Cook fish, vegetables and more to perfection with nonstick and stainless steel grilling tools.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. Double Insulated Power Tools
Grilling vegetables and fish is no easy task, but a grill basket makes small or sticking-prone items simple to maneuver so they develop a charred flavor on a hot grill. They can be used on a pellet grill or a portable grill and some can even be used over an open flame while camping. They’re an efficient way to turn and rotate foods that might fall through the grates. This barbecue tool is also a smart investment if you enjoy foods that tend to stick to grill grates, like delicate fish.
Our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test a wide variety of grill gear including grill thermometers, BBQ tongs, and of course the best grills you can buy to help you have a successful barbecue. We tested 10 grill baskets and grilled over 4 pounds of veggies to find the grill baskets that performed best. The grill baskets that ranked highest produced caramelized red onions, roasted asparagus and perfectly charred bell peppers, and the baskets were easy to handle and clean.
Proud Grill's UltraVersatile Grill Basket lives up to its name. Whether you like to separate your shrimp from your veggies or are grilling a small whole fish, this grill basket is up to the task. In our testing, the veggies had a nice char on the exterior but were still a little crisp on the inside. We love that it has perforated walls and dividers that can be removed for large ingredients or added to create separate compartments based on what you are grilling.
This grill basket is lightweight and has a handle that can be snapped on for easy carrying or removed so you can close the grill hood. In our testing, we were able to easily remove all veggies from the grill basket, and it was easy to clean — but the stainless steel did discolor over time.
This Lodge pick is a circular cast iron grill basket with teardrop-shaped holes in the bottom. At under $40, this grill basket is very affordable while also built to last. In our testing, it produced veggies with a really beautiful char, perfect for tucking into your favorite summer sandwich. It offers a decent amount of surface area for a bunch of veggies. We found that veggies still cooked evenly if the basket was a bit crowded. Because of its circular shape with handles on the sides, it may be difficult to pair with another grill basket.
Just like your favorite cast iron pan, this grill basket is heavy. Take caution when carrying and maneuvering it, as it was the heftiest we tested — and it also remained hot the longest. This pre-seasoned grill basket was incredibly easy to hand-wash after testing and still looked brand-new after veggies were removed. For future uses, you can clean and maintain this grill basket as you would your other cast iron cookware.
While Weber offers a handful of grill baskets, we were especially impressed with the Weber Professional Grade Grill Pan. This stainless steel grill basket features small slots and offers a lot of surface area to fit larger items like fish, and the low walls ensure that veggies get a nice char. Its size also allows it to be paired with another grill basket on a standard-sized outdoor grill.
In our testing, it produced well-charred veggies after only 5 minutes of grilling, and after 8 minutes, the veggies were soft and had the greatest number of char marks out of any other grill basket we tested. We love how slim and compact this grill basket is compared with other grill baskets with high-sloping walls — you could easily store it with your rimmed sheet pans. It's also lightweight and released all veggies easily, but it did discolor after grilling.
If you are looking to grill a whole stuffed fish that needs to be flipped, the Weber Large Fish Basket is another great option with its flexible stainless steel grates and wide handles on either side. This basket is also tops for grilling bacon or veggies.
Nordic Ware Nonstick Grill & Shake Basket is great for those extra-delicate ingredients that tend to stick, like salmon filets or blistered tomatoes. In our testing, we were impressed by its nonstick material and high sides that allowed for veggies to glide across the basket with ease as they achieved a nice char. Its high sides are great for ensuring that veggies do not fall overboard and its perforated holes are key to giving veggies their grill marks. We did notice in testing that veggies cooked down quicker than other grill baskets, which is ideal for veggies that need a longer cook time like butternut squash.
Two things to consider with this grill basket: Because it is nonstick, it cannot be heated over 450ºF and it needs to be hand washed. In our testing, we noticed some scratches on the nonstick-coated bottom of the basket after use. Hand washing and avoiding metal utensils will help extend the basket's life.
The two-piece design of this grill basket gives you tons of options whether you're grilling veggies in your backyard or roasting mussels over an open fire. There are three ways to use it: You can use the shallower skillet, the deeper skillet or latch them together for an enclosed basket that is easy to shake. In our testing, our veggies were evenly cooked and nice and tender.
Thanks to the basket's nonstick material, veggies also released easily, and after a quick clean, the basket looked as good as new. Its long handle is helpful for carrying and cooking over an open fire, but it should be removed when used on the grill as it will get too hot and may not allow you to close your grill's hood.
