Eggs are a staple in all major cuisines around the world, omelettes specifically are part of national foods in many. Which makes them popular around the world, at any time of the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
This is precisely why omelette pans have been created. Their shape and size make it easy to cook and churn out any egg dishes quickly.
Given their versatility, eggs are everywhere in recipes. They’re in omelets, quiches, salads, and stews. They’re also used in desserts and baked goods.
Eggs are highly nutritious too, and contain many times more vitamins than some meats, like chicken. The fact that they can also be found fairly cheap in any part of the world make them a go to for many families too.
So what is the best carbon steel pan to make omelettes? And what’s the difference between an omelette pan and a fry pan? The terms can sometimes overlap, but they’re two different types of pans.
What Are Omelette Pans?
Omelette pans were popularized in America by the famous French chef Julia Child in 1962 when she went to a specific shop and asked “where are your omelette pans?”. The surprised owner had to tell her they didn’t make them. Four months later, the omelette pan was born.
They often have gentle sloping curve sides, so eggs can slide and make a beautiful shape to present to your guests. The most common sizes are around 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm).
Originally, they were made of cast aluminum, however nowadays, omelette pans are made of either aluminum with a non-stick coating or carbon steel. Why aluminum? Because in terms of even heating, aluminum is the cheapest and most heat conductive.
Now we see them less and less because people fear the reactivity of cookware made of aluminum. People used to season them similarly to cast iron or carbon steel to make them non-stick, but since the invention of teflon that went away.
And now people are starting to avoid teflon too because it can burn and flake off into their food. So what’s the only natural solution? That’s right, carbon steel pans.
Are Carbon Steel Pans Good for Omelettes?
Absolutely, and we can argue that carbon steel might be the best material to cook omelettes too. Why is that?
Well, carbon steel pans can develop a really smooth layer of seasoning that takes care of all sticking problems. Once it’s seasoned correctly, some say it taste much better, but most importantly it’ll be more healthy for you than cooking with a teflon coated pan.
They’re also extremely durable and long-lasting, often a lifetime, if carbon steel pans were as popular as cast iron pans. We would see them being passed along to another generation, too.
They’re much lighter than cast iron, which makes them easier to lift and move around. Carbon steel also heats quicker than cast iron too. And they’re extremely versatile, just because it’s called an omelette pan, it doesn’t mean you have to only cook omelettes.
How Do I Stop My Eggs From Sticking to My Carbon Steel Pan?
Sticking is something you will experience a lot when you first start cooking with carbon steel pans, especially with eggs. Just because you’ve seasoned it, it doesn’t mean you can be carefree like you can with teflon. There’s a little learning curve to get them to not stick.
Here are some quick tips to make sure your eggs slide around in carbon steel:
- Use medium heat, that’s the maximum temperature you should use. These pans hold heat really well.
- Preheat your pan for at least 3-4 minutes. Most people don’t let their pans preheat correctly, which oftentimes is the cause of sticking.
- Use butter instead of oil. I’m not saying that oil doesn’t work, but I find that when I used butter, stuff tends to stick a lot less.
- Wait for the butter to stop foaming and then throw your eggs in.
With those tips, you should be able to not have your eggs sticking to your pan and make a mess that you’ll have to clean.
Which Carbon Steel Pan Is the Best for Omelettes?
For your carbon steel omelette pan, you should search for a pan with curved sloped sides, no harsh angles. That will help you make a beautifully shaped and smooth omelette that looks great on a plate.
The handle should be made either of stainless steel or an oven safe material. You will find this helpful if you like to finish your frittatas in the oven instead of flipping them.
Even if you’re not cooking eggs and need to finish a piece of meat in the oven. You will be thankful that you have an oven safe handle.
At the end, the winner was simple to choose – the De Buyer Mineral B Omelette Pan (check current price on Amazon). It has gentle curved sides with rounded angle, so your French omelettes can get a perfect shape and easily slide onto your plate. It’s 9.5 inch (24 cm) wide, meaning it’s big enough to make plenty of eggs, but not too big that it doesn’t heat fast and evenly.
In Summary
All major cuisines around the world use eggs, so what is the best carbon steel pan for making omelettes? The gentle sloping curved sides allow eggs to slide and create a beautifully shaped omelette.
They are approximately 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) in size. And compared to teflon-coated pans, carbon steel pans are better for omelettes because they develop a natural smooth layer of seasoning that prevents sticking.
Remember to always use a maximum of medium heat and preheat your pan for at least 3-4 minutes when cooking with carbon steel. Use butter instead of oil, wait for the butter to stop foaming, and then throw your eggs in. This should help your eggs not stick at all.