My frying pan is holey...

December 8, 2012 4:12 AM

What is this frying pan with holes in the raised center? I'd like to replace it but I can't find one on the Tubes.

I have one and it's good for stir-frying things, but is getting old and the non-stick coating is flaking off. Ideally I'd like to replace it, but as a start is there a good name for it? Google seems to think maybe "convection frying pan", but that doesn't lead anywhere.

It was originally bought as some sort of "health-o-pan" that let you use less oil while cooking, I think. It has a lid, which I vaguely remember was part of the health spiel.

(I'm in the UK.)

posted by katrielalex to home & garden (8 answers total)

looks like it's called a 'dry fry' frying pan, or 'dry cooker'. here's one on ebay in the UK.
posted by duckstab at 4:46 AM on December 8, 2012

Question: what's so good about it for stir-frying things that you couldn't find in a pan without a weird gizmo in the middle?
posted by slkinsey at 5:36 AM on December 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

The purpose of the pan is to allow you to "fry" while using zero oil, not less oil, so if you are using oil you are doing it wrong. That's why it is called a "dry fry" pan, as duckstab identified.

If you simply want to stir fry things, get yourself a round-bottomed wok. Its design is made for stir frying with a small amount of oil.
posted by Tanizaki at 5:47 AM on December 8, 2012

@slkinsey: my dad says it doesn't seem to need much oil.
posted by katrielalex at 5:48 AM on December 8, 2012

These used to be all over U.S. television in "Only On TV" ads in the late 80's.
posted by sourwookie at 7:27 AM on December 8, 2012

The idea of the raised area with the holes was, when you had the lid on? The pan acted as a steamer, which --- with the no-oil idea --- is where the 'healthy!' bit comes in.
posted by easily confused at 8:56 AM on December 8, 2012

Right. If you want to a actually stir fry, I would suggest a moderately heavy frypan. If you want to steam, why not just get a steamer basket?
posted by slkinsey at 12:15 PM on December 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

They used to be heavily advertised here on TV. The rationale is that a crispy surface will be created by a flow of super-heated air from the gas flames under the pan, just as a crispy surface is created by super-heated oil when deep frying. I don't know how well they work, but I have a fan-forced oven and it doesn't create a deep-fried-like surface even when the temperature is all the way up.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:21 PM on December 8, 2012