This grilling basket stands out from the others for its unique material: carbon steel. "Carbon steel is similar to cast iron in the sense that it can get nice and hot, but it is lighter weight," says Nicole Papantoniou, Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director. This material will heat up and reach the ideal cooking temperature quicker than cast iron and cool down faster when you're done cooking. Plus, carbon steel is lightweight, so it will be easier to take this basket on and off the grill, but it's still large enough to cook loads of veggies or fish.
The circular perforations char veggies and create tasty grill marks. Papantoniou explains that another neat feature of carbon steel is the pan can become nonstick over time when properly handled and maintained. The pan is even pre-seasoned, so you are ready to start cooking right away. Just be sure to remove the silicone grip when using this pan on the grill.
The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab ventured outdoors to test 10 grill baskets. We grilled equal amounts of sliced red bell pepper, whole asparagus and wedges of red onion on the same grill to test each grill basket.
In addition to evaluating the results of our grilled vegetables, we rated each grill basket for ease of use, durability and cleanability. We tested a variety of sizes, shapes, materials and handles to see how they compared in side-by-side testing.
We preheated all grill baskets for five minutes at 500ºF and cooked each batch of veggies for eight minutes, flipping halfway through the grilling process. We inspected and tasted all veggies for evenness of cooking, appearance and flavor of char marks and how easily we could remove the food from the grill pan.
In our recent review, we also tested grill baskets from Cuisinart, All-Clad, Uncommon Goods, Kingsford and another model from Weber.
✔️ Size: Consider the overall surface area of the basket and the size of the perforations or slots. If you plan to cook asparagus or whole fish, you will need ample room in the basket. If you like to grill baby potatoes or shrimp, you’ll want smaller perforations or a tighter grid. If you want to use more than one basket at a time, be sure that two can fit side-by-side on your grilling surface. ✔️ Shape: Grill baskets come in a number of styles: perforated square trays with high walls, hinged grids that clamp together like a clamshell and skillet-like baskets. Some grill baskets have a fairly universal shape, meaning they can accommodate a range of foods. Others are designed to close around ears of corn or meatballs or even a quesadilla. Find the style that works for the foods you cook most. "I like baskets that are long or have lots of surface space because I find them to be more versatile, but if you're mostly using for veggies, ones with slopes sides and handles are good for shaking and tossing," Papantoniou says. ✔️ Material: Grill baskets are most commonly made from nonstick steel or stainless steel, but they can also come in cast iron.
✔️ Handles: Whether you opt for a tray style or a clamshell style, you want handle placement that keeps your hands away from the flame. You also want handles that are heat-resistant and wide enough for a secure grip for shaking, rotating and transporting. Some baskets feature detachable handles for easy storage or removal when the grill is closed, while others have them attached at the sides that stay intact throughout cooking and storing.
✔️ Cleanability: Depending on the material, some grill baskets are easier to clean. Nonstick and cast iron models cannot go in the dishwasher but discolored less in our testing. Stainless steel can go in the dishwasher, and you can use a stainless steel cleaner to help remove any discoloration.
You can use a grill basket as a way to get more use out of your grill — no need to go indoors to roast your baby potatoes or cook green beans. Or be a considerate host and cook a veggie burger for your vegan friend on a designated basket away from the rest of the burgers.
"Heat it up the same way you would heat up your grill," says Papantoniou. "Oil ingredients before you put them in basket and space foods apart so there's room for good browning." Shake, toss or flip ingredients halfway through to achieve even cooking and caramelization.
Grill baskets can be used with a variety of ingredients, not just zucchini, onions or fish. Try grilling green beans, bacon or even sandwiches in a grill basket. After you're finished grilling, let your grill basket cool down before handling. If you do have to handle the basket while it's hot, use protective grill mitts.
As a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, Eva Bleyer has tested a wide variety of kitchen appliances, tools and gear, including pizza stones, kitchen scales and so much more. She conducted the most recent side-by-side testing of grill baskets. Eva earned a B.S. in Food Studies, Nutrition and Public Health from New York University and is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute. As a lifelong vegetarian, Eva is very familiar with grilling veggies and knows how cumbersome the task can be without a grill basket.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
The Best Grilling Accessories and Tools
The Grilling Gifts Our Food Editors Love
Best Grills That Combine Gas and Charcoal
The Best BBQ Rubs for Any Grilled Recipe
60 Memorial Day Recipes for the Best BBQ Ever
60 Easy Memorial Day Side Dishes
A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Combination Pliers Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.