If you love your stovetop grill pan as much as I do, you know it can be tricky to oil it properly before cooking. The folks at The Kitchn have the same problem, and came up with an interesting solution: keep an oiled cloth rag in the freezer to use specifically for your grill pan. The oil won't go rancid, and you have a dedicated rag to oil your pan with whenever it's time to do a little indoor grilling.


Here's the problem: if you oil a grill pan directly, oil tends to collect in the ridges and pool up. If you use a paper towel, the ridges rip it to shreds—I've had some luck with paper towels, but too often I wind up with bits of paper towel in the grooves. If you oil before heating with your hands, you run the risk of burning the oil and smoking up your kitchen before the grill is hot enough for a really good sear. So the solution? Rub a clean cloth rag—like a bar mop or old washcloth—with your oil of choice, use it for the grill pan, and when you're finished, toss it in a baggie and put it in the freezer for use again later.

This way you don't have to reach for a new rag every time you grill or waste the oil on the original rag. I agree—it's not a pretty tip, but it works like a charm. Still, we'd bet you have some ingenious solutions to this problem too, so let's hear them in the comments below!


Grilling Indoors? Why You Should Keep an Oiled Rag in the Freezer | The Kitchn