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Do you want a better experience and barbecuing results the next time you fire up your grill?
If so, what you need is a grill mat!
The best grill mats cover your grill grate and provide a flat surface to do your grilling, letting your meats and veggies cook in their own sweet juices.
Place the right mat over your grill, and you’ll have no more worries about your food falling between the grates and into the flames. Even more important, dirt and odors from previous cooking sessions won’t taint the flavor of your barbeque.
But not all grill mats deliver the best grilling experience, so we’ve put together a review of the best grill mats the market has to offer to help you choose which is best for your specific needs.
Our Top 3 Favorites
- Reusable, easy-to-clean, and dishwasher-safe
- Suitable for professional and first-time grillers alike
- Comes with a lifetime guarantee
- Textured surface keeps food in place
- Leaves perfect sear marks on your barbeque
- Suitable for grilling and cooking meats, vegetables and eggs
- Suitable for all grill types, including gas, charcoal, infrared, electric and pellet grills
- Nonstick surface makes clean-up easy
How to Pick the Perfect Grill Mats for Your Needs?
The variety of grill mats on the market can make it challenging to decide which is the best one for your cooking needs. In short, the best grill mats are those with all the features you need to deliver a tasty meal and ensure your convenience and safety.
To help you with selecting a grill mat that satisfies these parameters, watch for the following features:
Size
The size of a grill mat is vital for a variety of reasons. The first and most important is that the mat must be big enough to fit the top of your grill. If it’s too small, it won’t cover the entire top of your grill and will reduce the quality of your cooking.
It’s better to go for an oversized mat than an undersized one.
Why? Because you can easily trim down an oversized mat to match your grill’s surface, but you can’t stretch it to be bigger.
Another reason to consider the size of your grill mat is so you can match it to your cooking needs. A small mat is suitable if you use your grill mostly for small meals. But if you are going to be cooking for a large number of people regularly, you need a grill mat with a larger surface area.
To be on the safe side, always choose a grill mat that’s bigger than, or at least matches, the size of your grill.
Shape
Is your grill square or round?
To save you the trouble of having to adapt a grill mat to match the shape of your grill, choose one that matches your grill’s design. Having to cut a square grill mat to match a round grill wastes time and money, especially if you make a mistake and cut too much.
Non-Stick Cooking
There’s a reason we all love nonstick cookware: They’re are easier to use and clean.
Because grill grates can be challenging to clean, use a grill mat over the grates – but make sure it has a nonstick coating.
The best grill mats have a thin film Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating. It prevents food from sticking to the mat and makes it easier to clean and reuse. Mats with nonstick coating also are more durable, and most of them are dishwasher-friendly.
For the very best nonstick grill mat, find one with a double coating of PTFE. They typically cost more but are worth their extra durability and versatility.
Thickness
The thicker a grill mat is, the more heat it can handle during your cooking. That said, you don’t want a grill mat that’s too thick or thin.
If it’s too thick, the mat might be more durable, but it will also take longer to cook foods due to the slower heat transference through the material. If it’s too thin, the mat might lead to burned or improperly cooked meals.
The perfect thickness for a grill mat is 0.25mm. At this thickness, the mat is ideal for cooking food evenly and releasing the most flavor during grilling.
Temperature Capacity
The last thing you want is for a grill mat to go up in flames while you’re barbecuing for family or friends.
The best grill mats can withstand maximum temperatures of 500 Fahrenheit degrees, or 260 degrees Celsius. If a mat can’t withstand that much heat, it will limit the types of meals you can prepare on it – plus, it creates a fire hazard.
Choose a grill mat that comprises top-notch materials that can withstand high grilling temperatures without melting down during use.
Rough or Smooth Surface
Some grill mats have smooth surfaces, while others are rough-textured. The one that is best for your grilling depends mostly on your preferences and what you tend to grill. We prefer smooth-surface mats because they won’t trap food and are easier to clean.
Budget
The most expensive grill mat isn’t always the best option, nor is the cheapest. Cheaper options typically comprise lower-quality materials that are less durable and versatile.
Shop wisely and choose a grill mat that offers all of the features you need without exceeding your budget.
Purpose
What do you intend to cook on your grill mat?
If you are a vegetarian, you probably won’t be grilling as much beef or pork as a meat lover will – unless others in your household are not vegetarians. The best grill mat for veggie dishes need not be able to handle heavier meat dishes, but you still don’t want to compromise on quality and taste.
Top 5 Best Grill Mat Reviews
Key Features
- Made with pure PTFE fiberglass coating
- Nonstick surface
- Durable design and heat-resistant at up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
- Works well with gas, electric, and charcoal grills
The Grillaholics Grill Mat is our top choice for the best grill mat because of its price, durability, and versatility. It’s everything any pro or amateur cook could ask for from a grill mat.
