the ideal omelette pan

Shopping for a new omelette pan and tired of ripping through the cheap non-stick pans that make omelette creation a breeze. I've tried a few of my deBuyer pans but hate the transition from bottom to sides on the skillets and on the crepe pan I find the sides are not high enough (I like to whip the pan around a bit while cooking). I have a country pan but that seems a bit awkward for this.

The easiest and likely solution will be to try the 'new' deBuyer omelette pan . The shape appears to be about perfect (especially the side transition), the height of the sides looks nice as well. The down side to the deBuyer is that I already have 5 other deBuyer pans as well as a few cast iron pans and thinking I may like to go lower maintenance with this purchase.

I found a few stainless that look to be a decent shape; Viking, All-Clad, and Demeyere (the Demeyere is above budget). I currently have mostly All-Clad stainless and while some people don't like the All-Clad handles I find them completely comfortable. What other brands would be good options? If I go stainless what would be the difference cooking with the 5 layer vs 3 (my current stuff is all 3 layer). Any opinions on this would ideally be directed strictly to making omelettes (I like French and Country omelettes a la Pepin). Unfortunately I'm currently cooking on electric which sucks but is what it is:laugh:.

Other option I considered but the price seems prohibitive and I believe these are the pans Julia Child talked trash about (meaning at least that she had tried them). I believe her gripe was that they were overpriced but I could be wrong.

One final question is what people prefer for size...I currently use a 10" pan and I have to use 4 XL eggs to make a decent omelette. I believe the last pan I linked to be the right size at 8.5" while the deBuyer is 9.5". The American stainless seems to be either 8" or 10" and I think I have seen 9" but maybe it was the Demeyere? My guess is that the shape of the bowl will determine the actual results more than the exact size of the pan? I think I'd like 8.5"-9" for three XL eggs?

Thoughts?

Cheers

Have you tried good non-stick? Swiss Diamond works for me. 8" pan, 2 or 3 egg omelete. 10" makes a good 4 egg frittata.

Yeah, I'm just trying not to go that route...seems like cheating and mentally makes me think I'm losing some taste and picking up some carcinogens (JK, likely only applies to the restaurant supply cheapies that I've used). I also like using metal utensils (fork for omelettes) and my understanding is that even the nice ones don't hold up so well to that? I do think the non-stick pans seem to have the best shape--and really do make life easy.

I've cooked around 1.3 million eggs in a professional capacity over the course of my life.

That isn't hyperbole either; it's a very realistic estimate. I can (and have) cooked eggs on virtually every surface to which you can safely apply heat, but at the end of the day--when I'm making eggs for myself at home--there is nothing I prefer more than a heavy duty non-stick egg pan. I'm not talking about the cheap pans you get at Target for $6 that start flaking off bits of Teflon after three uses; I mean the thick industrial pans you can get at a quality restaurant supply store.

Love my deBuyer pans and my cast iron, and they certainly work just fine for frying eggs. But bottom line, nothing is as perfectly suited to making an omelette than a pan that was made to do exactly that, hundreds of times a day.

SVL, having chief that many eggs, you know that it's all about technique. I get using the right tool for the job but for whatever reason, I'm convinced that the right pan for eggs is the steel pan, I was hoping to find stainless that would play the roll.

That said, two replies and two suggestions for high quality non-stick tells me I may have to open my mind a bit on this.

for frying definitely carbon, but for omelette non stick is the way to go.
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/tramontina-professional/nonstick-restaurant-skillet-p128077

fancier looking
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/calphalon-commercial-hard-anodized/skillet-p123114

if you want to splurge
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/viking-v7/nonstick-stainless-steel-skillet-p16917

Buy this and you can get back to shopping for knives and stones. Be gentle with the fork and you'll be fine. Or use chopsticks.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006GCF56/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I also have a sauce pan for cheese and other sticky sauces. Lesser pans are just disposable.

chinacats said:

Other option I considered but the price seems prohibitive and I believe these are the pans Julia Child talked trash about (meaning at least that she had tried them). I believe her gripe was that they were overpriced but I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

Your facts are indeed wrong on this point. That is the exact pan Julia designed with the pot shop of Boston. Here is a link about how this pan came to be (back story starts around 1:30)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MVB2uaxckNg

Well I'll be one to vote for the debuyer omelette pan as I use it almost every morning for eggs and more later in the day. 3 large egg omelette works very well, you can do 4 if you like it very runny and a little brown. Its a perfect size for cooking solo I've found and usually hangs out on top of my stove like my cast iron used to. One reason I bought the pan was to work on technique tho, and the size happens to be perfect I find. Between the 9.5 in omelette, 12.5 frypan, and 11.5 crepe I think I'm set on carbon pans, besides maybe the 3.5 inch fry pan for novelty. I don't own a non stick btw and have always used a roommates crappy one if I'm so inclined. So I may be missing out on something but I haven't found myself wanting one that bad.

