The three Greatest Tamagoyaki Pans of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

I first encountered tamagoyaki about 5 years in the past. I used to be working my means by way of Masaharu Morimoto’s cookbook, Mastering the Artwork of Japanese Dwelling Cooking, and began with tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelet)—I figured it could be straightforward. I purchased an oblong pan and obtained 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 residence. Step one to doing so is shopping for a tamagoyaki pan. I obtained 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.okay.a tamagoyaki with dashi) day by day. After that, I rolled dozens of omelets with six pans to seek out three stable choices for residence cooks. 

The Winners, at a Look

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This nonstick pan makes it straightforward to roll delicate tamagoyaki at residence. 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 straightforward 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 Checks

• Seasoning Check: I seasoned the forged iron and copper pan earlier than utilizing them. 
• Tamagoyaki Check: I made this tamagoyaki recipe utilizing every pan, noting how straightforward it was to make use of and what the ultimate end result 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 wash relevant pans and hand-washed the remainder. 

What Is Tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki took place within the Nineteen Fifties in Japan as a solution to encourage the inhabitants to eat extra protein. Right this moment, along with being a bento field staple, this ethereal rolled omelet can also be served in sushi eating places, the place it’s thought to indicate how gifted 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 occasions, leading to a layered, wrapped omelet that’s served in slices to point out off its striations. 

Whereas that’s the overall thought, tamagoyaki can are available numerous 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 evaluate of the pans, I centered on making home-style omelets flavored with mirin, soy sauce, and dashi. 

What We Realized

Nonstick Tamagoyaki Pans Are Greatest for Learners

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

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

Copper does take slightly extra talent and energy, although, and requires seasoning and upkeep, or else you may 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 possibility for many residence cooks, as we’ve stated earlier than, you shouldn’t spend some huge cash on a nonstick skillet, since it can break down over time—and the identical is true of tamagoyaki pans. The excellent news: my three favourite pans are all underneath $30. 

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

Many of the pans I examined have been rectangular—about 5 by seven inches—and made it straightforward to whip up completely formed tamagoyaki. Bigger pans, just like the copper Tikusan, which is a seven-by-seven-inch sq. with straight sides, have been tougher to make use of and my tamagoyaki ended up extra like a skinny roll than a brick. For those who’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 shouldn’t be solely soothing, but in addition 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 slightly assist from my (utensil) mates. Particularly, this skinny steel spatula (I do know, I do know… you are not supposed to make use of steel on a nonstick pan, however I have been doing this for years and have not had a difficulty with it scraping the pan) and a silicone turner spatula; I like to fit the skinny lip of the steel one underneath the egg to get it rolling, then nudge it together with the mushy silicone turner to stop any tearing. Just a few 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 includes 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 snug to grip. I appreciated the Techef deal with, which was elevated sufficient that it stored my hand a secure distance from the burner, but in addition 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

For those who’re new to tamagoyaki (or on the very least, aren’t on the identical stage as a sushi chef), I’d suggest beginning with an reasonably priced nonstick pan. It’ll be straightforward to make use of and clear, and the possibilities of rolling a superbly fairly omelet are increased than they’re with a sq. copper skillet. That stated, in the event you’re a tamagoyaki professional, you may wish to take into account a copper skillet, which makes airier omelets. Both means, deal with is a should—this makes it straightforward to unfold the egg combination. A barely slanted lip additionally made it simpler to create layers (it enables you to slip a spatula into the pan) and plate the omelet.

Our Favourite Tamagoyaki Pans

What we appreciated: I liked the compact, rectangular form of this pan, which made it straightforward 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: It is 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 appreciated: I appreciated 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 slightly finagling to take away the omelet from the pan. The wood flipping instrument 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 typically)

What we appreciated: The marginally inclined lip helped me slide out completed omelets, and the silicone spatula obtained 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 affordable profitable 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 could develop into extra nonstick. That stated, it’s a difficult pan to make use of in the event you’re new to creating tamagoyaki, and Saito says the omelets made in forged iron usually emerge firmer than these made in copper. 
• Yamasan Japanese Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This was a dear 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 usually flavored with soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, although there are many different iterations. 

How are tamagoyaki pans totally 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 straightforward to roll up every egg layer. Past that, they’re just like different nonstick skillets by way of longevity and supplies. 

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

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

What’s the finest materials for a tamagoyaki pan?

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

Why We’re the Specialists

• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Critical Eats; previous to this, she was a evaluations 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 evaluate, Grace examined six tamagoyaki pans by making round 21 omelets. She examined the pans for sturdiness, outcomes, and in addition how straightforward they have been to wash. 
• She additionally interviewed Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef, to get tips about what to search for in a tamagoyaki pan.