username02There are three types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation.
When you're cooking on an outdoor grill, you're mostly using radiation with some incidental conduction. If you close the lid of the grill, you'll get convection.
When you're cooking with a grill pan on the stove, you're primarily using conduction, with some incidental radiation and almost no convection. If you put a lid on, you'll get some significant convection. It will also trap in humidity, which can slow the loss of moisture from the food.
When you're cooking in the oven, you're primarily using convection, with some incidental conduction and stray radiation. If you put a lid on, you can block out more of the stray radiation. (Microwave ovens are an exception here. They use radiation in the 2.4GHz band, which specifically excites the water molecules in the food. They were invented for thawing frozen foods.)
Different types of heat have different effects on the food. In an oven, the radiation is what causes browning. If you bake bread uncovered, the top will brown more than if you cover it. If you use the broiler (primarily radiation with incidental convection), it will get much darker than if you baked it.
Try grilling some chicken in a grill pan with and without a lid. With the lid, you can cook the meat all the way through more quickly with less browning and without drying it out. Without the lid, you'll either brown the meat more or dry it out by cooking it much slower. Sometimes you want browning (it can add flavor), but having a lid means you have more control over the browning.
username02And the simple answer is: after you use a temp high enough for grill marks, covering the pan will allow the meat to cook the rest of the way through.
SitwonActually, now showing at $90 but does not show that a cover is included. I don't say a cover wouldn't be handy, but I've been using mine for a few weeks now without one, and have no complaints about it--its' a great pan/grill!
When you're cooking on an outdoor grill, you're mostly using radiation with some incidental conduction. If you close the lid of the grill, you'll get convection.
When you're cooking with a grill pan on the stove, you're primarily using conduction, with some incidental radiation and almost no convection. If you put a lid on, you'll get some significant convection. It will also trap in humidity, which can slow the loss of moisture from the food.
When you're cooking in the oven, you're primarily using convection, with some incidental conduction and stray radiation. If you put a lid on, you can block out more of the stray radiation. (Microwave ovens are an exception here. They use radiation in the 2.4GHz band, which specifically excites the water molecules in the food. They were invented for thawing frozen foods.)
Different types of heat have different effects on the food. In an oven, the radiation is what causes browning. If you bake bread uncovered, the top will brown more than if you cover it. If you use the broiler (primarily radiation with incidental convection), it will get much darker than if you baked it.
Try grilling some chicken in a grill pan with and without a lid. With the lid, you can cook the meat all the way through more quickly with less browning and without drying it out. Without the lid, you'll either brown the meat more or dry it out by cooking it much slower. Sometimes you want browning (it can add flavor), but having a lid means you have more control over the browning.
It seems like the pans in question match these on the Swiss Diamond website. https://www.swissdiamond.com/products/detail/cast-iron-square-grill-1025-x-1025-rubis-rouge
According to that page, the MSRP is about $100 (not $150) and includes a lid.
The same pan appears to be available at Bed Bath & Beyond for 20% off (or $80), also with a lid. https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/swiss-diamond-reg-prestige-10-25-cast-grill-pan/3300875?skuId=47173385
So (in the USA) this drop gets you a $5 discount if you're willing to give up the lid.