you can buy right now. Indoor barbecuing has never been easier, and this product gives a wide variety of benefits with a very low price tag. Ultralight, it is easy to move around and carry with your meat and veggies.
Features
- Have a 13-inch pan made out of aluminum
- Weighs about 1.8 pounds
- Has a non-stick coating free of PFOA, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals
- Comes with a drip pan
- Non-stick layers coated three times and reinforced with ceramic and titanium
The process of setting it up is simple. First, you have to place the lower drip pan over a stove and make sure the pan is sturdy. Fill up the reservoir with ¾ cup of water and place the grill attachment on top.
It works on electric stoves, glass or metal, propane or gas stove works as well. The drip pan gets all the excess grease out of your food so you can enjoy a healthy BBQ day with no smoke.
It is non-stick, coated with ceramic and titanium layers on the grilling surface. With this pan, a hassle is that you have to keep an eye on the water level in the reservoir. It also has a lower capacity for food than other grills on this list.
Reasons to Buy
- Effective smoke reducing design by allowing excess oil to be removed
- Enhances the flavor of the meat and veggies with good char and caramelization and reduction of excess fat
- A very good non-stick surface is also coated with ceramic and titanium for extra non-stick action
- An extremely durable surface that can withstand scratches from different utensils and last for a long time
- Has no PFOA, cadmium, lead, or any other harmful components which can make your food toxic
- Can withstand high temperatures without any stickiness and surface damage
- It is dishwasher safe and also can be cleaned easily by using soap and water
- Can produce healthy food by removing excess fat and grease to be adequately removed from the food
Your Possible Dislikes
- Has lower capacity for food
- Less thick
- Needs to maintain the level of water in the reservoir
3. CookKing Master Grill Pan, Korean Traditional BBQ Grill Pan
When there are lots of people, there are bound to be different choices.
Features
- Has non-stick layers to prevent food from ruining the pan
- Comes with six separate compartments
- Has a dedicated two garlic grilling sections
- It has an aluminum body with an overall 16-inch diameter; the inner-circle has a 9-inch diameter.
- Weighs about 3.5 pounds
This master grill comes with six separate compartments so that different short cuts of meat can be cooked at the same time. The flavor of different meats, don’t mix. If you are using one type of meat, the other compartments can be used to grill veggies and garlic.
The grill pan comes with two small side sections or compartments for placing and grilling garlic. As previously mentioned, using grilled garlic in Korean BBQ is a tradition. Hence, the name traditional BBQ grill pan.
The surface layer of this pan is non-stick, with multiple layers of titanium coating. This reinforcement with titanium makes it extra difficult for food to stick to the surface and is easy to clean
Cast aluminum coatings make it quite durable. It can resist friction from metal spoons and other utensils. It gets rid of fat and grease quite easily by allowing it to be removed from a side hole very quickly.
If you are looking for a Korean BBQ grill pan and going through a low-calorie and low-fat diet, this plan might be the one you want. The problem is that it only works with gas stoves.
Reasons to Buy
- Has a good amount of positive reviews
- Has separate garlic grilling sections
- Has a wide 16-inch capacity which can handle lots of food for a big gathering
- Has six separate compartments to prevent mixing up of flavors
- Removes excess fat, grease, and juices by being drained
- Smokeless grilling experience indoors because of the grease drainage system
- Healthy food is prepared with less oil and fat
- Works great with a gas stove too
Your Possible Dislikes
- Very heavy during washing and carrying
- Not dishwasher safe
- Not oven safe
- Cannot be used on induction stoves
- The grease bowl comes separately
4. CookKing Korean Traditional Cauldron BBQ Grill Pan
This pan is also made in Korea and gives an authentic Korean BBQ grill experience at home. The body is primarily made with aluminum, and different non-stick coats have been layered for ultimate non-stick effectiveness.
Features
- It is a 13.5 wide pan with aluminum built.
- Has a non-stick cooking surface
- Has four draining holes with a fast drainage design
- Has a separate section in the center in the shape of a circle
- Has a bottom drip ban
- Weighs 3.9 pounds
This non-stick pan is best for cooking fish, shrimps, beef cuts, and pork belly. If you have a low-fat diet planned out, you can use this pan to cut excess fat and calories and help you along this journey. This pan’s extremely quick drainage system might convince you to get this product right now.
How does it remove the excess fat and grease? Instead of just one dripping hole that most pans provide, it comes with four. The holes are placed in such a position that the grease runs towards them as they drop from your food. This way, the pan provides you with healthier food and a more smokeless grilling experience. Pour a little bit of water in the drip pan before using it, and you’ll see a smokeless grill. Korean grills need to be enjoyed fully by family and friends without any smoke in the air.
