The three Finest Tamagoyaki Pans of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

I first encountered tamagoyaki about 5 years in the past. I used to be working my approach by Masaharu Morimoto’s cookbook, Mastering the Artwork of Japanese Residence Cooking, and began with tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelet)—I figured it might be simple. I purchased an oblong pan and bought cooking, solely to finish up with a matted heap of egg. Whereas it tasted good (tamagoyaki have a mild sweetness from mirin and umami from soy sauce and dashi), it took dozens of tries to lastly get a semi-perfectly rolled, layered omelet.  

All this to say, whereas sushi masters spend years perfecting tamagoyaki, you CAN make an honest iteration at dwelling. Step one to doing so is shopping for a tamagoyaki pan. I bought some tips about what to search for in a tamagoyaki pan from Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef who used to make dashi maki (a.ok.a tamagoyaki with dashi) every single day. After that, I rolled dozens of omelets with six pans to seek out three stable choices for dwelling cooks. 

The Winners, at a Look

This nonstick pan makes it simple to roll delicate tamagoyaki at dwelling. The deal with was securely hooked up, and it had an inclined lip to assist slide the completed omelet onto a plate. 

This pan had a balanced deal with that facilitated spreading the crushed egg combination. It additionally sported an inclined lip, making it simple to take away the omelet. 

This small, rectangular pan produced neat tamagoyaki, and I just like the included silicone scraper, which helped fold every layer. 

The Exams

• Seasoning Check: I seasoned the cast iron and copper pan earlier than utilizing them. 
• Tamagoyaki Check: I made this tamagoyaki recipe utilizing every pan, noting how simple it was to make use of and what the ultimate outcome was like. I additionally hand-washed every pan after use. 
• Sturdiness Check (Winners Solely): I used the most effective tamagoyaki pans to make 5 tamagoyaki in a row, noting if the pan sustained any harm or warping from frequent heating and cooling, and from rolling the omelets. I used the dishwasher to scrub relevant pans and hand-washed the remaining. 

What Is Tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki happened within the Fifties in Japan as a solution to encourage the inhabitants to eat extra protein. As we speak, along with being a bento box staple, this ethereal rolled omelet can also be served in sushi eating places, the place it’s thought to suggest how proficient the chef is. In its simplest kind, tamagoyaki is a rolled omelet that’s made by pouring a skinny layer of combined egg into an oblong pan, then utilizing a spatula or chopsticks to fold the egg layer. This little roll is pushed to the sting of the pan, lifted, and one other layer of egg is poured, then the primary layer is wrapped by this second layer. This continues 4 instances, leading to a layered, wrapped omelet that’s served in slices to point out off its striations. 

Whereas that’s the overall concept, tamagoyaki can are available in varied shapes, sizes, and flavorings. “There are a number of variations of tamagoyaki like Tokyo (candy), Kyoto (savory and juicier) fashion, in addition to grilled eel rolled inside,” says Saito. Whereas there are additionally thicker choices like datemaki, or skinny shredded omelets like kinshi tamago, for my overview of the pans, I targeted on making home-style omelets flavored with mirin, soy sauce, and dashi. 

What We Discovered

Nonstick Tamagoyaki Pans Are Finest for Novices

Whereas skilled cooks could use copper tamagoyaki pans, Saito suggests nonstick skillets for dwelling cooks and/or newcomers as a result of they’re simpler to make use of. “Nonstick pans are simple for everybody, and there’s much less probability of creating errors,” he says. That stated, the outcomes from a copper pan will differ barely from tamagoyaki made in nonstick or cast iron.

“Copper pans have improbable thermal conductivity, so that they make the omelet actually fluffy whereas holding the juiciness inside,” Saito says. “I discover tamagoyaki cooked in nonstick and iron are just a little drier and tougher in comparison with one cooked in a copper pan, which looks like child’s cheek.” 

Copper does take just a little extra ability and energy, although, and requires seasoning and upkeep, or else you would possibly find yourself with a pan gunked up with egg. “For skilled cooks, copper is the go-to, however they must be seasoned and don’t work nicely with induction cooktops,” Saito says. 

Whereas nonstick is the best choice for many dwelling cooks, as we’ve stated earlier than, you shouldn’t spend some huge cash on a nonstick skillet, since it’s going to break down over time—and the identical is true of tamagoyaki pans. The excellent news: my three favourite pans are all beneath $30. 

A Rectangular Pan With a Slanted Lip Was Simpler to Work With

A lot of the pans I examined had been rectangular—about 5 by seven inches—and made it simple to whip up completely formed tamagoyaki. Bigger pans, just like the copper Tikusan, which is a seven-by-seven-inch sq. with straight sides, had been harder to make use of and my tamagoyaki ended up extra like a skinny roll than a brick. In the event you’re a beginner to creating tamagoyaki, along with on the lookout for an oblong pan, I additionally suggest discovering one with a slanted outer lip to make serving the omelet a cinch. 

Utensils Helped

Watching a video of a talented tamagoyaki chef will not be solely soothing, but additionally spectacular. With a flick of the wrist and a pair of chopsticks they flip sheets of egg into an ideal, layered roll. Whereas that is what I aspire to, I get by with just a little assist from my (utensil) mates. Particularly, this thin metal spatula (I do know, I do know… you are not supposed to make use of metallic on a nonstick pan, however I have been doing this for years and have not had a problem with it scraping the pan) and a silicone turner spatula; I like to fit the skinny lip of the metallic one beneath the egg to get it rolling, then nudge it together with the mushy silicone turner to stop any tearing. A number of pans I examined, just like the HooJay, got here with a silicone scraper that was fairly helpful when folding every omelet layer. 

