Cookware · Hearths
Tamagoyaki pan
A rectangular omelette pan: rolled layers of egg that become a sweet-savory brick in a bento.
The journey
Tamagoyaki is a roll, not a fold. The pan is rectangular so each thin sheet of egg can be rolled on itself, then another sheet poured, until a log forms. Home and sushi kitchens in Japan still keep this little copper or aluminum rectangle.
A round skillet can make an omelette. It cannot make the brick.
In the kitchen
Oil lightly between layers. Keep the heat moderate. Roll toward you. Rest, then slice.
The Japanese volume's breakfast and bento pages assume this pan. A small square pan is the only honest substitute.