# What is a good paella pan/what makes a good paella pan?



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

What is a good paella pan/what makes a good paella pan?

Im thinking something I can use on the grill and on the stove. And I usually cook for about 10 people (even if its just me eating)


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

*Paella!* I got my paellera a few days ago from Amazon:bounce: I seasoned it as soon as the box was open...I just couldn't wait.

Paella thread

Another Paella thread

have fun!
dan


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Looks like you got the last one, they are sold out now.

How did you season it?


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

I bought an 18" paella pan, it's really too big for our family right now (the little ones don't eat a large amount). Depending on how many people your cooking for...you can easily get away with a smaller one.

When I looked for mine I tried following some of the advice that I had been given, BDL was a big help (surprise ). I was looking for a dimpled carbon steel paella. You could try looking for one of the other sizes, Myson products at Amazon.

When seasoning the pan I followed the manufacturers instructions.

Myson Products

I'm sure there are several other capable Paella pans, this just happens to be the one that I went with.

dan


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I think I might go with the monster 22":
Amazon.com: Myson Authentic Spanish Polished Steel Paella Pan, 22 Inch: Home & Garden

Whats the deal with the dimples?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

22" is way too big unless you have a dedicated tripod and gas-fired paella ring, or unless it's a dedicated "outdoors" pan. It won't fit on a home stove top -- or in a home oven.

The 34cm to 38cm (13" - 15") is the right size range for a beginner. Take a look at these, The Spanish Table: Carbon Steel Paella Pans The prices are right, but I don't know what their shipping policy is.

BDL


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Thanks! Will check that out.

<---- gets out his calculator to do (1/2 * diameter)^2 * pi

What are the dimples for? So the rice does stick/burn?


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## lbiguard (Jun 10, 2009)

I have been lurking on the forum for a little while, and wanted to share with you a paella pan I just got. I went for the 17" which is fine for 8 good eaters and would probably serve 10. I did have to finish my batch in the oven because the size of the electric burner did not heat the pan evenly out ot the edges. 
I got my pan from Latienda.com 

according to the site, the dimples are for even heat distribution.

My pan after the first use took on a nice color and it looks great on the table.

The shipping was fast and well packaged.

Goodluck


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I'd love to hear La Tienda's explanation on how dimpled metal conducts heat more evenly than smooth. That would be an interesting bit of thermodynamics. 

In truth, the dimples add a little rigidity and make the pans a little less susceptible to warping. Probably more than anything else, they're an artifact of tradition going back to a time, not long ago, when paellera were hand hammed. Carbon paellera pans are almost always dimpled, stainless pans less so -- yet carbon steel is a better conductor than stainless.

Tradition: A (very) long time ago, I worked (pretty much a summer job during college) with a couple of guys who designed "heart-lung" machines and other esoteric medical equipment and processes. We finished kludging a prototype together that worked pretty well, and sent it off to the machinist. The design was picked up by a medical manufacturer and hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of copies were made. We'd used a no. 8 can in the original prototype to hold a roll of membrane for the oxygenation process -- which is why every copy ever made from then on (10 years, maybe more) had concentric rings (just like the bottom of every can) on the bottom of the chamber. 

File under FWIW and/or Believe It or Nutz.

BDL


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## lbiguard (Jun 10, 2009)

I understand what you are saying about the dimples, I just was passing along what I read from the website. You have to love google...
*Why are there dimples in my pan?*
_Good question. The dimples serve several functions. They trap small amounts of liquid and thus promote even cooking, they make the pan rigid, and they prevent warping. They're also a nostalgic reminder of the days when paella pans were hand hammered. Some people claim that the dimples keep the rice from sticking to the pan, but I'm (Sarah Jay) not convinced. For one thing, rice sticking to the bottom of the pan is not something you want to avoid, since it helps foster one of the most succulent and seductive aspects of paella, something called socarrat._

From everything I have read so far BDL-you are right on again.

Have a good afternoon


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## crema (Mar 18, 2007)

another source: hotpaella.com


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Thanks!

This looks like a good one, and good size:
Restaurant Grade 'Pata Negra' Paella Pan - 16 inch/ 40 cm - PS440 - Spanish Food and Paella Pans from HotPaella.com


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Somewhere I read that dimples aka hand hammering makes the metal (or layers of metal) more dense as the layers "come together", thus improving heat transferrance.  Hmmm, imho dimples are/were a simple consequence of hand hammering.


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## andybbq (Jan 12, 2014)

Paella pan is only part of the equation.

Your choice of paella pan must be met with a heat source that covers the diameter of that pan.

The best way to finish a paella, in my experience is in the oven, that said, the largest paella pan you can work with will be determined by the size of your oven.

If you must use a paella pan larger than your oven, the Weber kettle grill 22" diameter can also work as a heat source however it may be difficult to control, gas is alot easier.

For my 22" paella pan I cut off an 8" (20cm) top of a steel drum to make a spacer and wind shield for the burner and was able to properly finish my paella using aluminum foil to cover the paella and steam the seafood.

Lately though I have made paellas in an enameled cast iron dutch oven with great success.


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## tommymick (Oct 8, 2013)

Abe Froman?  The sausage king of Chicago???


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