Swiss Diamond Grill Pan

When I replaced my electric stove - the one that came with this house - with a new stove with a gas cooktop, the second thing I did was buy a cast iron grill pan.

The first thing I did was char some red peppers. But that's besides the point. Having a big grill pan that would fit across two burners was one of the things I really really wanted.

But then the nice folks at Swiss Diamond sent me an 11x17 cast aluminum grill pan with a nonstick coating. It cooks just like the previous grill pan, and possibly better. Nice grill marks.

But the magic - the real magic - is when it comes to cleaning the pan. Trying to get the valleys in the old grill pan clean was no fun at all. Nope. It reminded me of when my mom asked me to dust and wax her intricately-carved furniture. Tedious.

But the Swiss Diamond pan releases the cooked-on stuff really easily. A sponge or scrubbie gets all the stuff out of those valleys. It practically rinses clean. Whoosh.

Who's it for: People who need a big grill pan and have a stove it will work on.

Pros: Soooo easy to clean. Large. Nonstick. Lighter than cast iron.

Cons: Spendy.

Wishes: Some other grill pans have a griddle on the other side. This one doesn't.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.