You’ve probably seen paella pans before: a paella pan is basically a large, round, shallow pan with slanting sides that curl a bit around the edge, and with two curved handles set symmetrically opposite each other. Pretty simple, however, there is a bit more to paella pans than meets the eye, because technology, even for this “simple” pan, plays an important role.

Paella pans are designed to transmit heat rapidly and cool off quickly when the heat is off, and the kind of metal they’re made of plays a crucial role to achieve this.

The size of the paella is an important factor, too. It is worth noting that the depth of the finished dish shouldn’t be more than one to one and a half inches, and therefore the size of the paella pan you use will depend on the number of people that will eat it.

The word paella refers to not just the dish, but also the pan it’s cooked in—in fact, the dish takes its name from the pan—. So from now on, I’ll refer to it as the paella pan or simply as the paella.

The most traditional kind of paella, the one I could assure you with a high degree of certainty every Valencian kitchen has, is the polished, carbon steel paella pan. I own a few of these, in different sizes, and they’re by far my favorite. What I like most about this kind of pan is that, with use, they develop a patina, due to a reaction of the metal with certain ingredients, that gives the rice a distinctive flavor, very appreciated by the locals.

Unlike what it might seem at first sight, this pan is not completely flat, but slightly concave at the bottom. To help the pan maintain this shape, the whole bottom of the pan is pricked with small dimples. My stove has a ceramic top, which is completely flat, and therefore I use this kind of pan mostly outdoors or on the grill, but if you have a gas stove, you’ll have no problem using this kind of pan.

Because of the material it is made of, this kind of paella pan has a tendency to oxidize, and therefore requires some extra care after each use, as well as an initial priming after purchase. If you decide to purchase this kind of paella, before the first use you’ll have to fill it with soapy water and a spoonful of salt and boil the liquid for a few minutes. After rinsing and drying it well, pour a few drops of olive oil and, with a paper towel, coat the inner bottom and sides of the pan with a thin layer—if you poured a bit too much oil, use another paper towel to remove the excess. After each use after that, and for the lifespan of the pan, clean it by hand like you’d do any other pan, dry well with a cloth, and prime with oil the same way, coating with a very thin layer, before storing the pan. This process, which seems a bit cumbersome at first, will become part of the paella making process in no time, and you’ll do it without even thinking.

There’s another kind of paella pan, probably as traditional as the carbon steel one, that is easier to maintain: the enameled steel paella pan. The upside of this kind of pan is that it doesn’t need to be primed; the downside is that it is somewhat more fragile, and if a bit of enamel chips due to banging, you’ll have to oil that section of the pan after each subsequent use. I own a few of these paella pans, in different sizes, and have to admit that I use them very often, because unlike the carbon steel pans, these ones don’t have a concave bottom, and I can therefore use them on my ceramic stove.

A fancier kind of paella pan is the stainless steel paella pan. These are beautiful pans, that do not need to be oiled between uses, but are more expensive than the traditional steel pans. Also, they do not develop a patina with each use, so you lose some of the characteristic flavor you get with the carbon steel paellas.

Lately I’ve seen cast iron paella pans, as well as non-stick ones. I do not recommend these, as the cast iron pans make it difficult to control the heat (they retain if longer), and the non-stick pans don’t allow for the scraping of the bottom, where the socarrat (the crust that forms on the bottom of the pan when cooking paella, and a favorite of paella connaisseurs) forms.

Something else to take into consideration is that, if you don’t have a paella pan and don’t want to purchase one, but still want to make paella, it is preferable that you use two large skillets than one large pot—a layer of rice that is too thick will not be able to absorb all the juiciness of the sofrito that lies in the bottom.

Lastly, in terms of SIZE, the following is a good guide:

13-inch pan for 4 people

15-inch pan for 6 people

18-inch pan for 8 people

 

These are the paella pans I use:

Garcima 26-inch (65 cm) carbon steel paella pan  A relatively large paella pan too large for my stove, I use this pan when cooking outdoors. It will feed 12 to 20 people depending on the serving size

Garcima 18-inch (46 cm) carbon steel paella pan  This is the largest paella pan I use on the stove, staggered over two burners

Garcima 16-inch carbon steel paella pan 

Fagor 15-inch enameled steel paella pan This is my go-to pan for everyday paella cooking on the stove

Garcima 13-inch (32 cm) enameled steed paella pan This pan is the right size for my stove largest burner. It feeds about 4 people, but we’re usually more, so I don’t use it very often. However, it would be perfect for a small family, or for practicing your paella making 😉

 

 

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