Paella is a traditional Spanish dish of rice, a variety of meats and/or seafood, and lots of flavour. The dish is named after the pan in which it is traditionally cooked and served. Although you most likely will not use a paella pan as frequently as a sauce pan or stock pot, it is the best way to derive excellent paella.
A paella pan is a round pan with a wide base and short sides that slightly flare outwards. There are two small handles on the pan, and it does not come with a lid because cooking paella does not require covering the food. A typical paella pan is about 13 to 14 inches in diameter, although you can find exceptionally large pans to serve a large crowd. For example, a 26 inch diameter pan can serve about 15 people.
Paella pans were traditionally made of carbon steel, although now you can find them in aluminium and stainless steel as well. Carbon steel is still the choice for most Spanish households, as it conducts heat very well, quickly heating and cooling according to the heat source under it. Carbon steel is a very lightweight metal, but it does require cleaning practices similar to cast iron in that it needs to be dried immediately after washing and sprayed with a light coat of vegetable oil spray to prevent rusting. In addition, steel will react with acidic foods, so it is smartest to add things like tomato juice and lemon juice near the end of the cooking process. You may also find carbon steel pans that are enamelled; this layer of enamel prevents the rusting that traditional carbon steel pans encounter. However, rusting of carbon steel should not be a thing to worry over; rust can easily be removed with a steel wool pad.
Stainless steel is another lightweight option, but does not conduct heat as well as carbon steel and aluminium. Carbon steel, enamelled carbon steel, and stainless steel pans can all be used on both electric and gas burners.
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