If you go with the deBuyer, I've had great success with this method of seasoning: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/


And make yourself one of these forks:



Cheers,

Jack

I have a large deBuyer too and that pan just keeps getting better (my first carbon steel pan). If you want something else than carbon steel, you may want to have a look at Mauviel M'Stone pots&pans. We bought one smaller pot few months ago and it is holding up very well. It is well made, thick aluminum coated with some sort of ceramics from inside. So far I could not see any damage to the surface. It is very smooth to touch. I even tested it against a copper Mauviel (1.5mm thickness) and I got the same time to boil 1l of water (on electric stove though). I actually did not buy the pot for its non-stick properties, but it just seems to be a practical side effect.

Just buy the debuyer, its amazing, its what I use for 90% of my culinary adventures. It won't let you down.

3 omlettes... one pan?

I've used the flax seed oil method for seasoning too without many issues but have read that the Wagner and Griswold Society tested it and found it inferior to other methods (for CI at least IIRC). Don't exactly remember the technical rationale although it may be because it polymerized well to itself but not the pan.

As for a recommendation if the Demeyere Atlantis/ProLine is a bit too pricey have you seen the Zwilling Sensation? Not as thick as the Atlantis/ProLine (I think the 20cm are the same though) and I've read they're clearing them out at good prices in the USA. When I look at my 7ply it just looks like one big piece of aluminum, I have a pic in the skillet vs sauté pan thread (http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/24479-Skillet-vs-Saute-Pan?p=376004#post376004)

The bamboo skewer fork would be good especially if going the non-stick route. I don't use pointy things in mine, just a silicone spatula. I have Gastrolux for nonstick. It was recommended to me by a kitchen supply store who also are one of the largest Henckels/Demeyere distributors in Canada. Thick cast aluminum with a ceramic/titanium/silica surface or something. I've used the same 20cm one everyday since June 2014 and mine still works as the day I got it, I've seen a few scuffs or marring appear which seem to magically vanish after a subsequent use. I only use my nonstick for lower heat dishes (some eggs, fish) where I don't want the sear (although apparently these pans can take the heat)

Thanks to everyone for all the valuable input, I've learned a bit so far and am now leaning towards getting two pans :idea2:.

As for the non-stick, I'm curious what people find to be the most durable? I'm guessing that doesn't usually apply for non-stick but I'd like to be able to use the pan without destroying it for more than a few months...

So far the ones that appeal are:
The A/C d5 here or perhaps these Henckels (are they made by Demeyere?). They both appear to be good deals, but what do I know about nice non-stick? I eliminated a few brands due to either having handles I didn't like or being too expensive (Swiss Diamond had both options) or having a shape I didn't like (Le Creuset or Scanpan).

For the carbon, as cool as i find the Potshop pans, I believe the way to go for me may be the deBuyer that I originally linked. I really like the shape of that pan and enjoy deBuyer in general. The potshop pans seem extremely expensive and I'm not quite sure of the surface--see the seasoning instructions below.

jackslimpson said:

If you go with the deBuyer, I've had great success with this method of seasoning: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/


And make yourself one of these forks:



Cheers,

Jack

Click to expand...

What the hell is it? Looks better than using chopstix and less damaging to a pan than the forks I like to use.

As to seasoning, the most interesting one I've seen yet is for the potshop pans which I'll quote here (which is why I'm guessing they must have some unusual type of surface?):

"Steps
Scrub with a paper towel and soap, rinse and dry.
Pour in a generous amount of cooking oil. Place the pan on the burner and heat all sides until the oil is hot. Remove from heat and tilt the pan to coat all sides and let stand overnight.
The next day, remove pooled oil and add salt to the slightly coated pan. Heat pan slightly. With a paper towel, rub the warm salt throughout the inside of the pan. Remove from heat and wipe out any remaining salt. The pan is now seasoned and ready to for its first omelette!"

Guess the next step is to actually go handle a few of these and determine which has the shape I think will work best. Please feel free to add any advice or things to consider...I'll likely report back with a few more questions before I proceed. Really want to make the non-stick a one (last) time purchase. As to the steel pan I'm pretty convinced but will try to look around to see if there is something I missed.

Cheers

This Henckels? It be suck. I've yet to use a ceramic coated pan that was worth a pat of butter. First time something tries to stick and you have to scrub it off, it will spin downhill fast.

AC is ok.

Swiss Diamond is the mother.

I like that daveb has a hotel pan for his mise en place...at home... and then had the presence of mind to take a photo of a burnt pan before pitching it. Yoda has some things to learn from our moderator. (new moniker = davebaccelerator -- moderator implies slowing down)

When talking about De Buyer, are you talking about this line?
http://www.chefscatalog.com/product...PO2ifohHlQsy-5kDfFL8qs7TVnqGUmLopsaAoSc8P8HAQ

or this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F2GYNA0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

im with daveb swiss diamond is the best i have used and the toughest.

goatgolfer said:

I like that daveb has a hotel pan for his mise en place...at home... and then had the presence of mind to take a photo of a burnt pan before pitching it.

Click to expand...

