Find out about the best paella pans here!

Before you can start making your own recipes or cook some traditional Spanish dishes, you will want to get yourself a paella pan. However, with the dozens of sizes and types of pans, ask yourself “which paella pan is the best choice for me and my family?” Paella pans can be great for both cooking homemade meals for yourself or your family and friends! Even if you do not know how to make Paella, you could still use the pan for various cooking recipes and foods.

But if you are looking for fantastic recipes to get the most out of your cookware, then check out some simple and easy paella recipes at Machika today! Make sure you consider the type, size, and material that suites your cooking needs. At Machika, you have the options between over half a dozen sizes to better fit your stove, oven, or outdoor fire pit and grill. Before selecting the best quality pan for your home, learn about the history and origins of making paella with this specific Spanish cookware.

What is Paella?

If you have never cooked paella before, you may wonder why start? Well, paella is one of the most famous Spanish foods from Spain and has a long history in the culinary culture of the country. Paella is well known as being a traditional specialty customizable to your tastes! If you dislike one paella recipe, then there are dozens more using a variety of ingredients that will tantalize your taste buds. For example, while an average paella dish may include long grain rice and chicken, you could also make a more exotic recipe. Substitute the chicken with rabbit and add mushrooms to create a paella that you’ve never tried before!

Types of Paella Pans

Traditionally, the meal has been at the center of many community get-togethers and family events. The food has become so popular that many lovers of the dish use specially made cookware to make paella! The Paella Pan originates from Spain and has a long cultural history in the Valencia region. This is where paella pans come in. Depending on how many people you are cooking for and your preference in materials, you may want one or a couple different pans to fit your needs. At Machika, you can decide between some of these types of pans made in Spain and shipped to you:

• Polished Carbon Steel Paella Pans
• Stainless Steel Paella Pans
• Enameled Steel Paella Pans

Polished Carbon Steel

Many pans you will see are polished steel or carbon steel. Our polished steel paella pans are not only thin and heat absorbent but also use carbon steel rather than regular steel. So, regardless of your pan size, the heat spreads quickly throughout the surface. Carbon steel is an alloy that uses about 1% carbon to 99%. Carbon Polished carbon steel is a fantastic material for cookware and paella. The material has many advantages over normal steel pans like longevity. Most professional chefs and businesses rely on carbon steel rather than regular steel because of factors like:

• Higher Durability Than Cast Iron
• Naturally Non-stick
• Lightweight and Affordable
• Ability to Withstand High Heat

Since carbon steel has a significant resistance to high temperatures, you can use them for various foods and cooking methods like frying meats, searing steaks, and even for baking. Place the entire pan in the oven and let the heat do that work. The full steel construction means you do not have to worry about melting handles or your pan falling apart in the oven. You also get a great-looking pan polished to perfection for whatever you intend to cook! With carbon polished steel paella pans, you can get the best of both worlds with durable and lightweight products. You get the durability and heat resistance of cast iron with the lightweight and stain resistant properties of steel.

Stainless Steel

If you hate having stuck on gunk or stains, then a stainless steel paella pan is the right option for you. At Machika, our stainless steel pans use 18/10 steel. The ratio 18/10 refers to the ratio of chromium and nickel in the alloy, respectively. Stainless steel gets its properties from these other metals. Chromium typically helps maintain the properties of stainless steel, while nickel helps reduce oxidation and improve durability. This results in a shiny paella pan that you do not have to worry about quickly rusting. 18/10 provides a significant amount of nickel to help reduce quick rusting even more to promote a long-lasting product.

Stainless steel also has the advantage of being more durable than carbon steel because of the chromium and nickel within. For example, while carbon steel quickly rusts if not properly taken care of, stainless steel is nearly rust and corrosion proof. To clean, all you have to do is soak your cookware and clean with a scrubber, sponge, or soft bristle brush. Afterwards, hand dry or place your paella pan on a drying rack. This way, you can avoid damage to the protective layer of the stainless steel and reduce the chances of corrosion. With quick cleaning and durable construction, a stainless steel paella pan can make a world of difference!

Enameled Steel

Another great choice in paella cookware are the enameled pans available at Machika. What does it mean for your cooking equipment to be “enameled”? Well, it means that the material is coated with vitreous enamel, also known by the name porcelain enamel. To make this material, manufactures fire the powder at a high temperature that causes it to melt. What results is a protective coating over the pan that protects it from rusting, damage, stuck on food, and more. If the enamel coating is in great condition, it can also help protect against chemicals or metallic flavors from the steel leeching into the food.

However, like the other two choices, there are some disadvantages depending on your intended use. With enamel, you must be careful not to damage the coating. Unlike stainless steel, damage to the coating can ruin the pan and cause the coating to flake off. However, you do not season the pan to avoid rust like carbon steel. And because of the coating; it is naturally non stick. However, you will want to avoid using this coating in the oven at temperatures above 350°F.. When it comes down to it, enameled steel paella pans have the advantage of being non-reactive, long-lasting when cared for properly, and non-stick to boot!

Get the Best Paella Pans at Machika Today!

Whether you need a carbon, stainless, or enameled steel paella pan, you can find the one you need at Machika! Our quality paella cookware comes in nearly a dozen size options to fit your needs. Regardless of if you need a large pan for a family party or get-together or a small personally paella pan, you can find what you need online at Machika today! Also, check out our other cookware and recipe blog posts for interesting articles and useful paella recipes you can make for your family and friends.