Its heavy-duty material makes it suitable for cooking, baking, and grilling foods, so you can explore your inner grill-master without limits. You can unlock the full flavor of meats, fish, vegetables, eggs, pancakes, and more.
Unlike a regular grill grate, you also can mix up all your produce on the mat to create new recipes without worrying about your food sticking to the mat or falling into the flames.
It’s thick enough to withstand up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures and delivers even heat distribution for a well-cooked meal. Yet, it’s thin enough to ensure that your meat still gets those beautiful grill marks.
Aside from being a one-stop solution for all your cooking and grilling needs, the Grillaholics mat also is user-friendly and easy to maintain. Its smooth, nonstick surface doesn’t trap foods, so cleaning is a breeze.
Its price is also super attractive. At less than $16, you’ll get two reusable heavy-duty grill mats that work well on charcoal, gas, and electric grills.
The Grillaholics Grill Mat is our top choice for the best grill mat because of its price, durability, and versatility. It’s everything any pro or amateur cook could ask for from a grill mat.
Its heavy-duty material makes it suitable for cooking, baking, and grilling foods, so you can explore your inner grill-master without limits. You can unlock the full flavor of meats, fish, vegetables, eggs, pancakes, and more.
Unlike a regular grill grate, you also can mix up all your produce on the mat to create new recipes without worrying about your food sticking to the mat or falling into the flames.
It’s thick enough to withstand up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures and delivers even heat distribution for a well-cooked meal. Yet, it’s thin enough to ensure that your meat still gets those beautiful grill marks.
Aside from being a one-stop solution for all your cooking and grilling needs, the Grillaholics mat also is user-friendly and easy to maintain. Its smooth, nonstick surface doesn’t trap foods, so cleaning is a breeze.
Its price is also super attractive. At less than $16, you’ll get two reusable heavy-duty grill mats that work well on charcoal, gas, and electric grills.
Pros
- Reusable, easy-to-clean, and dishwasher-safe
- S.-based company
- Suitable for professional and first-time grillers alike
- Eliminates flare-up from grease
- Ideal for home and outdoor use
- Comes with a lifetime guarantee
- Contains no perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or other toxic chemicals
- Ideal for various types of grills
- Thick enough to ensure quality and durability
- Evenly heats food without burning
Cons
- May need cutting to fit certain grills
Key Features
- 25 inches by 17 inches
- Temperature capacity of 600 degrees Fahrenheit
- Heavy-duty nonstick surface
- 39mm thick
If you are willing to spend a little more on a grill mat and want one that’s as large as possible, the Kona XL is for you!
Each Kona XL mat is 25 inches by 17 inches, making it a suitable choice if you are grilling commercially or making enough barbeque to feed a football team.
It’s durable enough to be used hundreds of times on either side without losing its effectiveness and can withstand temperatures of up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Its durability and temperature capacity comes from its high-quality materials and the thickness of the mat.
Unlike most other mats that come in at about 0.25mm thick, the Kona XL is 0.39mm thick. Even though it’s thicker than most, it still delivers even cooking on a nonstick surface and is suitable for the grilling of all types of meats, fish, vegetables, eggs, and more.
Its flat, textured surface not only stops food from falling between the grates of your grill but also prevents food from falling off the mat. Yet, it’s easy to clean and works well with various types of grills. You can also easily cut and shape each mat to fit your grill to a tee.
One feature we especially love about the Kona XL mat is its ability to retain heat, which makes it suitable for making really juicy steaks or tender chicken. It also minimizes the amount of wood-burning or gas you need.
You get all of these benefits at a little over $20, which is more than the other grill mats on our list and is why it is our Premium choice. But the price is a worthwhile investment for a grill mat that you can use for years to come!
Pros
- Textured surface keeps food in place
- Suitable for commercial and home use
- Retains heat like a stone grill
- Comes with a seven-year warranty
- Leaves perfect sear marks on your barbeque
- Can work with various types of grills
- Large enough to cover your entire grill and can be cut or shaped to meet your needs
- Suitable for grilling and cooking meats, vegetables and eggs
- Suitable for baking purposes
- Nonstick surface for easy cleaning and preventing food burning
- Cooks food evenly
Cons
- Its thickness can make grilling at low temperatures challenging
- Its textured surface isn’t suitable for all dishwashers
- Pretty pricey
Key Features
- Lightweight PTFE material
- Double-sided use
- PFOA-free
- 25mm thick
- Low coefficient of friction (COF)
- 17 inches long
- Extra layers of PTFE
- 500-degrees Fahrenheit temperature capacity
- Lifetime money-back guarantee
With two layers of PTFE, you don’t have to worry about the durability or convenience of this grill mat. It’s nonstick and distributes heat evenly to unlock the best flavors of whatever you have on the grill, including meats, veggies, or other foods.
