I first encountered tamagoyaki about five years ago. I was working my way through Masaharu Morimoto’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, and started with tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelet)—I figured it would be easy. I bought a rectangular pan and got cooking, only to end up with a disheveled heap of egg. While it tasted good (tamagoyaki have a gentle sweetness from mirin and umami from soy sauce and dashi), it took dozens of tries to finally get a semi-perfectly rolled, layered omelet.  

All this to say, while sushi masters spend years perfecting tamagoyaki, you CAN make a decent iteration at home. The first step to doing so is buying a tamagoyaki pan. I got some tips on what to look for in a tamagoyaki pan from Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef who used to make dashi maki (a.k.a tamagoyaki with dashi) every day. After that, I rolled dozens of omelets with six pans to find three solid options for home cooks. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This nonstick pan makes it easy to roll delicate tamagoyaki at home. The handle was securely attached, and it had an inclined lip to help slide the finished omelet onto a plate. 

This pan had a balanced handle that facilitated spreading the beaten egg mixture. It also sported an inclined lip, making it easy to remove the omelet. 

This small, rectangular pan produced neat tamagoyaki, and I like the included silicone scraper, which helped fold each layer. 

The Tests

• Seasoning Test: I seasoned the cast iron and copper pan before using them. 
• Tamagoyaki Test: I made this tamagoyaki recipe using each pan, noting how easy it was to use and what the final result was like. I also hand-washed each pan after use. 
• Durability Test (Winners Only): I used the best tamagoyaki pans to make five tamagoyaki in a row, noting if the pan sustained any damage or warping from frequent heating and cooling, and from rolling the omelets. I used the dishwasher to clean applicable pans and hand-washed the rest. 

What Is Tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki came about in the 1950s in Japan as a way to encourage the population to eat more protein. Today, in addition to being a bento box staple, this airy rolled omelet is also served in sushi restaurants, where it’s thought to signify how talented the chef is. In its most simple form, tamagoyaki is a rolled omelet that’s made by pouring a thin layer of mixed egg into a rectangular pan, then using a spatula or chopsticks to fold the egg layer. This little roll is pushed to the edge of the pan, lifted, and another layer of egg is poured, then the first layer is wrapped by this second layer. This continues four times, resulting in a layered, wrapped omelet that’s served in slices to show off its striations. 

While that’s the general idea, tamagoyaki can come in various shapes, sizes, and flavorings. “There are several variations of tamagoyaki like Tokyo (sweet), Kyoto (savory and juicier) style, as well as grilled eel rolled inside,” says Saito. While there are also thicker offerings like datemaki, or thin shredded omelets like kinshi tamago, for my review of the pans, I focused on making home-style omelets flavored with mirin, soy sauce, and dashi. 

What We Learned

Nonstick Tamagoyaki Pans Are Best for Beginners

While professional chefs may use copper tamagoyaki pans, Saito suggests nonstick skillets for home cooks and/or beginners because they’re easier to use. “Nonstick pans are easy for everyone, and there’s less chance of making mistakes,” he says. That said, the results from a copper pan will differ slightly from tamagoyaki made in nonstick or cast iron.

“Copper pans have fantastic thermal conductivity, so they make the omelet really fluffy while keeping the juiciness inside,” Saito says. “I find tamagoyaki cooked in nonstick and iron are a little drier and harder compared to one cooked in a copper pan, which feels like baby’s cheek.” 

Copper does take a little more skill and effort, though, and requires seasoning and maintenance, or else you might end up with a pan gunked up with egg. “For experienced cooks, copper is the go-to, but they need to be seasoned and don’t work well with induction cooktops,” Saito says. 

While nonstick is the easiest option for most home cooks, as we’ve said before, you shouldn’t spend a lot of money on a nonstick skillet, since it will break down over time—and the same is true of tamagoyaki pans. The good news: my three favorite pans are all under $30. 

A Rectangular Pan With a Slanted Lip Was Easier to Work With

Most of the pans I tested were rectangular—about five by seven inches—and made it easy to whip up perfectly shaped tamagoyaki. Larger pans, like the copper Tikusan, which is a seven-by-seven-inch square with straight sides, were more difficult to use and my tamagoyaki ended up more like a thin roll than a brick. If you’re a newbie to making tamagoyaki, in addition to looking for a rectangular pan, I also recommend finding one with a slanted outer lip to make serving the omelet a cinch. 

Utensils Helped

Watching a video of a skilled tamagoyaki chef is not only soothing, but also impressive. With a flick of the wrist and a pair of chopsticks they turn sheets of egg into a perfect, layered roll. While this is what I aspire to, I get by with a little help from my (utensil) friends. Specifically, this thin metal spatula (I know, I know… you’re not supposed to use metal on a nonstick pan, but I’ve been doing this for years and haven’t had an issue with it scraping the pan) and a silicone turner spatula; I like to slot the thin lip of the metal one under the egg to get it rolling, then nudge it along with the soft silicone turner to prevent any tearing. A few pans I tested, like the HooJay, came with a silicone scraper that was quite useful when folding each omelet layer. 