It can be easily placed on gas stoves and have a smaller cooking section in the center for grilling garlic and other herbs. This traditional grill also has a high capacity for food with a 13-inch diameter cooking range. Choose this grill if you’re a fan of traditional BBQ and primarily use a gas stove.
Reasons to Buy
- Have a great approval rating by customers
- Give a smokeless experience with no air pollution whatsoever.
- Highly effective non-stick coating on the surface
- A separate section for cooking garlic as required in a traditional Korean BBQ cooking
- Swift and effective removal of fat and grease from your foods
- Designed for an optimum home grilling experience
- Has a wide capacity and can handle a larger food quantity to facilitate a lot of members participating in the BBQ
- Come with its grease bowl
Your Possible Dislikes
- It is quite heavy and cannot be easily moved from one place to another
- Washing can be difficult because of the weight
- You always need to add water so that grease and fat are removed easily; failing to do so will make it harder to clean
5. Cook N Home Korean BBQ Grill Pan
This, Korean-made BBQ grill pan can be used indoors, but it’s preferable to use outside as the pan is not smokeless and will pollute your home air. Regardless, if you’re looking for a grill pan to take with you on a road trip, camping, picnic, etcetera, then this pan is what you need.
Features
- Has an aluminum body with a 15.5-inch wide diameter
- Has layers of non-stick coating
- Break resistance and longer durability
- Is dishwasher safe
- Has an oil spout that is placed on the top
- Weighs 1.8 pounds
It works best on open flames. Portable gas stoves are best suited for this pan, but it can work on any stovetop; electric, gas, ceramic, glass, etcetera. Its wide range brings ease to outdoor cooking.
This pan has a great food capacity that can feed a medium-size family easily. It also has a non-stick coating. It has a die-cast aluminum which cannot be broken easily and does not warp.
It might be smokeless, but it does have the feature of removing excess fat and grease from your food. It has an oil spout which removes the liquid in a separate bowl, which is placed slightly above the pan. The liquids run towards the hole quickly because the pan is slightly tilted. However, it only has one hole for the removal of grease and oils.
Reasons to Buy
- Great capacity for a good size family or gathering
- Has non-stick layers
- Very light and easy to carry around
- Great for outdoor cooking, like camping. It sits perfectly on a butane gas stove
- Has no hot spots and gives uniform charring on all the different ingredients at the same time
- Works great with gas stoves, even portable
- Even distribution of heat all over the grill pan
- Gets hot very quickly and can maintain high temperatures
- It is very easy to clean and is dishwasher friendly
- Is free from PFOA, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals
Drawbacks and note:
- Not smokeless
- Does not work on induction stoves, needs flames to heat up
- The grease bowl comes separately
How to Maintain Korean BBQ Grill Pans?
Like any cast iron pan, you need to season these pans as well. Here are steps for seasoning:
- After cleaning and drying the pan, brush a layer of fat or any type of oil on the cooking surface of the pan. Don’t brush the outside.
- Place the pan on high heat. Wait till all the pan gets very hot, and the fat seeps inside the surface.
- If the pan is new or hasn’t been seasoned in a while, brush a layer of oil again and let it heat up.
- After heating, let it cool down and wash with hot water.
Note: Applying grease removing soaps will remove the seasoning, so don’t use them.
How to Clean Korean BBQ Grill Pans?
If you have a dishwasher and the grill is dishwasher safe, then just place the pan in it. With its non-stick coating, you don’t need anything other than hot water and soap to clean. Make a soapy liquid mixture in a bowl and place the pan in the bowl, scrubbing its surface with gentle hands.
Note: Don’t use a scourer or steel wool to scrub the surface of the pan. Also, harsh cleaning products can remove the Teflon coating, so avoid them.
To Sum Up
A good quality grill pan needs to be easy to use, easy to clean. It should be made up of high-quality materials and should have professionally be crafted. Products good approval ratings depend upon its durability, ease in handling, and effectiveness in its function. Maybe you have an old grill that is rusting and piling up smoke, and you know what you don’t want. But, with rapid advances in technology, the upgrades go beyond expectations.
There are numerous Korean BBQ grill pans out there, but the ones we have mentioned in the list, they all have high approval ratings and great customer reviews from all over the globe.
Cooking is one of the main parts of our life that gives all of us great enjoyment. It’s an excuse for a gathering and treating yourself. It’s an experience, but before you can plan your Korean BBQ, you need to have all the proper equipment. A Korean grill pan is a must grilling product for cooking your meats. As your main equipment, this pan needs to fulfill all your needs, allow for flavors to burst and leave you with a good quality grill.
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