What makes a better cooking grill – stainless steel or cast iron? Well, stainless doesn’t need any maintenance but cast iron holds heat much better. If you like stainless grills, try to get thick ones (at least 8mm) – that way they’ll have enough mass to hold proper heat for searing.
We'll explain:
Cast Iron Cooking Grills
Cast iron holds heat extremely well and a thick, cast iron cooking grill can be a real pleasure to cook on as it retains lots of heat and you'll be cooking with the heat in the grill as well as the heat that is coming from the bottom of your barbecue. Additionally a porcelain coating on a cast iron grill, whether shiny porcelain or dull, "matte-finish" porcelain, makes a cast iron grill easy to clean and reduces (not eliminates) the need to keep your grills "cured." So, if you can't live without hearing a sharp sizzling sound when your meat hits the heat or you love strong, dark sear marks on your steaks - then you should consider cast iron cooking grills.
Stainless Steel Cooking Grills
A stainless steel cooking grill will not hold the heat as well as cast iron but will last longer. Stainless steel is not anywhere near as heat-retentive as cast iron. In order to retain enough heat to cause effective searing you need more mass when using stainless steel than you would with cast iron. A large diameter stainless steel grill (at least 8mm) should hold heat well enough to sear meat and will last for years and years. Stainless steel grills turn black after the first few uses but require only a simple wipe with a grill brush to keep them free of residue. So, if you're looking for the long-lasting, low maintenance cooking grill - then consider stainless steel.