A Good Handle Made It Easy to Swirl the Egg Mixture

Making tamagoyaki involves pouring a layer of egg into the pan, then using the handle to swirl it so it coats the bottom—so you want a handle that’s comfortable to grip. I liked the Techef handle, which was elevated enough that it kept my hand a safe distance from the burner, but also provided enough grip and control to swirl the egg mixture. Conversely, I wasn’t a huge fan of handles that stuck up at a severe angle, like on the Yamasan and copper Tikusan, which made it tricky to spread the eggs. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Tamagoyaki Pan

If you’re new to tamagoyaki (or at the very least, aren’t on the same level as a sushi chef), I’d recommend starting with an affordable nonstick pan. It’ll be easy to use and clean, and the chances of rolling a perfectly pretty omelet are higher than they are with a square copper skillet. That said, if you’re a tamagoyaki pro, you might want to consider a copper skillet, which makes airier omelets. Either way, a good handle is a must—this makes it easy to spread the egg mixture. A slightly slanted lip also made it easier to create layers (it lets you slip a spatula into the pan) and plate the omelet.

Our Favorite Tamagoyaki Pans

What we liked: I loved the compact, rectangular shape of this pan, which made it easy to roll and layer tamagoyaki. The nonstick coating worked wonderfully and there were no scratches or damage after use. The handle is solidly attached, well-balanced, and has a divot near the pan that keeps your hand in place. 

What we didn’t like: This is a nonstick pan, which means it has a finite lifespan. 

Key Specs 

• Materials: Teflon nonstick coating, aluminum
• Weight: 1 pound, 0.8 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 inches
• Handle length: 6.5 inches
• Induction-friendly: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes, though we recommend hand-washing nonstick skillets

What we liked: I liked this pan’s sturdy, balanced handle (with a hook for hanging). Being able to confidently grip the handle helped the process of rolling the egg mixture. The omelets emerged light and fluffy. 

What we didn’t like: The far edge of the pan is straighter than the others tested, so it requires a little finagling to remove the omelet from the pan. The wooden flipping tool didn’t work.

Key Specs 

• Materials: Aluminum, nonstick coating, stainless steel
• Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 inches
• Handle length: 5.75 inches
• Induction-friendly: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: NA, so we’d recommend hand-washing (which we do for nonstick pans in general)

What we liked: The slightly inclined lip helped me slide out finished omelets, and the silicone spatula got the omelet rolling (literally). It comes with a tiny silicone brush for wiping oil on the surface, which is a nice touch. It’s the cheapest winning pan by a few bucks. 

What we didn’t like: The handle has a deep divot on the underside where it meets the pan, which is uncomfortable when you’re gripping it. It’s also not as balanced/sturdy as our other winners.

Key Specs 

• Materials: Aluminum, nonstick coating, stainless steel
• Weight: 12.4 ounces
• Pan dimensions: 6 x 7 inches
• Handle length: 6.5 inches
• Induction-friendly: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: No

The Competition

• Iwachu Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This hefty cast iron pan was quite sticky, though I think with time and use it would become more nonstick. That said, it’s a challenging pan to use if you’re new to making tamagoyaki, and Saito says the omelets made in cast iron often emerge firmer than those made in copper. 
• Yamasan Japanese Iron Tamagoyaki Omelette Pan: This was a pricey pan, which made it all the more disappointing when the coating on the interior started to wear off after the first use. 
• TIKUSAN Japanese Tamagoyaki Omelets: While a copper pan can make a light and airy rolled omelet, it’s best used by confident tamagoyaki cooks. Plus, this version had a wooden handle that you had to affix to the pan by hammering a single, tiny nail into it—hence, it was very wobbly. 

FAQs

What is tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki is a rectangular Japanese omelet made by layering thin sheets of beaten egg. It’s often flavored with soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, though there are lots of other iterations. 

How are tamagoyaki pans different than nonstick skillets?

Tamagoyaki pans are unique because of their shape: most are rectangular or square. This helps create the namesake omelet’s shape, and makes it easy to roll up each egg layer. Beyond that, they are similar to other nonstick skillets in terms of longevity and materials. 

What else can you make in a tamagoyaki pan? 

Anything you want to be rectangular—but, seriously! If you have a nonstick tamagoyaki pan, you can use it to make French toast (the slices will fit perfectly, though you might only be able to cook one or two pieces at a time), square okonomiyaki, or rectangular scallion or kimchi pancakes…the list goes on.  

What is the best material for a tamagoyaki pan?

While sushi chefs often use copper tamagoyaki pans, which heat up quickly and produce lighter tamagoyaki, nonstick is the easiest for most home cooks. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Serious Eats; prior to this, she was a reviews editor at America’s Test Kitchen.
• She’s been testing gear for almost three years. 
• She has a tamagoyaki pan that she’s used for about five years at this point. 
• For this review, Grace tested six tamagoyaki pans by making around 21 omelets. She examined the pans for durability, results, and also how easy they were to clean. 
• She also interviewed Masaaki Saito, a bladesmith and former sushi chef, to get tips on what to look for in a tamagoyaki pan.