The absolute best set up is a round takoyaki pan, either on a gas or electric portable grill. Much of the fun of takoyaki comes from everyone sitting around the table and cooking together, putting in your favorite ingredients and popping the little balls out then eating them hot and fresh. That is how it is done in Japan, and home-cooking takoyaki isn't meant to be the province of a lone cook standing over a stove while everyone waits patiently for the food. It is a communal experience.
However, true takoyaki cookers are not readily available, and this pan is better than nothing. It doesn't take much, just a pan with round indents in it heavy enough to rest on the range while the balls are flipped over using long toothpicks. It isn't really designed to work with electric ranges, as they are pretty rare in Japan, but it does the trick. I don't recommend using the included steel pick, as it will scratch your pan and conduct heat while doing the flipping.
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this is a pretty good item. comes in nice box, kinda heavy though, but one of the old fashion iron pans that make food taste great!Best Deals for Buy Download Takoyaki Pan #H5180
I always wanted to try takoyaki, make it myself you know. With this Takoyaki Pan I could. As the first reviewer said, it is heavy, but it's not bad. The Pan itself is big enouf to fit on a small burner on the stove. When I first opened it I was surprise how big the semi-spheres where, just good enouf to make the perfect size octopuss ball. Plus it comes with a pick, and a brush to oil the pan, cause it's not stick proof.So anyway, it's a good product and all.
The shipping was fast and on time .
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The takoyaki pan in fact worked better for me over my electric range than the other range it was designed for. Outer depressions cooked more slowly than inner but on the whole electric dispensed the heat more evenly. As long as I liberally applied Pam with every batch I had no trouble in turning the takoyaki over. Though the included pick didn't scratch my pan I felt it was easier to flip the delicate dumplings the slighter wooden ones you can get in stores.Add 1 part Sriracha hot chili sauce (with the rooster on the front) and 3 parts mayo for a terrific spicy sauce.
No complaints here! Very satisfied I can have this delicious and under appreciated treat whenever I please!
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I have a grill that looks exactly like this grill. The box art looks different so I'm guessing this is a standard grill that came from some factory and sold under different names. I think I got mine under 20 bucks at a local Japanese grocery store.I love this takoyaki grill. It's the best thing short of the home version of the professional gas-powered grill that you see at Takoyaki stores in Japan. Works great on an electric stove (I have flat top) and even better on gas range. I've had a few grills of different sizes and shapes and this grill makes takoyaki balls large enough to satisfy and a dozen is great for each round. The size and shape of the grill is ideal for American stove tops. If any bigger or not square, it'd be too difficult to heat evenly. The handle is great. I think mine also came with the mop-head looking oil applicator. If yours does not, you can always use a wad of paper towel do apply the oil to the grill (make sure you get oil in each hole and around each hole).
If you're feeding your friends and family, you may want to pick up a second one and have them cooking concurrently. And while you're at it, you can teach them. Learning to make takoyaki is challenging but also very fun at the same time. The reward is a huge sense of accomplishment when you see your messy batter turn into round balls of perfection. Then you get to eat them! Learning to make takoyaki is like riding a bike. Once you learn, you're set.
Here are some tips for making good takoyaki these are just my tips so YMMV:
Heat the grill well. Use plenty of oil. I know it's not the healthiest thing but it avoids sticking. Also, change the temperature of the grill during the course of cooking. First keep it high, pour in the batter, then turn it down to med and slow cook the remaining way.
DO NOT use the steel pick that comes with the grill. You will end up scratching the grill. Instead, go buy some bamboo picks that are often used for yakitori and kabobs. They work great.
Buy flour specifically made for takoyaki. You can find it at Japanese grocery stores. It can be a bit expensive but it's way better than using conventional flour.
When adding more than one egg, I usually use more egg whites than egg yolk. Egg whites help with the shape and crispiness but too much egg yolk changes the texture and flavor too much.
I wash and take out the innards of the octopus and boil the octopus lightly so it's still soft (do not cook completely). Then you can chop up the semi-cooked octopus. I let the stock cool down and use that to mix with the takoyaki flour. You get more taste this way. You can add more stock to control the thickness of the batter. I add just enough so that the outside of the balls turn out crispy while the inside is still gooey. If you don't like the gooey inside, you can use less stock, but keep in mine authentic takoyaki has gooey inside :)
Where can you get octopus? You can get the big ones at Japanese grocery shops but they can be expensive. Usually, I just pick up the frozen packs at Korean grocery stores (i.e., H-mart, Assi). They're smaller and they're not the distinctive red octopus when you cook them but hey, they're cheaper.
Other ingredients (note, you can use these for okonomiyaki too)
You can find these at Japanese or Asian grocery shops:
Diced green onions add to batter if you like.
Pickled red ginger these are called "beni shoga" ("shoga" pronounced like "shouga") or "kizami shoga" usually for $2-3 in the refrigerated section. Chop these up and add to your tokoyaki right after you put tako in.
Tenkasu these are tempura batter shavings... totally optional. Put them in at the same time as red ginger.
Once takoyaki is off the grill and on the plate:
Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki sauce this is the sauce you pour after taking takoyaki off the grill.. You can also use tonkatsu sauce instead.
Ao-nori (literally means "blue nori" but is actually green) this is shaved green laver and is a must in my book. Can be expensive though. Sprinkle after tonkatsu sauce.
Katsuo-bushi (shaved bonito flakes) Sprinkle on top after you pour sauce over finished takoyaki. This is usually the last step.
Japanese mayonnaise Buy Kewpie (Q.P.) mayonnaise in a tube. This tastes different from American mayo. You can just squeeze some off to the side on your plate and use to your liking.
Some may argue that you want to keep takoyaki simple with just batter and tako, while others love loading it up with everything. Just make it the way you like best! :)
Finally, as true with any cast iron grill, do not wash this grill! Just wipe it down clean with some oil and store it in a bag.
Enjoy!
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