I have bought and used many basting covers, and man they don’t last much. Not only was the metal flimsy, but the handle attachment also sucked. And don’t talk about brands; they’re thinning the metal every passing day.
This article aims to curate a list of the best basting pans on the market today and review them for the things that matter: shape, size, quality, and price. I don’t claim these basting pans are the absolute best; they certainly have some shortcomings, which I have truthfully mentioned.
Before we go, you should know about basting and basting covers. If you already know, you can skip to the reviews.
What’s basting?
Basting is the process of moistening foods during cooking with pan drippings, melted fat, meat drippings, fruit juice, sauce, marinade, or water. This also includes covering the food with a conducting surface, mostly metal, to let it cook in its own moisture content, juices, and drippings.
What’s a basting cover?
A basting cover, also known as a food cover, a basting dome, a cheese melting dome, and you name it, is a metallic dome-shaped lid that’s placed over the food while it’s cooking, usually on a stovetop or grill. The purpose of a basting cover is to trap heat and moisture, allowing the food to cook more evenly and quickly. It also helps keep the food moist by capturing the steam and condensation that forms during cooking, dripping it back onto the food, and effectively basting it.
What are the benefits of using a basting cover?
The benefits of using a basting cover include:
Faster cooking: The trapped heat and steam under the cover help cook the food more quickly, reducing overall cooking time.
Even cooking: The cover helps distribute heat evenly, ensuring the food is cooked uniformly.
Moisture retention: The cover prevents the evaporation of cooking juices, keeping the food moist and tender.
Enhanced flavor: The trapped steam and juices infuse the food with more flavor, resulting in a tastier dish.
Reduced splatter: Using a basting cover minimizes splatter and mess on your stovetop or grill, making cleanup easier.
Best Basting Covers to Buy This Year
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HOUSE AGAIN 12 Inch Cheese Melting Dome
As of the time of writing these reviews, this is the only item on our list that’s unavailable. I hope it will be back in stock soon, but I couldn’t order and check it for quality. I’m only adding this to the top of our list because it has none of the design flaws of the other basting domes out there, not even those on our list. It has also garnered thousands of highly positive reviews on Amazon.
The House Again Cheese Melting Dome has a high-quality stainless steel handle riveted tightly on top. But unlike other stainless steel handles, it has a silicon coating to resist heat. The handle placement is also ergonomic–it sits slightly higher than usual for ease of use.
It also has three small vents near the edge to prevent burping or vacuum lock.
Pros
- Excellent design, especially the handle.
Cons
- Not as thick/high quality as some other basting pans on our list.
Jim Beam 9″ Burger Cover
In terms of design, this burger cover is similar to the previous one–it has ample headspace to cover a taller item and has a stainless steel handle riveted tightly on the flat top. However, it’s smaller than the previous one, and the handle has no silicon coating.
But it’s thicker than the previous one, and even the handle is sturdier. And it comes at a price that makes it a steal of a deal–it has the lowest price tag of the other basting covers on our list.
The only thing that can go wrong with a basting cover–except the thinness of the metal–is the handle coming loose, melting, or cracking and falling off entirely. If this is your only complaint, you can stop searching.
The only buyer complaint, and a frequent one, I could find against this burger cover was about the adhesive they used to fasten the marketing material to the item. It’s very difficult to remove, no doubt. But since you’ll not use this basting cover face-up, you can wait for the adhesive to come off after a few washes.
Pros
- Thick stainless steel.
- The handle is very sturdy.
- No design flaws… you’ll get ample clearing above the griddle top.
- Pocket-friendly.
Cons
- Couldn’t find any except trivial ones, such as damage while shipping.
Cuisinart Melting Dome, 9″, Stainless steel
The Cuisinart Melting Dome, in terms of design, quality, and specs, is the exact replica of the Jim Beam Cheese Melting Dome. It only finds a lower place on our list because it costs slightly higher than the former.
The only complaint the customers had with this melting dome/basting cover was about a strip of label paper contoured to the dome–it doesn’t easily come off. There’s no question about the quality–it’s excellent.
Pros
- High-quality stainless steel.
- The handle is riveted to the dome.
Cons
- The price is on the higher side.
Blackstone 12 Inch Round Basting Cover – Stainless Steel
This is an excellent basting cover. It’s a 12” stainless steel cover with a heat-resistant, hard plastic handle. The handle, though not as sturdy as metallic ones, will last forever with proper care–that is, you don’t throw it or drop the basting cover frequently.
I also like it design-wise… it has no dome, just a slightly contoured flat top instead, with ample headspace to cover taller items. The broader circumference means there’ll be no oil splatter.
The metal was thin but looked durable.
Only included at the end of the list because of its plastic handle.
Pros
- Heat-resistant handle.
- Over-sized.
- High-quality stainless steel.
Cons
- Plastic handle.
Blackstone Stainless Steel Square Basting Cover 10″ x 10″
It’s a square-shaped version of the Blackstone 12” Round Basting Cover we reviewed earlier, with more overhead space. It measures 10 x 10 x 5 inches with a weight of 1.18 lbs, as opposed to its round counterpart, which measures 12 x 12 x 4.5 inches and weighs 1 lb.
It has more than twice the headspace of the Round Basting Cover. There’s no difference in metal quality between the two basting covers. However, the handle design and quality are different… better in this one.
