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Valencian families have preserved paella for generations as one of Spain’s most popular national dishes. This delectable blend of rich tastes and textures, on the other hand, has quickly become a worldwide favorite. The perfect meal for any occasion is a hearty rice casserole packed with vegetables, meat or seafood, herbs and spices, and yellow saffron.
You’ll need a suitable solid paella pan to create really authentic Spanish paella.
Our Top Pick for the Best Paella Pan
The La Paella Garcima Stainless Steel Paella Pan is our top recommendation for the best paella pan. The La Paella Garcima paella pan will have you cooking Spain’s national dish like a pro whether your cooking interest is to rustle up a rich, hearty, spicy paella for family and friends or you’re a novice to the delights of Spanish cuisine.
Paella is a dish that requires a high-quality stainless steel pan. This pan is ideal for making paella. It has been designed specifically to cook paella the authentic Spanish manner, with just the right features. The gleaming stainless steel finish will brighten up any family meal or celebration, in addition to its excellent cooking functionality.
How to Choose the Best Paella Pan
Size
Before you purchase a paella pan, think about how many people will be eating paella. Do you need a bigger pan to host a spicy meal or cook up a new dish for visitors at your next supper party, or will it be for one, two, four people? Paella pans come in a variety of sizes, from 8 to 32 or 35 inches in diameter.
You must also take into account the depth of the pan, in addition to its diameter.
Rice, as well as other ingredients like chicken, shrimp, fish, mussels, clams, and Chorizo sausage, may be cooked in the pan’s depth. Some companies, like as Magefesa, make their paella pans with a rather large depth of 5.5 inches, while others like La Paella manufacture them with a 2-inch depth. Here’s a guide that’ll help you choose between the various paella pan sizes:
The La Paella website provided the sizes for the Paella Pan.
Construction
The pan is everything when it comes to making traditional paella the true Spanish/Valencian way. They also serve paella in the paella (paellera) pan in Spain, and they don’t just cook it. It has a broad base and a shallow depth, with sloping sides and two loop handles that are fastened securely to the rim. In addition to its distinctive form (big and round), it features a wide base and two secure rivets on opposite sides.
Carbon-steel (polished carbon steel and enamelled steel), stainless steel, cast iron, and even copper are used to make paella pans of various types. Cast iron is a strong material, but it can be quite weighty. Paella pans aren’t the best material for making and serving paella since they’re intended to be a serving dish or eat-in-the pan at your table. Carbon steel, stainless steel, and lovely copper are the most common materials.
– Carbon Steel
Professional chefs and Spanish home cooks utilize a carbon steel paella pan, which is made from a traditional paella pan. Its superb cooking performance, as well as its even heating distribution and non-stick finish, make it very popular.
The carbon steel performs exceedingly well, since it allows a natural patina to form from the pan’s ingredients’ interaction, resulting in a thin coating on the steel that adds a special touch to the paella.
A good carbon steel pan, such as the Virtus Spanish Paella Pan, will have a dimpled surface that creates a certain texture and allows any liquid to evaporate quickly, giving you that crunchy, crisp piece-de-resistance in authentic Spanish paella.
You may use carbon steel paella pans on almost any stovetop, gas hob, in the oven, or grill, and even over an open fire. Induction stovetops, on the other hand, may be inappropriate.
You can cook with carbon steel paella pans on most stovetops, gas hobs, in the oven, and even over an open fire; they are very versatile. Induction stovetops, on the other hand, may be problematic.
Carbon steel has a tradeoff: It needs care. If you don’t take care of it, it may rust because it is a reactive metal. Always keep in mind how to care for your new carbon steel paella pan, as well as the manufacturer’s guidelines, so that it will last for years.
How to season your carbon steel paella pan will be shown in this video.
– Black or Blue Steel
Black or blue steel is a relatively recent kind of steel on the market. The extra special surface-hardening treatment that prevents the pan from rusting and gives it a black or blue color is referred to as the “black” or “blue” reference.
A “black” or “blue” steel pan, like the Matfer Bourgeat 062052 Black Steel Paella Pan, is also stylish, with a polished black finish that adds to the functionality and heat distribution of this kind of paella pan.
