SUPER HEAVY chefs skillet????

[norgeway]

I found this at the Goodwill store, I have never seen one in person, but in an old Julia Child show clip, she shows an identical pan only smaller that she said was an omelet pan, does anyone know who made this, it is the heaviest aluminum pan I have ever seen...it is 3/8 inch thick!!

 

[norgeway]

Bottom..

POLISHED!

 

[norgeway]

Here you can see...

Just how thick it is, I bet it weighs at least 7 or 8 pounds!

 

[whirlcool]

I think it would make a great crepe pan!

 

[danemodsandy]

Hans:

That is a Scanpan, and it dates from the '70s or '80s. It was made in Denmark. When I was in the housewares biz, it was a brand we carried to serve customers who requested it, but it was very, very expensive, so it did not sell to the usual customer.

Scanpans were of the highest possible quality; given any care at all, they tend to last forever. You did very well finding that omelet size, and if I had to be honest, I wish I'd beaten you to it, LOL.

Scanpan is still around, but they don't make this quality any more.

 

[danemodsandy]

P.S.:

That pan is, very specifically, an omelet pan. If you watch the old French Chef TV shows with Julia Child, you'll see her use a similar pan for her celebrated omelet-tossing routine.

Club Aluminium made a similar pan under license from famous omelet chef and caterer Rudolph Stanish; the size and shape are the same, and Stanish's name is molded into the bottom of the pan.

 

[norgeway]

I would LOVE!!

To see someone toss an omelet in that thing, it must weigh nearly 10 pounds, you would have to use 10 eggs!!LOL!! It is great for very large quantity sauteing though!It heats perfectly!! I paid 4.00 for it, so evidently I did OK???

 

[jetaction]

I have the club aluminum Stanish pan

It is part of my Mom's set she used while I was growing up. I don't cook on aluminum often but I seem to remember when I tried omelets they would stick. Should this be seasoned or something like cast iron? Flipping was not an option in my omelet making!

 

[danemodsandy]

Don:

The original instruction booklet for the Stanish pan recommended seasoning, but I never found it necessary. What is necessary is that the pan surface be clean and polished, as in Brillo-polished, which I am ready to bet a solid gold locomotive you already do.

If you ever want to get the knack of tossing stuff in any skillet, here's how:

Using aluminum foil, mask off the backguard of your range, covering it up completely. Also cover the entire top, except for the burner you want to use.

Now, get yourself a couple of dozen eggs and a pound of butter and start practicing. The foil takes the "fear of flying" out of the process, since mistakes don't cause hours of clean-up.

If you like, you can also practice with about half a pound of dried beans; when you can make them all flip up and over at the same time, you're ready for an easy transition to eggs. Do this in the back yard, so you won't be picking up beans out of odd corners for the next year.

I accept no responsibility for any calls your neighbors might make to 911 when they spot you doing this and muttering to yourself, OK? ;-)

 

[danemodsandy]

P.S., Don:

The motion you're trying to perfect is as follows:

1) Push your arms outward, pushing the pan away from you. That push should end very abruptly, and should segue into the next step.

2) At the end of that outward push, jerk the pan upward and a little back toward you. This creates a "wave" motion that sends the contents of the pan flipping up and over.

It takes some practice to get the hang of it, but once you've mastered it, you'll find yourself flipping more than you will find yourself reaching for a spatula.

One last caveat: Flipping only works well in pans that have a rounded shoulder, like the pan in Hans's pictures. If a pan has straight sides, the flip won't work at all. In pans with an angled shoulder, it's iffy, though some cooks and chefs can make it work.

 

[rp2813]

I have a modern day Scanpan, which has a fairly indestructible non-stick surface.  It's quite heavy, but not nearly as heavy as the subject omelet pan.  It's a real pleasure to use.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have a mint Club Omlet pan in red. It is the larger size. There was a whole fad in the 70s. Poor Revere tried maketing an omlet pan and we took back as many as we sold. With the thin copper on the stainless, they did not heat evenly enough for making an omlet. The easiest to use and a perennial good seller was the Mirro hinged omlet pan, especially with Teflon lining. Mirro was making those long before and after the fad.

 

[jetaction]

I am great at flipping!

LOL, thanks for the tips guys, I am fine with flipping in the pan, have been able to do that for years. I couldn't flip in the omelet pan because everything was stuck. Polishing and seasoning may help, I should try to find a copy of the Rudy directions for the pan which I don't have. Thanks for the tips!

 

[petek]

Off tangent a little but does anyone here have one of those new Orgreenic ceramic coated pans and do you like it? I was thinking of getting one to add to my frying pan stash. LOL

 

[rp2813]

I think I remember Rich/Sudsmaster mentioning that he had purchased one of those organic pans.

 

[gansky1]

That is a nice pan - and a steal for $4! You guys find the best stuff, Hans!

I can flip popcorn in a large, stainless steel bowl but have not tried much else. I would have to practice in the back yard with the induction hob, the dog would be delighted with that.

Always something new to learn, now we're going to have to keep our eyes peeled for Scanpans.

 

[norgeway]

orgreenic

I have one and like it really well.