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Looking for a 10 in omlette pan

post #1 of 5
3/9/10 at 4:34pm
Thread Starter 
Much to my embarrassment I was preparing an omelet for a house guest and it insisted on sticking, and I mean sticking in the pan.  No excuse, I knew the pan was shot.  Time for a new one.    Non-stick teflon doesn't seem to last very long and invariably it will take some abuse around this house shortening its life even further.  My question is:  would I be better off just going to a restaurant supply house and getting an inexpensive teflon pan figuring it will be replaced on a relatively frequent basis OR is there an alternative that might cost a bit more but last a great deal longer?  The idea of spending All clad prices for a pan that will only last a year or so is not appealing.

Thanks,
Rich
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post #2 of 5
3/9/10 at 6:28pm
The alternative doesn't cost any more, but is a bit of a bear to maintain and is carbon steel.  It needs to be cured and kept in much the same way as cast iron.  It is, however, the ideal material for omelette pans to the point where anything else is much, much less.

My two favorites brands are Vollrath and Matfer, but there are others which are plenty good for the purpose -- far better than any manufactured non-stick surface and far better than All Clad as well.

BDL
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post #3 of 5
3/9/10 at 6:32pm
A couple of years ago I bought this set http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=&SKU=14506683&RN=2285 at BB&B and it's lasted through a lot of use.  The 10-inch skillet is used about five days a week, sometimes more than once a day.  Clean up is easy, and the cooking surface looks almost new.  The skillet goes in the oven, is used for omelets and frittatas, stir fry and sauté, and my cat sometimes sits in it.  While it's used hard, it's treated carefully - no metal utensils are used, it doesn't go in the dishwasher, sponges are not really abrassive.

The down side is that I'd prefer a slightly greater slope to the sides, more along the lines of my French carbon steel pan which I use for serious omelet making, but another pan, highly recommended by the esteemed <LOL> Cook's Illustrated team of expert testers, has even straighter sides and is not as good in the oven, and cost even more than one of the pans in this set (2 for $49.00).

It's possible that you can get a better non-stick skillet, but this set is a fine value and it has outlasted numerous other non-stick skillets I've owned.  Afriend has a more expensive Calphalon non-stick, and mine is in better shape than hers  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=104352&RN=2285, although hers is a bit thicker and heavier, which depending on how you cook and your preferences, may be a plus. I like these skillets enough that, since BB&B has 'em available again at the same price I paid two years ago, I may just go ahead and buy another set the next time I'm at the store.
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post #4 of 5
3/9/10 at 6:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boar_d_laze View Post

The alternative doesn't cost any more, but is a bit of a bear to maintain and is carbon steel.  It needs to be cured and kept in much the same way as cast iron.  It is, however, the ideal material for omelette pans to the point where anything else is much, much less.

My two favorites brands are Vollrath and Matfer, but there are others which are plenty good for the purpose -- far better than any manufactured non-stick surface and far better than All Clad as well.

BDL
 


Bingo!  I love my Matfer ... it's a joy for making omelets and scrambled eggs.  I only use mine for eggs.
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post #5 of 5
3/10/10 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
Many years ago I had a high carbon steel omelete pan that I carefully seasoned and I loved it.  Somewhere along the line the rascal disappeared.    I had no idea they were actually still available and not simply gone the way of the buggy whip.  I see Amazon has a Vollrath which I'll order today.  The only concern I have is that the slope from the bottom to the sides looks a bit abrupt and might make flipping a little tricky.  We'll see.

Thanks,

Rich
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