Topic: Paella pan help please

[Mrs Ava]

Dear cooking fans  ;)

My sis and her hubby would like a paella pan for Christmas.  Oh boy there are lots out there!  I have never cooked proper paella, and don't own a proper paella pan.  And, I have never been to Spain, or seen anyone cook paella apart from on TV shows.  So, I would like some advice please.  Best material?  (polished steel, enamel, non stick etc).  Best make?  (or does that not matter if the pan is well made?) I guess that is it really.  I would look at spending around £40 - I have seen some for £80, and as much as I love her, we tend to spend less on each other now and more on the children.

Many thanks in advance for this tap on your knowledge and experience.  ;D

[supersprout]

lucky sis! 8)
Depends what her stove will be ::) and I suppose how much storage room she has, and how many she's going to cook paella for on a regular basis
the 'real' paella is cooked on an open wood fire, so the traditional iron/steel pan would be better, and it wouldn't need a lid.
The trub with cooking paella on a domestic stove is narrow heat source combined with wide shallow cooking vessel. Even with a deflector, I always found bits sticking in the middle of my (non stick) paella pan when using gas or electric heat. I suspect that good quality non stick with a heavy base and lid would be ideal, but probably in the upper end of your price range :P
If the paella pan will fit in the oven, it would be great for Spanish omelettes and roasties too, in which case she'd want heatproof handles too
Some come with lids, some without - I found a lid really useful.
Happy googling!

[tim]

You surprise me, Sarah. Without knowledge, I would have said that a good diffuser would have saved anything from burning/sticking. And isn't most of the cooking done at a very low heat?

And Emma - a dilemma!! If one is going to spend, say, £40 on a pressie, & it's not going to be stick-resistant/non-stick, it's going to have a limited use, so could one not squeeze a bit more for a more widely usable item ? How often does one do a Paella?

First, I reckon that one makes as good a dish in a frypan with long handle as a 'Paella' pan without? Let's not be picky? You just want a wide, shallow pan?
Second, I like at least 32cm.
Third, Scott & Sergeant do an SKK pan (long handle) for £58. (And a smashing stainless one for £100!!) David Mellor do a 24cm 'sauté' one for £19.

So - grit your teeth??

[Mrs Ava]

I know one doesn't knock up a paella all that often, but it is something they would like and have asked for.  I have seen some smashing enamelled ones that are rather tempting.  I really can't stretch the budget, the budget is up to it's limit and I haven't even had a chance to chat with Santa about my own two!

Thanks for your thoughts - I shall browse.

[Doris_Pinks]

EJ, Mine came from Spain, from a cheapo supermarket and I love it! Tis of the non stick variety, cos paella if you are not keeping your beady eye on it, can stick like a bu**er!! ;D

[tricia]

EJ - take a look here. Reasonable prices and only a fiver for P&P.

http://www.eatpaella.co.uk/enamelled_pans.asp

Tricia

[supersprout]

what a great link! thank you :P :D

[tim]

Amazing prices! And generous sizes.

Sorely tempted, but where would we put it? So little storage.

[tricia]

In the shed? - where I store mine ;D ;D

Tricia

[Mrs Ava]

FAB!  Thanks Tricia!  Sorted

[tim]

So right, Tricia. And then I forget what's in the shed. Like we have Baked Beans & Tonic Water &..........!!

Just in case I succumb - would the enamel ones have a truly flat base? If not, they would stick in spots on the AGA.  Do let me know, Emma, when you get it?

[buxton diggers]

You can generally get them in French supermarkets for less than a tenner: that's where mine came from. It is mostly used over all four gas burners, on the hob, to make a huge fry up in one pan! NB feeds about twenty...

[Biscombe]

I'm in Spain! If you get no joy I'll send you one, Want me to price round?? Only problem the postage here is pricey.

[Biscombe]

Nother idea, send me something same price??