Straight to the Level
The perfect tamagoyaki pan is from Techef. Spreading and rolling the omelet was simple, as was cleanup. Plus, it’s lower than $30. We additionally appreciated the Lisos tamagoyaki pan, which sported a sturdy, balanced deal with.
I first encountered tamagoyaki about 5 years in the past. I used to be working my means by Masaharu Morimoto’s cookbook, Mastering the Artwork of Japanese Residence Cooking, and began with tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelet)—I figured it could be simple. I purchased an oblong pan and received cooking, solely to finish up with a matted heap of egg. Whereas it tasted good (tamagoyaki have a mild sweetness from mirin and umami from soy sauce and dashi), it took dozens of tries to lastly get a semi-perfectly rolled, layered omelet.
All this to say, whereas sushi masters spend years perfecting tamagoyaki, you CAN make a good iteration at residence. Step one to doing so is shopping for a tamagoyaki pan. I received some tips about what to search for in a tamagoyaki pan from Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef who used to make dashi maki (a.okay.a tamagoyaki with dashi) each day. After that, I rolled dozens of omelets with six pans to search out three strong choices for residence cooks.
The Winners, at a Look
This nonstick pan makes it simple to roll delicate tamagoyaki at residence. The deal with was securely hooked up, and it had an inclined lip to assist slide the completed omelet onto a plate.
This pan had a balanced deal with that facilitated spreading the crushed egg combination. It additionally sported an inclined lip, making it simple to take away the omelet.
This small, rectangular pan produced neat tamagoyaki, and I just like the included silicone scraper, which helped fold every layer.
The Assessments
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
- Seasoning Check: I seasoned the cast iron and copper pan earlier than utilizing them.
- Tamagoyaki Check: I made this tamagoyaki recipe utilizing every pan, noting how simple it was to make use of and what the ultimate outcome was like. I additionally hand-washed every pan after use.
- Sturdiness Check (Winners Solely): I used one of the best tamagoyaki pans to make 5 tamagoyaki in a row, noting if the pan sustained any injury or warping from frequent heating and cooling, and from rolling the omelets. I used the dishwasher to scrub relevant pans and hand-washed the remainder.
What Is Tamagoyaki?
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Tamagoyaki happened within the Nineteen Fifties in Japan as a method to encourage the inhabitants to eat extra protein. At this time, along with being a bento box staple, this ethereal rolled omelet can be served in sushi eating places, the place it’s thought to indicate how proficient the chef is. In its simplest type, tamagoyaki is a rolled omelet that’s made by pouring a skinny layer of blended egg into an oblong pan, then utilizing a spatula or chopsticks to fold the egg layer. This little roll is pushed to the sting of the pan, lifted, and one other layer of egg is poured, then the primary layer is wrapped by this second layer. This continues 4 instances, leading to a layered, wrapped omelet that’s served in slices to point out off its striations.
Whereas that’s the overall thought, tamagoyaki can are available numerous shapes, sizes, and flavorings. “There are a number of variations of tamagoyaki like Tokyo (candy), Kyoto (savory and juicier) type, in addition to grilled eel rolled inside,” says Saito. Whereas there are additionally thicker choices like datemaki, or skinny shredded omelets like kinshi tamago, for my assessment of the pans, I centered on making home-style omelets flavored with mirin, soy sauce, and dashi.
What We Discovered
Nonstick Tamagoyaki Pans Are Finest for Newbies
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Whereas skilled cooks could use copper tamagoyaki pans, Saito suggests nonstick skillets for residence cooks and/or inexperienced persons as a result of they’re simpler to make use of. “Nonstick pans are simple for everybody, and there’s much less likelihood of constructing errors,” he says. That mentioned, the outcomes from a copper pan will differ barely from tamagoyaki made in nonstick or cast iron.
“Copper pans have improbable thermal conductivity, so that they make the omelet actually fluffy whereas holding the juiciness inside,” Saito says. “I discover tamagoyaki cooked in nonstick and iron are just a little drier and tougher in comparison with one cooked in a copper pan, which looks like child’s cheek.”
Copper does take just a little extra ability and energy, although, and requires seasoning and upkeep, or else you may find yourself with a pan gunked up with egg. “For skilled cooks, copper is the go-to, however they have to be seasoned and don’t work nicely with induction cooktops,” Saito says.
Whereas nonstick is the best choice for many residence cooks, as we’ve mentioned earlier than, you shouldn’t spend some huge cash on a nonstick skillet, since it is going to break down over time—and the identical is true of tamagoyaki pans. The excellent news: my three favourite pans are all below $30.
A Rectangular Pan With a Slanted Lip Was Simpler to Work With
A lot of the pans I examined have been rectangular—about 5 by seven inches—and made it simple to whip up completely formed tamagoyaki. Bigger pans, just like the copper Tikusan, which is a seven-by-seven-inch sq. with straight sides, have been tougher to make use of and my tamagoyaki ended up extra like a skinny roll than a brick. For those who’re a beginner to creating tamagoyaki, along with on the lookout for an oblong pan, I additionally advocate discovering one with a slanted outer lip to make serving the omelet a cinch.
Utensils Helped
Watching a video of a talented tamagoyaki chef shouldn’t be solely soothing, but additionally spectacular. With a flick of the wrist and a pair of chopsticks they flip sheets of egg into an ideal, layered roll. Whereas that is what I aspire to, I get by with just a little assist from my (utensil) mates. Particularly, this thin metal spatula (I do know, I do know… you are not supposed to make use of steel on a nonstick pan, however I have been doing this for years and have not had a difficulty with it scraping the pan) and a silicone turner spatula; I like to fit the skinny lip of the steel one below the egg to get it rolling, then nudge it together with the comfortable silicone turner to forestall any tearing. Just a few pans I examined, just like the HooJay, got here with a silicone scraper that was fairly helpful when folding every omelet layer.
