Paella Pans

why is a paella pan so important?

Paella pans are flat, shallow, wide metal dishes with sloped sides and two ear-shaped handles like the one you can see in the picture. This traditional shape allows the rice to cook evenly, which is essential for cooking an authentic paella recipe properly.

The traditional shape of paella pans maximizes the amount of rice touching the bottom of the pan. This, in turn, allows for an even and rather quick evaporation of the cooking liquids. Both conditions are necessary for cooking an authentic paella. In short, paella pans are designed in a way that keep the rice layer thin. We could say that they allow the rice to cook in extension instead of height. This is one of the essential elements that males paella recipes so different from other rice recipes.

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An extra bonus of paella pans is that they form the socarrat, which means lightly toasted in Catalan. Socarrat is a delicious sweetish brown crust that gently sticks to the bottom of a paella pan when cooking this rice dish. It is easier to get it when cooking paella over an open fire, but with a little bit of practic you can also get socarrat on a paella gas burner or regular kitchen stove. Most paella gourmets love socarrat and I totally agree: It certainly tastes great and I'm sure you'll love it too.

Paella Pan Sizes, Servings And Rice Amount

Paella pans come in different sizes depending on the number of guests. The amount of rice used in a paella determines the diameter of the paella pan you will need.

The minimum diameter of a paella pan should be 7.90" (20 cm) and the sides from 2" (5 cm) to 6" (15 cm) depending on its diameter. Paella pans can be almost as large as you want as long as the proper proportions are kept.

Nowadays there exist paella pans made for hundreds and even thousands of servings that are often used for popular paellas cooked outdoors during town festivals particularly in the Valencian Country. It is quite an amazing experience to see a cook stirring a giant sofregit in a paella pan and the huge amounts of rice and other paella ingredients added to it.

According to standards, which can also vary slightly, each paella is made for a specific amount of rice, although as can be expected, paella pan sizes vary according to the preferences of the cook and her/his particular way of cooking paella.

Buy Paella Pan Guidelines

We have compiled a table that you can find below showing the relationship between the paella pan diameter and the servings. But first we would like to give you some recommendations for the more popular paella pans, because to some people the task of choosing the right paella size may seem daunting.

We have partnered with Amazon as they have the best selection at the lowest prices, they are reputable and their service is top notch.

Paderno World Cuisine 18.5 Inch Polished Carbon Steel Paella Pan - This paella can serve from 9 to 11 servings, although in the buyer reviews there are comments by some paella enthusiasts that have used it for up to 12 guests.

La Paella Carbon Steel Paella Pan, 15-Inch - This 15-inch paella is for 5 to 6 servings, and from this same page you will be able to navigate easily to all the different sizes of authentic paella pans from this same brand, from 8 inches to large paella pans with 26 inches in diameter.

Myson Authentic Spanish Polished Steel Paella Pan, 15-Inch - This is another affordable paella pan for 6 servings that is also made with traditional materials and methods you may want to check.

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