BergKoch 13-Inch Splatter Screen Review: America's Test Kitchen's Top Pick for Under $10
If you've ever fried bacon, seared a chicken thigh, or cooked a pot of tomato sauce and ended up with grease on the backsplash, the stove knobs, and your forearm, a splatter screen is the $10 fix that should have been in your drawer a decade ago. The BergKoch 13-Inch Stainless Steel Splatter Screen is the version America's Test Kitchen named their best traditional pick after systematic testing — and with 43,000-plus Amazon reviews at 4.6 stars, a lot of home cooks agree.
Product Overview
A splatter screen is one of the simplest kitchen tools you can buy: a circular mesh screen with a handle that sits over a skillet or saucepan while the contents cook. The BergKoch 13-inch version uses fine-weave 304 stainless steel mesh — the same alloy grade used in commercial kitchen equipment — that blocks oil droplets and sauce bubbles while letting steam escape.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Material | 304 stainless steel mesh |
| Diameter | 13 inches (fits up to 12" pans) |
| Handle | Solid stainless, heat-resistant |
| Resting feet | 4 feet (greasy side off counter) |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes |
| Price | ~$9.99 |
| Available sizes | 9.5", 11.5", 13", 15", and 3-pack sets |
The 13-inch diameter is the most versatile size, fitting comfortably over a 10- or 12-inch skillet with a small overhang. BergKoch also sells a 9.5-inch version for smaller skillets, an 11.5-inch for medium-sized pans, and a 15-inch version for larger pots. A set of three (9.5", 11.5", and 13") is sold under a different ASIN if you want full coverage across your cookware collection.
The handle is a single piece of stainless steel rod with no silicone or rubber grip. Four small feet protrude from the rim so that when you set the screen down, the mesh side stays off the counter — a thoughtful detail that keeps your countertop cleaner.
Performance & Real-World Use
America's Test Kitchen ran the BergKoch through a thorough protocol: frying bacon in a 12-inch skillet lined with kraft paper to measure how much grease escaped the perimeter, simmering pasta sauce, and searing chicken thighs. The BergKoch "did an excellent job at containing splatter during all of our cooking tests" and "sat flush against cookware throughout testing." In their dishwasher durability testing, it held up fine through 10 complete cycles.
The key to how it works is the mesh density. Fine-weave stainless steel traps grease droplets by surface tension and gravity, while the open weave prevents steam pressure from building up inside the pan — the mechanism that makes food steam-soggy instead of crispy. A perforated metal screen (like some competitors) blocks larger droplets but lets smaller mist through; a fine-mesh stainless screen blocks both.
In everyday cooking, the BergKoch works exactly as advertised for high-splatter tasks: bacon, shallow-fried chicken, pork chops, and bubbling tomato sauce. You do still have to wipe down the mesh after use, but the amount of grease that reaches your stovetop is dramatically reduced. For sauces, it also doubles as a steam-venting lid — you get a reduced simmer without full steam loss.
Two practical limitations worth knowing before you buy: while the screen is in place, seeing what your food looks like is difficult. The mesh dims your view of color and texture changes in the pan below. You have to lift the screen to check browning, which defeats the purpose briefly. The second issue is that smoke and steam concentrate around the screen's rim where it meets the pan edge rather than dispersing evenly, so a smoky kitchen doesn't become entirely smoke-free.
- Confirmed effective splatter containment in America's Test Kitchen independent testing
- Fine 304 stainless steel mesh captures oil mist that perforated metal screens miss
- Sits flush and stable on most 10–12" skillets without rocking or slipping off
- Four resting feet keep the greasy side off your counter between flips
- Dishwasher safe and confirmed to hold up through multiple cycles
- Under $10 — one of the best value-to-utility ratios in the kitchen
- Multiple size options available for smaller pans or larger pots
- The handle is bare stainless steel and gets hot — you'll want a dry towel nearby to set it down safely
- Monitoring food through the mesh is difficult; you lose visual cues on browning and color
- Does not eliminate smoke; smoke concentrates at the rim where screen meets pan edge
- Some oil residue clings to the mesh, requiring a few extra seconds of scrubbing or a dedicated dishwasher run
- BestReviews flagged that heat can cause the handle to warp over time with heavy use
- Doesn't work as a full lid — won't retain heat or moisture for braising
The BergKoch 13-Inch Splatter Screen does the one thing it promises — keeps grease off your stovetop and body — at a price that makes hesitation hard to justify. America's Test Kitchen named it the best traditional splatter screen after independent testing, and nearly 43,000 Amazon reviewers at 4.6 stars have reached the same conclusion. Its only real limitations are the bare metal handle that gets hot and the mesh that obscures the pan view; neither is surprising at this price point or for this product category. Buy the 13-inch for a 10–12" skillet or the full three-pack if you cook across multiple pan sizes.
