The 5 best grill baskets of 2024, tested and reviewed

Right out of the box, we swooned at the look of this grill basket. It's sleek and sturdy and the moveable dividers make it very practical.

It only took a few seconds to snap the handle into place and arrange the dividers in a way that allowed me to add fish on one side and vegetables on the other. Thanks to the dividers, I was able to stir the vegetables several times without disturbing the fish. The fish cooked in a few minutes and I was able to easily remove it from the grill while the vegetables continued cooking.

The stainless-steel surface area is wide and the holes are large enough that all the finished food was evenly charred. The basket — or maybe more accurately, high-sided tray — was easy to move around on the grill top and fit on both round and rectangular grills.

Cleanup was also a snap. The basket cools quickly, the handle detaches with ease, and the whole thing fits into both full-sized and portable dishwashers.

This wok-style square basket with curved handles has excellent heat and air circulation. Its flared edges make it easy to cook with, and (with something underneath to catch any juices) it can go right onto the table for family-style meals.

At less than half the price of our top choice, this basket is not as adaptable as the other baskets. It has limited surface area, so unless you're cooking a very small batch of food, you'll need to stir the food frequently to get charring.

That said, with some finesse, the slots create great grill marks for vegetables and fish. We also tested the grill pan  in a smoker, using it to cook tomatillos, sliced onions, and tomatoes. After 15 minutes, they became the perfect base for a smoky pureed salsa. The pan is compatible with most standard grills and smokers. If you don't grill very often and don't want to make an investment, this is your choice.

This grill basket has a similar design to the Cave Tools basket, but it's nonstick. The easy-to-clean surface is ideal for low-fat cooking, delicate seafood, and anything else prone to sticking. The trade-off is that you will need to use silicone or other heat-resistant tongs and spatulas to avoid damaging the nonstick surface. We noticed that browning isn't as pronounced as with stainless baskets.

It's easy to store and cooks fish and vegetables quickly. The airflow is enough that our vegetables cooked evenly and the fish was done in five minutes. The sloped sides make arranging, flipping and stirring a snap.

When you don't have a lot of space, either because your grill is small or you just have a lot of other food already on the BBQ, this grill basket trio is the perfect solution. With three small options in a range of shapes, the Yukon Glory set is great for keeping things tidy on an already crowded grill. Each basket can hold enough food for two to three people.

This lightweight set is also portable enough for camping trips and beach fires; the baskets are durable, heat evenly, and cool quickly. Each basket also cleans up easily in the dishwasher or in the sink.

The unique tear-drop holes and pre-seasoned cast iron make this pan a substantial choice for getting a restaurant-quality sear on all your vegetables. It's also our top choice for making fajitas and chicken wings.

Like all cast-iron, this grill pan needs to be washed and dried thoroughly to prevent rusting, and maintain the nonstick seasoning. The heavy pan performs best when preheated on the hottest part of the grill and then moved to the side. It retains heat so well that you can get a hearty sear even over indirect heat.

Thanks to its handles and ability to withstand high temperatures, this grill basket should be your go-to when cooking over a fire pit and want to put the pan directly on red hot coals. Cast iron can also be cleaned with just some salt and a bit of scrubbing, which makes it convenient for cat camping where running water might not be available.

Size: The grill basket you choose should fit on your grill without overhang, and hold enough food for the amount of people you typically cook for. We recommend you budget at least 1 cup capacity per person in your household.

Shape: Grill baskets come in a variety of shapes. We found that wok-style baskets with handles work best for stir-frying, while the tray-shaped baskets perform better for fish.

Materials: Stainless steel grill baskets offer a balance of good searing and easy cleaning, but you may prefer a nonstick or cast iron grill basket depending on your priorities. Nonstick grill baskets are the easiest to clean, but don't sear as well. Cast iron, on the other hand, sears excellently, but is often the heaviest and hardest to clean.

Design: Simple is usually better when it comes to grill baskets. In our testing, baskets with tops (often called fish baskets) were unwieldy to use. We prefer open-topped baskets that allow you to simply flip or toss your food with a spatula or tongs.

To find the best grill baskets, we tested 12 models. I have years of experience as a professional chef and cooking instructor. In addition to leaning on my own expertise, I invited two local caterers and some amateur family members to help evaluate the grill baskets. I also reached out to grilling experts for additional insight. Overall, we looked for:

Ease of use: We focused on whether the basket was easy to open, set up, use, and lift. We read the manufacturer's directions and recommendations for any limitations and preheating requirements and double-checked whether the handles were heatproof.

Size and shape: We tested various grill pans with different shapes, sizes and materials to determine which was the most versatile and user-friendly. The designs included grill trays, wok-style baskets, rectangles, squares and round shapes.

Cooking: To test the baskets, we grilled 1-inch thick filets of cod cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as asparagus, sliced zucchini, and bell peppers. Our goal was to cook the food properly and evenly, with the expectation of some charring, grill marks, and smoke flavor.

Cleaning: When we were finished cooking, we cleaned each grill pan based on the manufacturer's directions, either by hand in the sink or in the dishwasher.

Are grill baskets worth it?

Yes. If you want to have more variety on your grill, a grill basket is a terrific tool to carefully cook delicate items like fish or small foods that can easily fall through the grill grates like cut vegetables.

According to Lexis Gonzalez, a New York based private chef, "Grill baskets are a great tool for cooking vegetables and fish on the grill because they prevent the food from falling through the grates and provide even cooking. They also make it easier to flip and remove the food."

How do you clean a grill basket?

When you're done cooking, place the grill basket on a heat-safe surface until it's cool. If your grill basket is dishwasher safe, rinse it off and place it on the top rack on a normal cycle. If it is not dishwasher safe, brush off any food with a stiff brush and wash with dish soap. To avoid rust, store your grill pan indoors between uses. 

Can you use a grill basket in an oven?

While most manufacturers state that their grill pans are oven safe, we think it's more practical to simply use a sheet pan in the oven, since ovens aren't equipped with the same grease collection systems as grills. If you do use your grill basket in the oven, wrap it in foil or place it on a sheet pan to avoid a big cleanup later.