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

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

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

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

My new pan

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

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

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

another source: hotpaella.com