A Good Deal with Made It Straightforward to Swirl the Egg Combination
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Making tamagoyaki includes pouring a layer of egg into the pan, then utilizing the deal with to swirl it so it coats the underside—so that you need a deal with that’s comfy to grip. I appreciated the Techef deal with, which was elevated sufficient that it stored my hand a secure distance from the burner, but additionally supplied sufficient grip and management to swirl the egg combination. Conversely, I wasn’t an enormous fan of handles that caught up at a extreme angle, like on the Yamasan and copper Tikusan, which made it tough to unfold the eggs.
The Standards: What to Search for in a Tamagoyaki Pan
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
For those who’re new to tamagoyaki (or on the very least, aren’t on the identical stage as a sushi chef), I’d advocate beginning with an inexpensive nonstick pan. It’ll be simple to make use of and clear, and the probabilities of rolling a wonderfully fairly omelet are larger than they’re with a sq. copper skillet. That mentioned, in the event you’re a tamagoyaki professional, you may need to contemplate a copper skillet, which makes airier omelets. Both means, deal with is a should—this makes it simple to unfold the egg combination. A barely slanted lip additionally made it simpler to create layers (it permits you to slip a spatula into the pan) and plate the omelet.
Our Favourite Tamagoyaki Pans
What we appreciated: I liked the compact, rectangular form of this pan, which made it simple to roll and layer tamagoyaki. The nonstick coating labored splendidly and there have been no scratches or injury after use. The deal with is solidly hooked up, well-balanced, and has a divot close to the pan that retains your hand in place.
What we didn’t like: This can be a nonstick pan, which suggests it has a finite lifespan.
Key Specs
- Supplies: Teflon nonstick coating, aluminum
- Weight: 1 pound, 0.8 ounces
- Pan dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 inches
- Deal with size: 6.5 inches
- Induction-friendly: Sure
- Dishwasher-safe: Sure, although we advocate hand-washing nonstick skillets
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
What we appreciated: I appreciated this pan’s sturdy, balanced deal with (with a hook for hanging). Having the ability to confidently grip the deal with helped the method of rolling the egg combination. The omelets emerged gentle and fluffy.
What we didn’t like: The far fringe of the pan is straighter than the others examined, so it requires just a little finagling to take away the omelet from the pan. The wood flipping device did not work.
Key Specs
- Supplies: Aluminum, nonstick coating, chrome steel
- Weight: 14.7 ounces
- Pan dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 inches
- Deal with size: 5.75 inches
- Induction-friendly: Sure
- Dishwasher-safe: NA, so we’d advocate hand-washing (which we do for nonstick pans normally)
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
What we appreciated: The marginally inclined lip helped me slide out completed omelets, and the silicone spatula received the omelet rolling (actually). It comes with a tiny silicone brush for wiping oil on the floor, which is a pleasant contact. It’s the most affordable successful pan by a couple of bucks.
What we didn’t like: The deal with has a deep divot on the underside the place it meets the pan, which is uncomfortable once you’re gripping it. It’s additionally not as balanced/sturdy as our different winners.
Key Specs
- Supplies: Aluminum, nonstick coating, chrome steel
- Weight: 12.4 ounces
- Pan dimensions: 6 x 7 inches
- Deal with size: 6.5 inches
- Induction-friendly: Sure
- Dishwasher-safe: No
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
The Competitors
- Iwachu Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This hefty forged iron pan was fairly sticky, although I believe with time and use it could grow to be extra nonstick. That mentioned, it’s a difficult pan to make use of in the event you’re new to creating tamagoyaki, and Saito says the omelets made in forged iron usually emerge firmer than these made in copper.
- Yamasan Japanese Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This was an expensive pan, which made it all of the extra disappointing when the coating on the inside began to put on off after the primary use.
- TIKUSAN Japanese Tamagoyaki Omelets: Whereas a copper pan could make a lightweight and ethereal rolled omelet, it’s finest utilized by assured tamagoyaki cooks. Plus, this model had a wood deal with that you just needed to affix to the pan by hammering a single, tiny nail into it—therefore, it was very wobbly.
FAQs
What’s tamagoyaki?
Tamagoyaki is an oblong Japanese omelet made by layering skinny sheets of crushed egg. It’s usually flavored with soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, although there are many different iterations.
How are tamagoyaki pans totally different than nonstick skillets?
Tamagoyaki pans are distinctive due to their form: most are rectangular or sq.. This helps create the namesake omelet’s form, and makes it simple to roll up every egg layer. Past that, they’re much like different nonstick skillets by way of longevity and supplies.
What else are you able to make in a tamagoyaki pan?
Something you need to be rectangular—however, severely! If in case you have a nonstick tamagoyaki pan, you should use it to make French toast (the slices will match completely, although you may solely be capable to prepare dinner one or two items at a time), sq. okonomiyaki, or rectangular scallion or kimchi pancakes…the checklist goes on.
What’s the finest materials for a tamagoyaki pan?
Whereas sushi cooks usually use copper tamagoyaki pans, which warmth up rapidly and produce lighter tamagoyaki, nonstick is the best for many residence cooks.
Why We’re the Specialists
- Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Critical Eats; previous to this, she was a opinions editor at America’s Check Kitchen.
- She’s been testing gear for nearly three years.
- She has a tamagoyaki pan that she’s used for about 5 years at this level.
- For this assessment, Grace examined six tamagoyaki pans by making round 21 omelets. She examined the pans for sturdiness, outcomes, and in addition how simple they have been to scrub.
- She additionally interviewed Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef, to get tips about what to search for in a tamagoyaki pan.