The 10 Best Splatter Screen for Cleaner Cooking

If you do not have a lid to fit your fry pan or skillet, then a splatter screen is the easiest way to keep the grease in the pan instead of on you! Not only is a splatter screen useful on a range of cookware, it costs much less that a replacement lid, and in some cases a splatter screen is actually better for cooking with as it allows more steam to escape.

Quick Comparison: Top 10 Best Splatter Screen for Cleaner Cooking

Things to Consider Before Buying A Splatter Screen

The splatter screen is a basic device to allow steam to escape from a fry pan while preventing the grease from coming out of the pan when frying especially at higher temperatures. Not only does this reduce the risk of burns from hot fat splashes, but it also reduces the risk of fat stains on clothing. It can also make cleaning the cooktop up afterwards much easier. A splatter screen can also be used to prevent other food splashes, such as from sauce pans or Dutch ovens.

For cooking some foods it can actually be easier to use a splatter screen instead of a lid as a splatter screen allows steam to easily escape, rather than causing a buildup of condensation in the pan, which can stop food from browning as easily.

If your fry pan did not come with a lid, or it did come with one which has since been broken, then a splatter screen is also much more budget-friendly than having to buy a lid.

Depending on the style of splatter screen, it can also double up as a cooling rack for baked goods out of the oven, or as a strainer for straining pasta and noodles. A splatter screen also makes a useful burger or hotdog bun warmer!

Size and Shape of The Splatter Screen

Most splatter screens are circular as the majority of cookware is also circular. If you have a square skillet, or even an electric skillet, you may want to consider investing in a square splatter screen as this will often be more stable than using a round screen on a square skillet.

Splatter screens are generally flat, to take up less storage space, but if you have a shallower fry pan or regularly cook thicker foods then a domed splatter screen can be more useful for preventing grease splatter.

Before buying a splatter screen, identify exactly which pans or skillets you will want to use it for. Although most splatter guards are designed to be universal, there is no need to buy a 13" splatter screen if you will only be using it on a 10" fry pan.

A splatter screen should fit to the edge of a pan without overhanging much. A large screen on a smaller pan can be unstable, with more of a risk of it being knocked off, or even falling off during cooking. If the splatter screen overhangs too much at the edge of the pan there is also more risk of it being scorched or burnt around the edges especially if you use a gas cooktop and are cooking over higher heat.

If a splatter screen is too small to reach the edge of the pan, it will not stop grease from escaping.

If you do need a splatter screen to fit different sizes of cookware, then choosing a set of different sized splatter screens, or a screen that is ridged for it to sit on different sized pans may be more useful than just one large screen.

There are also types of splatter guards that fit around a pan on the cooktop, or some which are a collar-design made to fit inside the pan or skillet. These are often much more expensive and lack the versatility of a traditional splatter screen.

Splatter Screen Materials

Many splatter screens are made from stainless steel which is finely woven to reduce the amount of grease escaping. Some mesh is very finely woven to prevent more grease from escaping; however if it is very fine, it can also be prone to clogging up with grease faster.

Wire mesh is made in one of two ways, either welded or woven. For splatter screens, the wire mesh is usually woven. Woven wire mesh is made in a similar way to woven cloth, in which wires are woven under and over perpendicular wires. This basic type of mesh is known as plain weave mesh. If the wires are woven over and under two perpendicular wires, this will give a twill weave mesh. This type of mesh is more flexible than a plain weave mesh.

Some mesh splatter screens may also be reinforced with a steel frame to help them stay in shape and keep them more stable when using.

The other main stainless steel splatter screen design is sheet stainless steel that is perforated. This type of design can keep more grease in the pan, but it can also prevent as much steam from escaping.

Stainless steel tolerates high heat cooking well and, in some cases, a stainless steel splatter screen may also be suitable for using in the oven up to a specific temperature. Good quality stainless steel is also rust proof and often safe for cleaning in the dishwasher.

Some splatter screens may be made from aluminum mesh instead of stainless steel, and if you do prefer aluminum, look for one that has a stay cool handle otherwise you will not be able to touch it without using an oven mitt.

Some splatter screens are manufactured from silicone. Although these will not tolerate higher temperatures as much as stainless steel can, silicone is easy to clean in the dishwasher.

Silicone screens are also similar in design to a perforated sheet stainless steel splatter screen, containing fewer and larger holes than a mesh screen. This means a silicone screen can allow condensation to build up during cooking and you will usually need to lift it to check on your food as you will not be able to see through a silicone screen as you would be able to with a stainless steel mesh design.

Handle Design

A splatter screen usually has a handle to make it easy to remove if you need to turn your steak or stir your sauce. Although longer handles can make the splatter screen safer to handle on the cooktop, it can cause more problems for storage if you prefer to put it the screen away in a kitchen cabinet. Most splatter screens come with a hanging hole or loop though, so you can hang them out of the way.

The handle should always stay cool when using, otherwise you will need to use an oven mitt. Depending on the handle material, the splatter screen may also be oven safe, but do check the instructions from the manufacturer before placing it in the oven.

Splatter screens that have a folding handle are easier to stow away in a cabinet after use.

Some splatter screens utilize a central knob instead of a handle, which can sometimes be more difficult to use due to the steam escaping through the splatter screen. Like handles though, the knob should be made from a cool touch material to reduce the risk of burns.

Splatter Screen Feet

Some screens incorporate resting feet. The aim of these is to keep grease of the countertop when you remove the splatter screen from the pan. Just be aware that the location of feet may occasionally interfere with how well the splatter screen sits on a pan particularly a smaller pan - which is another reason for spending a little time deciding on the most suitable size splatter screen for your cookware.

Cleaning a Splatter Screen

If your splatter screen is dishwasher safe then you may prefer to wash it in this way, although there is a risk that even dishwasher safe stainless steel splatter screens will rust over time. Aluminum splatter screens should never be placed in the dishwasher as the aluminum will quickly discolor and pit due to the salts in the dishwasher detergent.

If your screen is particularly greasy or has burn marks on it, then use a hard bristle brush or scrubbing sponge. To help remove the burn or scorch marks, place some baking soda and then some dish soap to the screen and then use the brush or sponge to scrub the mesh.

Once clean, give the splatter screen a good rinse. If you need to repeat the cleaning step then do so, otherwise allow the screen to dry thoroughly before putting away.

Conclusion

Even though a splatter screen is a simple design, it can make a massive difference to clean up in the kitchen and perhaps even more importantly can reduce the risk of burns from fat splashes when frying. It is also a cost effective way to replace the need for a lid on a pan or skillet.