How to Use Copper Tamagoyaki Frying Pan

What is Tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki is a Japanese dish consisting of layers of seasoned egg mixture cooked in a rectangular frying pan, creating a rolled omelette. It is a staple in Japanese cuisine and can be found in many traditional breakfast dishes, bento boxes, or served as a side dish.

In addition to eggs, tamagoyaki typically includes other ingredients such as soy sauce, mirin (a type of rice wine), and dashi (a type of stock). These seasonings give the omelette a sweet

Watch a video below from starting 1:32 by a Japanese chef for a tutorial on making egg rolls using a Copper Tamagoyaki Pan .

Ingredients for 2 servings:

3 eggs (M or L size)
60 ml Japanese soup stock (bonito and kelp)*
Canola Oil, as needed
Grated daikon radish and shiso leaves, to taste
1 tablespoon sake
1/4 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

*You can use a powder dashi stock with warm water

Why Copper for Tamagoyaki cooking?

Copper Tamagoyaki Pan have long been used in the Japanese cooking industry as a "tool to cultivate" because the more you use them, the more oil becomes accustomed to the surface of the copper plate.

Copper cookware has excellent thermal conductivity, allowing heat to spread quickly and evenly when placed on the fire. This results in fluffy Tamagoyaki when using a copper pan.

Copper Tamagoyaki Pan by Nakamura Douki

Teflon products, which are convenient to use without food sticking to them, gradually lose their effectiveness after a year of continuous use, and eventually need to be replaced. In contrast, copper can be used for many years with proper use and care. These two features, "thermal conductivity" and "longevity," are the most attractive features of copper cookware.

Professional copper Tamagoyaki pans are also constructed with copper on the inside, but they are prone to burning without high cooking skill. As a result, Copper Tamagoyaki pans designed for household use feature a non-stick tin coating on the inside.

Copper Tamagoyaki Pan by Nakamura Douki

Before Use: Season with oil before using for the first time

Clean with a sponge and dishwashing detergent, rinse thoroughly, and dry completely. Then, add canola oil to the Copper Tamagoyaki Pan until it's about 70% full and heat it over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pan during this process.) This will allow the oil to blend into the pan and prevent it from burning.

Watch the video starting from 1:20.

A safer method is to soak a paper towel in oil and coat the surface multiple times.

Place a folded paper towel in a small bowl and generously cover it with canola oil.
Heat the pan over low-medium heat and generously coat it with oil. Just before it starts to smoke, apply oil again. Repeat this process.
Once the oil has accumulated in the pan, return it to the bowl. As you repeat this process, the paper towel and oil will gradually become dirty. If they get too dirty, replace the paper towel and oil with new ones.
After repeating the above process, the inside of the frying pan will have a glossy finish, similar to paint. Turn off the heat. Use a new paper towel to finish the seasoning process.

Check out the first video above for the method. It is explained in the first minute and a half in the video.

After Use: How to Care for long-lasting use

- Transfer cooked food to a dish or container right after cooking to prevent rusting from prolonged storage in the pan.
- After the pan has cooled, remove the scraps from the inside using paper towel etc., and store the pan with a thin layer of oil.
- If it gets burnt, put water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Then, wash it with a sponge, and boil it in oil as you did the first time you used it.
- Do not scrub inside of the pan with a scrubber and cleanser, as this may cause scratches and the pot will easily become burnt.
- If you won't be using it for a while, cover it with a piece of paper towel after applying oil.