The pic was taken at a culinary where I was doing a SV demo. Owner wanted to pitch the Henckels pan and I used it to sear some salmon (not ideal use). Took a pic cause I knew at some point someone would think about buying the pos.

this one looks interesting!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod...l-nonstick-fry-pan/?pkey=cfry-pans-skillets||

daveb said:

This Henckels? It be suck. I've yet to use a ceramic coated pan that was worth a pat of butter. First time something tries to stick and you have to scrub it off, it will spin downhill fast.

AC is ok.

Swiss Diamond is the mother.

Click to expand...

Thanks...elimination is a great thing and that one (and anything like it) is quickly gone from the list.

Marko Tsourkan said:

When talking about De Buyer, are you talking about this line?
http://www.chefscatalog.com/product...PO2ifohHlQsy-5kDfFL8qs7TVnqGUmLopsaAoSc8P8HAQ

or this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F2GYNA0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Click to expand...

I'm looking at the second one Marko, their 'true' omelette pan. That said, the first ones linked are crazily inexpensive and maybe worth trying even if they are throwaways...



Got some very good information by pm as well and sounds like there is no advantage to the 5 series of A/C as opposed to the tri-clad that I currently own (non-skillets). Think for now I'm going to skip any of the clad stuff but likely pick up a piece of the Vollrath Tribute at some point just to see how they compare to A/C.

Read a very good review for Analon Nouvelle Copper Anodized that leads me to believe this may be one of the better deals for non-stick; does anyone have any experience with these? Found what seems to be a crazy deal on these here.

As to the Swiss Diamond, I can't quite get over the handles--they improve with the pro line but then the cost becomes very high imo.

The twin pack you linked (Analon) is the best price you will find... Infact I paid $10 more for the same set not too long ago.

[video=youtube;Uu5zGHjRaMo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu5zGHjRaMo[/video]
This guy uses a regular CS pan.

[video=youtube;N25Zx2pEPhQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N25Zx2pEPhQ[/video]
This one uses what looks like a debuyer nonstick pan or something similar.

i love vollrath tribute stainless. their non stick not so much. awesome price on those de buyers, i may have to get one for myself.

dough said:

im with daveb swiss diamond is the best i have used and the toughest.

Click to expand...

I hate the handle on that pan, otherwise I would be all over it.

Marko Tsourkan said:

I hate the handle on that pan, otherwise I would be all over it.

Click to expand...

Marko, HA, my though exactly, but I though I was being petty.

I am going to give this one a try. I think it's the same as on the video. Love the handle colors (four) BTW, 4mm thick aluminum, Made in France (know you won't get some nasty stuff in the coating, due to regulations) and for $25, can't beat it. Might get two and gift one away)))

http://www.kitchen-universe.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=8050.24&CartID=1

[video=youtube;N25Zx2pEPhQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N25Zx2pEPhQ[/video]

The handles on all the high-end nonstick pans aren't great IMO. Swiss Diamond, Woll, Gastrolux… you can take the handle off the Gastrolux and buy a quick release one, could fit my 32cm in the Breville smart oven if I wanted, may also be good on a crowded range top.

The local kitchenware shop sells both and recommends Gastrolux over Swiss Diamond, but it may be because it costs more? Haven't tried Swiss Diamond or Woll, haven't been disappointed by Gastrolux. They talk about using metal utensils, but I still don't do it.

Whatever you get, beware if it has a riveted handle. I had a Zwilling Tru-clad (with Thermalon Granite surface), and the rivets weren't nonstick and were annoying to clean.

So I wound up getting a couple of the Analon Nouvelle Copper pans--I guess you would say mid-range of the non-stick. I couldn't make myself buy the Swiss Diamond because of the handles. So far I think these are pretty good pans (I bought the 8" and 10") for the money but I guess only time will tell as with any non-stick. These pics are the 10":





In the background of those pics, you can see my prior omelette pan (before my cheapo non-sticks) that had slowly been ruined. The biggest difference in these to me is the shape of the pan and originally what I was looking for, so...

This pan is old American aluminum (and heavy) and was part of my parent's set from I would guess late 70's-early 80's. It was all commercial cookware and marked with NSF. It says it was made in Toledo, Ohio and I believe it was made by Calphalon? I've since thrown out all of the rest of the pots and pans because they had lost their coatings but still kept my old omelette pan for some reason

While browsing pans I came across a video of someone seasoning an aluminum pan and figured that maybe I could re-season mine. I didn't take any before pictures of the inside because I didn't think about it, but it looked just like the outside pictured here:



As you can tell, the surface isn't in great condition (and I did no real preparation prior to seasoning) but after about 5 coats of flaxseed oil (and a few buttery grilled cheese sandwiches) this is what it looks like:



I plan on cooking on it for a while and seeing if the seasoning will hold. The pan is what I consider the perfect size and shape for omelettes (kind of hard to tell in the pictures but there is no real bottom vs side as it has more of a curved slope to it). I hope to bring it back into the fold and feel almost foolish not realizing that aluminum could be seasoned...seems to take and hold better than my deBuyers so far.

Cheers