A Good Deal with Made It Simple to Swirl the Egg Combination

Making tamagoyaki entails pouring a layer of egg into the pan, then utilizing the deal with to swirl it so it coats the underside—so that you desire a deal with that’s comfy to grip. I preferred the Techef deal with, which was elevated sufficient that it saved my hand a protected distance from the burner, but additionally supplied sufficient grip and management to swirl the egg combination. Conversely, I wasn’t an enormous fan of handles that caught up at a extreme angle, like on the Yamasan and copper Tikusan, which made it tough to unfold the eggs. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Tamagoyaki Pan

In the event you’re new to tamagoyaki (or on the very least, aren’t on the identical degree as a sushi chef), I’d suggest beginning with an inexpensive nonstick pan. It’ll be simple to make use of and clear, and the probabilities of rolling a superbly fairly omelet are increased than they’re with a sq. copper skillet. That stated, for those who’re a tamagoyaki professional, you would possibly wish to contemplate a copper skillet, which makes airier omelets. Both approach, an excellent deal with is a should—this makes it simple to unfold the egg combination. A barely slanted lip additionally made it simpler to create layers (it helps you to slip a spatula into the pan) and plate the omelet.

Our Favourite Tamagoyaki Pans

What we preferred: I cherished the compact, rectangular form of this pan, which made it simple to roll and layer tamagoyaki. The nonstick coating labored splendidly and there have been no scratches or harm after use. The deal with is solidly hooked up, well-balanced, and has a divot close to the pan that retains your hand in place. 

What we didn’t like: This can be a nonstick pan, which suggests it has a finite lifespan. 

Key Specs 

• Supplies: Teflon nonstick coating, aluminum
• Weight: 1 pound, 0.8 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 inches
• Deal with size: 6.5 inches
• Induction-friendly: Sure
• Dishwasher-safe: Sure, although we suggest hand-washing nonstick skillets

What we preferred: I preferred this pan’s sturdy, balanced deal with (with a hook for hanging). With the ability to confidently grip the deal with helped the method of rolling the egg combination. The omelets emerged mild and fluffy. 

What we didn’t like: The far fringe of the pan is straighter than the others examined, so it requires just a little finagling to take away the omelet from the pan. The wood flipping software did not work.

Key Specs 

• Supplies: Aluminum, nonstick coating, chrome steel
• Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 inches
• Deal with size: 5.75 inches
• Induction-friendly: Sure
• Dishwasher-safe: NA, so we’d suggest hand-washing (which we do for nonstick pans on the whole)

What we preferred: The marginally inclined lip helped me slide out completed omelets, and the silicone spatula bought the omelet rolling (actually). It comes with a tiny silicone brush for wiping oil on the floor, which is a pleasant contact. It’s the most cost effective successful pan by a couple of bucks. 

What we didn’t like: The deal with has a deep divot on the underside the place it meets the pan, which is uncomfortable whenever you’re gripping it. It’s additionally not as balanced/sturdy as our different winners.

Key Specs 

• Supplies: Aluminum, nonstick coating, chrome steel
• Weight: 12.4 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 6 x 7 inches
• Deal with size: 6.5 inches
• Induction-friendly: Sure
• Dishwasher-safe: No

The Competitors

• Iwachu Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This hefty forged iron pan was fairly sticky, although I feel with time and use it might change into extra nonstick. That stated, it’s a difficult pan to make use of for those who’re new to creating tamagoyaki, and Saito says the omelets made in forged iron typically emerge firmer than these made in copper. 
• Yamasan Japanese Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This was an expensive pan, which made it all of the extra disappointing when the coating on the inside began to put on off after the primary use. 
• TIKUSAN Japanese Tamagoyaki Omelets: Whereas a copper pan could make a light-weight and ethereal rolled omelet, it’s finest utilized by assured tamagoyaki cooks. Plus, this model had a wood deal with that you just needed to affix to the pan by hammering a single, tiny nail into it—therefore, it was very wobbly. 

FAQs

What’s tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki is an oblong Japanese omelet made by layering skinny sheets of crushed egg. It’s typically flavored with soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, although there are many different iterations. 

How are tamagoyaki pans completely different than nonstick skillets?

Tamagoyaki pans are distinctive due to their form: most are rectangular or sq.. This helps create the namesake omelet’s form, and makes it simple to roll up every egg layer. Past that, they’re just like different nonstick skillets when it comes to longevity and supplies. 

What else are you able to make in a tamagoyaki pan? 

Something you wish to be rectangular—however, severely! You probably have a nonstick tamagoyaki pan, you should use it to make French toast (the slices will match completely, although you would possibly solely be capable to cook dinner one or two items at a time), sq. okonomiyaki, or rectangular scallion or kimchi pancakes…the listing goes on.  

What’s the finest materials for a tamagoyaki pan?

Whereas sushi cooks typically use copper tamagoyaki pans, which warmth up rapidly and produce lighter tamagoyaki, nonstick is the best for many dwelling cooks. 

Why We’re the Consultants

• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Severe Eats; previous to this, she was a opinions editor at America’s Check Kitchen.
• She’s been testing gear for nearly three years. 
• She has a tamagoyaki pan that she’s used for about 5 years at this level. 
• For this overview, Grace examined six tamagoyaki pans by making round 21 omelets. She examined the pans for sturdiness, outcomes, and likewise how simple they had been to scrub. 
• She additionally interviewed Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef, to get tips about what to search for in a tamagoyaki pan.