Product review: Takoyaki pan

How can you make your pumpkin waffle balls without a takoyaki pan?  You can't, so I'm going to point you in the right direction.  I can't properly recommend the one I have since there's no name stamped on it, and I can only say it was from one of the countless stores on Shanghai street in Hong Kong.  I can however recommend what I would get today, as it's the closest thing to my version.

First off and most important, it's cast iron.  You will need to season it well when you first get it, but after that, as long as you are careful cleaning it and keep it seasoned, it will be 100% reliable.  Heating the pan is a little slower, but once up to heat, it is very even and consistent as you cook.   Being cast iron, it's also indestructible, so you'll only need to buy it once, and it will always come in handy for self-defence.  There are non-stick versions out there, but when you are turning the waffles with a metal skewer, sooner or later you will get through the non-stick coating - no more indestructible.  Stick with the cast iron.

Second, as for "handles", this pan has minimal, and they were designed as part of the cast.  You already have enough handles hanging off your stove and Junior doesn't need to be pulling a cast iron pan onto his noggin.  It's cast iron, so the weight alone will keep it in place.  You'll see some versions with handles.  Wood v.s Iron?  Always the same outcome - one day the handle will break.  If you find a pan you like with a cast iron handle, that's better, but I still don't see it as very necessary.  

Lastly, the size and shape is perfect.  My pan has 15 divots, this one has 16, and they are in nice clean rows.  As you move along with your batter and start turning the waffles over, rows are a little easier to keep track of your spot than a circular pattern.  The size fits perfectly over one of the large burners on your stove, minimizing energy output and helping even out the heating.  Some pans have 24 divots, but then if you don't have a skillet feature on your stove, you are doing a balancing act between two burners and the middle of the pan isn't over any heat at all.  I'd rather have two small ones and work on two burners evenly (then you'd be working with 32 divots and 30% more productive!).

Amazon has a good selection, so look around, but for my money, this tight little unit is the pick of the litter.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.