When cooking with acidic ingredients, the blue or black finish may fade and become dull in color over time. To ensure that the surface’s appealing color lasts over time, you’ll need to maintain or season it. Your paella will benefit from whichever type of steel you use, since both black and blue steel offer a high level of cooking performance.
– Enameled Steel Paella Pans
Although carbon steel cookware is most often utilized, enameled steel cookware like the Magefesa Enameled On Steel Paella Pan has a black and white speckled enamel finish. Since it makes the pan more sturdy and lengthens its life, enameled steel is a excellent option for a paella pan.
The pan has a naturally non-stick surface, and the enameled surface protects it from rusting. It offers outstanding heat dispersion while also providing tremendous heat durability. Over time, enameled steel might darken, but the pan’s overall cooking performance should not be harmed. The only issue with the enameled surface is that if you drop or bash the pan around, the enamel may chip.
– Stainless Steel Paella Steel
Stainless steel is still the material of choice for many cooks, no matter what type of cookware they have in their kitchen. Because it has a high resistance to rust, the stainless steel paella pan is very similar to a carbon steel one. It’s also fairly simple to maintain.
The La Paella Garcima Paella Pan, for example, has outstanding cooking performance. The pan’s strength and rigidity to hold a large number of heavy ingredients is provided by stainless steel, which also has a highly polished silver finish. Stainless steel isn’t naturally non-stick, which is a downsides. It is also ineffective at transferring heat throughout the pan, like a carbon steel pan, but it does not develop a patina.
– Copper Paella Pans
Start with a copper paella pan if you haven’t yet discovered the old-world charm of copper cookware! It’ll be the center of your kitchen and dining table in no time. Copper lustres the exterior of the paella pan, giving it a rich, lustrous sheen that gleams with brilliance and lends that classic elegance to all of your meals. Copper has excellent heating conductibility characteristics in addition to its stunningly beautiful exterior.
The interior surface will be made of stainless steel or have a conventional tinned interior, similar to the Sertodo Copper Alicante Paella Cooking Pan. You need not be concerned about copper leaching into your food. Copper has a significant downside, in that it necessitates frequent care to preserve its bright appearance. After a few cooking episodes, the bottom might stain.
It’s also not allowed to put in the dishwasher. It is, however, quite simple to clean if you soak it after you have completed cooking and eating the paella.
5 Best Paella Pans – Reviews
1. Matfer Bourgeat 062052 Black Steel Paella Pan
This stunning black steel paella pan from the German company Matfer Bourgeat is an excellent choice if you want to cook paella for four to six people.
Its polished black finish will look appealing at the dining table when you serve your new paella dish to your family or guests, in addition to showcasing the durability of steel that resists chipping, scratching, and peeling while preventing it from rusting.
It weighs 6 ounces and has a diameter of 15.75 inches. While being lighter than cast iron, the heavy-duty steel is thick enough to boil rice. In addition, all of the paella ingredients are contained by the curved sides. The pan can be transported from the stove to the countertop or table with two handles made of extra strong steel that can withstand high temperatures.
The steel construction and hammered bottom of the Matfer Bourgeat paella pan ensures that the heat distributes evenly, ensuring that your meal is cooked to perfection. You can use it on any stovetop, including an induction stove. It’s also simple to maintain.
Seasoning the pan’s surface and Matfer Bourgeat has supplied some instructions on how to season it before you use it in order to keep the non-stick surface.
Pros
- For the money, it is a great value.
- For four to six people, it’s ideal.
- Polished black steel is used to make this object.
- Sturdy handles
- The non-stick quality is excellent.
- Heavy-duty construction
- Chipping, scratching, and peeling are all resistant to it.
- High curved sides
- Even cooking is aided by excellent heat distribution.
- Sturdy handles
- High temperatures may be handled by handles.
- It’s simple to grip, and it’s also light.
- It’s compatible with all types of heat sources.
- It’s simple to clean because it’s porcelain.
Cons
- To keep its non-stick properties, it requires “seasoning.
2. La Paella Garcima Stainless Steel Paella Pan
Purchase the Garcima Paella Pan from La Paella to ensure that you can prepare delicious paella in Spain. This amazing stainless steel beauty pan will make it so simple to prepare traditional paella meals since it is made by Garcima, a family-owned firm from Valencia, Spain.