It has a large surface area of 17 inches, making it suitable for commercial use or grilling for a large family. It works with all grill types, including gas, pellet, and charcoal grills.
The surface of the mat is super smooth, offering one of the lowest coefficients of friction (COF) you can find on a top-quality grill mat. It makes it easy to clean with nothing more than a damp cloth. Alternatively, you could throw it into your dishwasher.
The Chef Caron grill mat is also versatile enough to serve as a nonstick cooking sheet, drip catcher, pan liner, baking sheet, microwave liner, baking mat, or dehydrator sheet. Cutting or shaping it to suit your unique needs or grill is easy, thanks to the mat’s 0.25mm thickness.
Its minimal thickness and lightweight PTFE material make it ideal for outdoor use, including camping or picnic trips. Its maximum temperature capacity of 500 degrees Fahrenheit also ensures that you aren’t limited in the types of cuisine you can create.
Our only complaint about the Chef Caron mat is its price. You get just one mat for almost $18. Yes, the mat is relatively large, but we believe the Grillaholics offers a better deal.
If you can ignore the price, you can look forward to a pretty versatile grill mat for all your home and outdoor barbequing needs.
Pros
- Suitable for all grill types, including gas, charcoal, infrared, electric and pellet grills
- You can cut and shape it to suit your needs
- Nonstick surface makes clean-up easy
- Grills food evenly and with nice sear marks
- Dishwasher-friendly and reusable
- Lifetime money-back guarantee
- Ideal for use at home, camping, and picnics
- FDA-approved design
- Protects your barbeque grill from wear, tear, and stains
Cons
- Only one mat in the pack
Key Features
- Multipurpose design – both sides are usable
- 75 inches by 13 inches
- Durable, with 100 percent PTFE coating
- Can handle temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
- FDA-approved
- PFOA and BPA free
- Available in two- or four-packs
At $9.95 for two mats, this is one of the most affordable, high-quality grill mats out there. For $20, you can get four mats!
Even though it’s affordable, the Kitchen + Home grill mat is thick enough to withstand temperatures of as much as 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and it has PTFE nonstick coating for durability. It’s also reusable, making it ideal for camping or park visits, so your food doesn’t have to touch dirty public grills.
The mat’s thickness and overall design make it safe to use several times on both sides. You need not worry about it falling apart or catching fire, as long as you keep your grill below 500 degrees.
This Kitchen + Home mat works well with various types of grills and cooks foods evenly without burning. Simply place it over your grill to barbeque meats, seafood, vegetables, pizza, and more, without worrying about dirtying your pride-and-joy home grill.
Flavor is guaranteed, and you can cut the mat with a simple pair of scissors to match your needs.
While it’s not as durable as the other grill mats on our list, it’s still a suitable choice if you don’t use your grill frequently.
Pros
- Works with charcoal, propane, gas, and electric grills
- Easy to clean and dishwasher-friendly
- Leaves grill marks on steaks
- Reversible and reusable
- Can easily grill any kind of food
- 100 percent nonstick
Cons
- Not as durable as the other options on our list
Key Features
- Comes in a pack of five
- Can withstand 500 degrees Fahrenheit
- FDA- and LFGB (food-security)-certified
- Fiberglass fabric coated with PTFE
- 75 inches by 13 inches
Why ruin your beautiful grill?
The Aoocan grill mat is another affordable option that lets you barbecue to your heart’s desire without ruining the newness or performance of your grill. Even better, it’s affordable, offering five nonstick mats for less than $13.
Each mat is 15.75 inches by 13 inches, is thick, and is capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s smooth and thick enough to ensure even cooking, whether you are grilling vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, or pizza, or creating a new recipe.
Its LFGB food-grade certification guarantees that it’s safe for family use, and it can serve you for several purposes.
Pros
- Usable in microwaves and with various grill types
- Versatile and easy to use
- Affordable price
- Five in a pack
- Nonstick surface
- Easy to clean
- FDA-approved
Cons
- Not as durable as other options on this list
Final Verdict: Best Grill Mat For Your Money
If you use the best grill mat, you can prepare foods on your grill that you otherwise could not. That includes foods like chopped vegetables, small seafood, and breakfast foods, including pancakes, eggs, sausages, and hash browns.
Based on our experience and best grill mats reviews from customers, the Grillaholics Grill Mat offers the best value for money, thanks to its affordable price and fantastic grilling features. We especially love it because it can create various recipes on different types of grills without compromising on flavor. Get yours today!
Once your done reading this article you might also be interested to know which grill to use this for. It could be used with a Kamado Grill and more!
