Cast Iron Griddle For Grill

Best for: Delicate proteins like fish and seafood, melting sugar, making candy, and sauces.

The details: Copper frying pans are expensive, but they offer superb heat conductivity. That means they heat up quickly and cool down just as fast, giving you more control when you’re making something you have to monitor closely, like a caramel sauce. “They’re at the opposite end of the spectrum from cast iron,” Nitahara says. “Because it heats up and cools down quickly, you can bring a sauce right to the brink, then remove it from the heat before it breaks from the high heat.”

Cast iron might be heavy, and it must be cleaned correctly, but it turns food brown and crispy like magic. It's easiest to buy a pre-seasoned skillet, but if you accidentally leave yours soaking in water, you can season it yourself.