Four to six people can eat paella made in the sturdy and rigid 16-inch pan. Its bottom is designed with a traditional dimpled shape that prevents oil from pooling on the sides of the pan, and it is made of strong 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. Rice meals are best prepared with a pan that is 2 inches deep.
La Paella has a spectacular mirrored finish and two gold handles, as well as its fantastic cooking ability, and you will definitely want to show it off to family and friends.
It’s safe to use on the stovetop, in the oven, or under the grill because of its high cooking ability and attractive appearance. The pan, on the other hand, will heat up quickly because it is made of a thin single ply metal. It’s not just for cooking rice meals; it’s also ideal for high-heat sauteing. If it’s left alone on a direct flame with no food in it, it’ll overheat.
There is no seasoning or particular cleaning needed for the pan, which is maintenance-free. It also comes with two paella recipes, paella tips, and instructions for caring about your paella.
Paella pans come in a variety of sizes, from 10 to 24 inches in diameter. They also produce paella pans out of enameld steel and an extra-large 26-inch one made of carbon steel with bright red handles.
La Paella has some advice and a video on how to make a perfect paella if you want to learn how to cook it.
Pros
- High quality
- For the money, it’s a great value.
- For four to six people, it’s ideal.
- Authentic
- The ability to cook at high temperatures
- Very good heat distribution
- Stainless steel with a dazzling mirror finish
- The gold handles are really attractive.
- For the stovetop, oven, or grill, it’s safe.
- A typical dimpled bottom
- Maintenance-free
- Easy to clean
Cons
- If thin, single-ply metal is left on an open flame, it can overheat.
- Food particles may adhere to the pan’s surface.
3. Virtus Spanish Paella Pan
Paderno World Cuisine, a Canadian company, produces their range of high-quality cooking and kitchen equipment items from the picturesque Prince Edward Island, the birthplace of Anne of Green Gables. The Virtus Spanish Paella Pan can cook enough paella for a large party of 20 people thanks to its high-cooking performance and measuring 35½ inches in diameter.
Because it is made of polished heavy-gauge carbon steel, the Virtus paella pan is the ideal pan for cooking all types of paella recipes. The pan, on the other hand, gets hot quickly because it is thin metal. To avoid buckling, the pan’s hammered base helps it to expand when heated.
This pan is ideal for authentic Spanish paella because its shallow dimpled surface ensures that any liquid evaporates quickly, resulting in a crisp socarrat rice bottom. Slow cooking is aided by the pan’s low edges. The pan is easy to carry from the stove to your dining table thanks to the dual zinc handles.
The Virtus pan is a very adaptable cooking vessel that may be utilized on the stove, in the oven, and under the grill.
Wash it with hot water and soap to remove any manufacturing residue after you’ve unpacked it. Keep it in good condition so that it will continue to serve up delicious paella. Season it lightly with oil and heat the pan on the stove after it has been thoroughly cleaned.
Give it one more coat of oil after wiping it down with a cloth. After each use, repeat the process. The pan will also be prevented from rusting using this simple technique.
A one-year limited warranty protects the pan.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Great value for money
- Polished heavy-gauge carbon blue steel was used to make it.
- Solid construction
- The cooking performance is excellent.
- Hammered base prevents any buckling
- Very good heat distribution
- Heats up quickly
- A crisp base is created by the dimpled shallow surface.
- Sturdy zinc handles
- Stovetop (induction included), oven, and under the grill are all options for using it.
- It’s simple to clean because it’s made of 100% silicone.
Cons
- It’s not safe to use a dishwasher with this product.
- When an open flame is present, handles may heat up.
- To avoid rusting, it requires occasional upkeep.
4. Magefesa Enameled On Steel Paella Pan
A good and solid paella pan, produced in Spain, the origins of paella, is required for a truly authentic version. For a big family supper or a party, the 18-inch Magefesa paella pan is the ideal size for cooking up a storm in your kitchen. It is capable of holding up to 30 or 40 people and has a 5.5-inch depth. It’s also available for a really good price.
It has a strong and sturdy structure because it is constructed of carbon steel. Because of the black and white speckled enamel’s extra-long-lasting finish, it is easier to keep clean. It’s also extremely rust-resistant.
As long as the temperatures do not surpass 400° and even induction stoves, the Magefesa paella pan is extremely adaptable. You may use it on an outdoor wood firewood stove, indoor stovetops, and ovens. The steel will not lose its shape, and it has a high level of durability. It’s also capable of forming a fantastic paella bottom crust because to its excellent heating distribution.
