Barbecue
Cast iron holds heat in a way that thin steel does not, which is exactly what a barbecue needs when cold food lands on it. Replacing a steel grate with cast iron is the single biggest improvement available to most barbecues — provided the dimensions match, which is where most of these purchases go wrong.
Five pieces of iron, and the measurement that decides all of them.
The Wiltec, 67 × 40 cm (26.4 × 15.7 in), solid rectangular cast iron for charcoal and gas barbecues. Rectangular and large — measure your opening before ordering.
The Tepro in enamelled cast iron, with a grate-in-grate system and a removable center that takes inserts. Enamelled means no seasoning; it also means no wire brush and no chainmail, because enamel is glass.
The GFTime, 49.5 × 32.5 cm (19.5 × 12.8 in) of solid cast iron, stated to fit Weber Genesis E/S/EP-310, 320 and 330. A named model list removes the measuring problem entirely.
The Burnhard 30 cm (11.8 in), pre-seasoned cast iron with pouring spouts, stated for gas barbecue, open fire, oven and hob including induction. Spouts matter on a grill pan: fat has to go somewhere.
The BBQ-Toro Ø 34 cm (13.4 in), ribbed cast iron with a loop handle plus a stick handle and two spouts, pre-seasoned. Two handles is what lets you lift 34 cm of hot iron off a fire with both hands.
Bare iron: chainmail, hot water, dry on the heat, wipe with oil. This site lists five chainmail scrubbers. Enamelled iron: hot water and a soft brush. Never chainmail.
Where heat retention gives searing and marking that thin steel cannot.
Where small or delicate items would fall through bars.
Where a cast iron pan turns a barbecue into a hob.
Where thermal mass evens out the swings of a charcoal fire.
| The use | Why cast iron | The cost |
|---|---|---|
| Searing and marking | Heat retention | Weight |
| Small items | A solid plate | Slower to heat |
| Long cooking | Thermal mass | Maintenance |
| Outdoors | Not its natural home | Rusts if neglected |
Outdoors, cast iron faces everything it dislikes: rain, humidity, long idle periods and acidic marinades. The seasoning that protects it indoors is under constant attack, which is why barbecue cast iron needs more attention than the same material in a kitchen.
Heavy, hot and slow to cool.
30 cm (11.8 in) · pre-seasoned cast iron · pouring spouts · gas barbecue, fire, oven and hob including induction
A 30 cm (11.8 in) pre-seasoned cast iron grill pan built for a barbecue as much as a hob: spouts, sturdy handles, and stated for gas barbecue, fire pit, oven and induction alike.
Best for: Someone who cooks outdoors in summer and wants the same pan indoors in winter.
Ø 34 cm (13.4 in) · ribbed cast iron · loop handle plus stick handle · two spouts · pre-seasoned · fire-safe
The largest pan in this hub at 34 cm (13.4 in), with both a loop handle and a stick handle, two spouts, pre-seasoned, and stated for direct use in a fire.
Best for: Outdoor cooking and large hobs; four steaks at once rather than two.
Measure the opening the grate sits in, not the old grate — grates can be undersized. Then check the listing’s dimensions, and for a model-specific grate check the model list. The GFTime here names Weber Genesis E/S/EP-310, 320 and 330.
Bare cast iron does: oil it, heat it, repeat. Enamelled cast iron does not, and it should not be treated with chainmail or a wire brush — enamel is a glass coating.
A grate with a removable center section, so an insert — a plancha plate, a wok ring, a pizza stone — drops into the middle. The Tepro here is the one with that feature.
For searing and marking, yes: it holds heat as thin steel cannot. The cost is weight and considerably more maintenance.
Quickly, if left exposed outdoors. Barbecue cast iron faces rain and long idle periods, which is exactly what it dislikes.
Enamel resists rust and can chip under heat and knocks. Bare iron needs seasoning and can always be restored.
Brush while still warm, then oil lightly. Harsh cold scrubbing strips the seasoning and leaves it to rust.
No. It has to fit exactly, since a grate that shifts under food is a genuine hazard. Universal fits rarely are.
Often not. Neglected cast iron performs worse than stainless, and occasional users rarely keep up the routine.
Good for: Someone who cooks outdoors in summer and wants the same pan indoors in winter.
What it does best: Ready to use out of the box, with a patina that keeps improving
What it does badly: No weight published
Good for: Outdoor cooking and large hobs; four steaks at once rather than two.
What it does best: Two handles, which is what a 34 cm (13.4 in) cast iron pan genuinely needs
What it does badly: 34 cm (13.4 in) overhangs most domestic hob rings, so the outer edge runs cooler
The pans here are drawn from the catalog of this site. Specifications come from the maker and from the Amazon product page; prices are what Keepa recorded on the date below, and both move. Order is set by declared specifications, by stated strengths against stated limits, and by price. Nothing here has been cooked with by us, and no claim to the contrary is made.
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Cookware sets, knife blocks and cast iron swing by thirty dollars or more across the year, and the biggest "discounts" often land at prices the same model sold for six weeks earlier. UniverTrack tracks the real price history across retailers, spots fake reductions, and alerts you when it is genuinely the moment to buy.
