Garcima 15-Inch Carbon Steel Paella Pan, 38cm

I had previously gotten the 18 inch version of the same pan a few months earlier and was so pleased with it that I got this one as well for much smaller gatherings. This pan will feed 8-10 people easily, depending on how much you put in it. That means between the two, I can easily feed 25 people or more.When receiving this pan, there are a couple of steps that aren't immediately made known, and these are very important to follow before making your first paella. Of course everyone will remove the sticker and most will wash the pan. BUT.... be sure to wash this pan with extremely hot water and lots of soap, making sure to flood the pan and wash it with a stiff cloth or a 3M cleaning pad, inside and out. There is a factory film on there that is easily removed and should be, but it takes more than a quick rinse out. I think it's part of the production process or something to help protect the pan till it gets to you. It's not going to make you sick, but just doesn't need to be in your food.Of course be sure to dry the pan immediately, preferably with a little heat to remove all traces of moisture before the next step. After the pan is dry, use a paper towel and rub a very light coat of shortening on the pan while it is still warm. I use Crisco. Then with a dry towel, wipe every bit of shortening residue off it. A slight film will remain. Do this inside and out to make sure it is well seasoned and protected from elements, and be sure to do this every time you use the pan for the next 5-10 times you use it. By then it will have started to build seasoning on it and you won't have to do it as often. However, I still put a little on my pan from time to time, and particularly if you know you aren't going to use it for awhile.This pan is pretty heavy duty and will hold up for my lifetime and more so long as you aren't throwing it around or bang it up too badly. Treat it with respect and it will serve you well for a long time. There are dimples in the bottom of this pan, and this is pretty typical of most top quality paella pans. I have never researched it in depth, but I have heard from several sources that it helps create the socarrat. “Socarrat” is that delectable, scrumptious crust that forms at the bottom of the paella pan when the liquid is rendered and the rice has reached its peak.This pan is highly recommended for beginners and paella experts.

Great, authentic little paella pan. We've used it constantly since we got it last summer (including last night). Easily feeds 8 people. The only thing to watch out for is that the handles discolored quickly, but it hasn't changed the performance of the pan. We're using it both on the stove top and in the oven, and I'm not sure which one caused the handles to change color. It's worth the little bit of extra work to oil it after cleaning because the surface really develops nicely. We liked this one so well, we also bought a 22-inch pan that we use outside on the barbeque.

1st use was ok. Washed the pan and air dried it out and while drying it got rust stains in certain areas of the pan, so washed again and this time completely dried it with towel. Put it away when tried using it the 2nd time it still had rust stains even after thourghly drying it before putting it away. rinsed it to rwmove the rust and when cooking on it the pan burned fast and damaged food. Threw it away cause I can't even get a refund. Awful and bad product Amazon should be ashamed to allow this product to be sold through their site. Got one good use and thats it and wasted my food. 0 stars if this would be possible.

Nice sturdy pan, has held up well through a few dinner parties - just be aware that it is carbon steel so is not dishwasher safe and must be immediately dried and wiped with a little oil right after washing (like a cast iron skillet). However, it is much cheaper than the easy-care stainless options and works just fine. The recipe in the brochure that came with it was good - tasted just like what my host family made when I lived in La Mancha back in high school for a summer.My biggest complaint is that this pan didn’t heat evenly on my cooktop, but I suspect that is mainly because I have electric (ceramic) and not propane/gas. I just cooked the meat first in a regular skillet instead, then did the sofrito in the paella pan (stirring and moving the pan around to try and avoid any bad hot spots), then added the rice/broth/seasoning and baked the paella in the oven (which my host family always did anyway) rather then finishing it on the cooktop. Worked out really well, and I didn’t have to spend a fortune on a paella pan I will probably only use a few times a year.

Nice pan - 15" (38cm) is huge! I use it with three burners on low on my gas stove. 1.5c of rice and 4c of chicken stock (from the can of paste) is the right amount of rice+broth for this pan. I almost missed the informational pamphlet on Paella which is well written and fun, "you want the rice to nestle up to its neighbors" and "socarrat is the key to Spaniards being such good lovers" or something like that.Update, after about 5-6 paella's here's what we do:brown 4-6 chicken thighs/legs, removesaute 2-3 onion (diced), 1 bulb garlic (crushed and chopped), 2-3 red pepper (Giant Red, Marconi, Jimmy Nardello, etc, diced) with olive oiladd 2 large tomatoes (3-4 roma), dicedcook down into thick sauce.then add rice and 1-2T paprikathen add ~4c chicken/turkey stock (made from boiling water and chicken base paste)then put the chicken back insimmer for about 30 min on the stove - spread over 3 gas burners on low.about 15 min before done, add ~1c fresh green beans + 1c frozen peas + 1 can beans (Butter (Lima), Cannellini, not Garbanzo)when the liquid disappears, turn off the heat and cover with foil for 5 minutes before eating.Lemon is nice if you have it.Note, I'm Norwegian, from the upper midwest, so I have no idea what Paella is suppose to taste like. My family likes the above though.