It has a nice black shine and is also lightweight to transport with dual sturdy handles, so you’ll want to exhibit it off at the dinner table.
It’s suggested that you only utilize silicone and wood utensils to keep your Magefesa paella pan, and check out the Magefesa website to study how to preserve it and create new recipes. It comes with a two-year guarantee. From 8 inches up to a 36-inch pan, Magefesa offers a variety of paella pans.
Pros
- Great price
- Very good quality
- For 30 to 40 people, this is ideal.
- Made in Spain
- Solid carbon steel is used in the construction.
- The enameled surface offers excellent rust resistance.
- The black and white speckle on the surface is very attractive.
- High heat durability
- Excellent heat transfer throughout the body
- The surface of the plates is made out of natural non-stick material.
- Extra 5.5-inches depth
- Sturdy handles
- Induction compatible, gas and wood stove
- It is simple to maintain and clean.
Cons
- If you don’t keep it maintained, it may rust.
- To keep it non-stick, you’ll need to season it.
- Silicone and wood utensils are the preferred.
- Ceramic stoves should not be used with this product.
5. Sertodo Copper Alicante Paella Cooking Pan
This stunning artisan copper paella pan from Sertodo Alicante is a great way to enjoy the look of copper. This paella pan is made of the finest high-quality heavy 14-gauge hammered pure copper, which comes from recycled materials and has been lovingly made by world-class international artisans.
Since the heat is able to spread throughout the pan, giving your cuisine sufficient time to cook evenly, the old hot-tinned interior will reward you with a better degree of cooking. There is no lead in the copper or tin, despite the fact that the exterior and interior are constructed from recycled materials.
Its gorgeous copper exterior with a subtle shine will bring a little bit of old-world charm to your kitchen, while delighting your guests. It’s also a fantastic choice for all your paella dishes. This 15-inch diameter pan has a 2-inch depth and is ideal for making medium-sized paella. It can hold enough food for up to six or eight people because of its ingenious design.
While you cook up a delicious paella for your family and guests, the stainless steel handles’ low conductivity helps them stay cool and easier to handle. You can cook a variety of dishes in this versatile pan, such as crepes for breakfast, sauces, and whatever you like. You may use it on the stovetop or in the oven.
The Sertodo Copper paella pan is fuss-free to use. This non-seasoned pan, like carbon steel, requires no seasoning prior to use for the first time. Before using your copper paella pan for the first time, wash it with soapy water, as instructed by the manufacturer. To prevent damage, only use wood or plastic cooking spoons. Always wash your hands before and after handling money.
The maintenance-free Sertodo Copper Alicante paella pan is a good option. This user-friendly pan does not need seasoning before use, unlike carbon steel. Before using your copper paella pan for the first time, clean it with soap water, as instructed by the manufacturer. To avoid scratching the surface, use wooden or plastic cooking spoons. Always use a hand wash when you clean.
Other paella pan sizes include tiny (12-inch) and big (18-inch). Sertodo Copper offers them.
Pros
- Top-quality
- For the money, this is a fantastic purchase.
- Hammered 100% pure copper was used to make it.
- Traditional hot-tinned interior
- Lead-free recycled materials
- Sturdy
- Up to eight people can dine at a medium-sized pan.
- 2-inches depth
- Heat conductivity is handled at low temperatures.
- Exquisitely beautiful copper finish
- Cooks evenly and effectively distributes heat
- High cooking versatility
- It’s not safe to cook with on the stove or in the oven.
- It requires very little upkeep
Cons
- Expensive
Our Top Pick for the Best Paella Pan
The La Paella Garcima Stainless Steel Paella Pan is our top recommendation for the best paella pan. The La Paella Garcima paella pan will have you cooking Spain’s national dish like a pro whether your cooking interest is in rustling up a rich, hearty, spicy paella for family and friends or if you’re a newcomer to the delights of Spanish food.
Paella cooking requires a high-quality stainless steel paella pan, which this one has. It was designed specifically to cook paella the traditional Spanish way, and it has the appropriate features. The reflective stainless steel finish will illuminate any family meal or celebration, in addition to its excellent cooking performance.