Oval Frying Pans

[Eddie]

I have always used round frying pans for everything, but I recently acquired an oval stainless lined copper pan (12"/8")and noticed that this shape is great for whole fish and some meat cuts.

I am now considering adding a bigger oval pan to my arsenal and would like to hear some opinions on a few models.

http://store.falkculinair.com/ovalgratins.html
They are noy frying pans, but can be used on stovetop

http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=404536

I like cladded and heavy disk bottom (copper/aluminum) pans. Enameled cast iron is OK, but metal is always my first choice. I noticed that there are less options for oval pans in the market.

Why oval is not a popular format? It seems to work very well for whole fish and long fillets.

I used to think that I could use a bigger pan for everything, but matching the food with a pan that is roughly the same size and shape provided the best results for me.

Your comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

[Fred]

Sounds great. All I need now are oval burners.

[RETREVR]

Good point Fred.
It is a specialived pan. Really for fish.
I have a maviel roaster that I use on the stove top for long cuts. It has many more uses than an oval. An oval would be good for tableside trout.
I still wouldn't mind having an oval. That and a turbot kettle would be nice.

[Eddie]

Burners can be a problem with oval pans. ;-)

I use the big burner for the oval I have, but I would need to use a different approach for a longer oval pan. If the pan is really long, I could use two burners like I normally do for a rectangular roasting pan.

I have seen some stoves with a central oval burner, but these are an oddity and do not represent what most people have. Some restaurant kitchens use the oval skillets on top of the gas grill or the hot plate.

[Fred]

Thanks, guys. I was being a little tongue-in-cheek. I don't have any oval pans but I can see how they would work nicely for some dishes.

[blwchef]

I love oval black steel pans. They are great for searing and roasting cote du beouf(sp), bone in and whole loins of lamb and of course fish. I've used them mostly on french flat top style stoves so burners size is not a problem.

[barbouni]

I have an oval Mauviel aluminun pan with non-stick surface. I absolutely love this pan. I am going to get another oval one of these days without the coating (steel or copper, can't decide) for browning loins and such (better color). I use it for fish mostly, but it comes in handy for a number of uses in my kitchen.

[Peter]

[ QUOTE ]
steel or copper, can't decide

[/ QUOTE ]
Assuming you mean Carbon steel, Barbouni. What would be advantage of copper?

Peter

[Eddie]

I have not considered "black" carbon steel. I think it is because I am trying to avoid anything that requires seasoning. Cladded aluminum/copper is what I use most of the time. The downside of this construction is the initial cost.

I like to use non-stick for eggs and sugary things and that is about it. One of the biggest problems with PTFE based coatings is that there is no fond and it is hard to judge color with a dark background.

Some cookware manufacturers, such as All-Clad, offer copper enclosed by aluminum and stainless layers, but I'm doubtfull of the benefits of having a thin layer of copper layered with other less conductive materials. To me this another marketing gimmick to sell aluminum/stainless for "real" copper.

[barbouni]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
steel or copper, can't decide

[/ QUOTE ]
Assuming you mean Carbon steel, Barbouni. What would be advantage of copper?Peter

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I do mean carbon steel. I have about an 80% copper kitchen, so I thought I might like to get another piece. The only real advantage I can think of is that it doubles as table serviece. In other words, it's very presentable! The black steel would be superb for browning lamb loins and beef tendrloins for a LOT less money though. I also DO notice less uniform heat distribution in my highly prized black pans, but I can live with it.