Paella & Wok Pans

The Specialty Tools of Spanish and Asian Lovers of "Fried Rice"!

Whereas stir-fry is typically done over extremely high heat, where one agitates the pan vigorously to keep the contents in motion and where the rapid cooling of the wok pan is as important as its instant heating (which explains the wok pan's high, thin sides), paella is made over low heat, where the heat-retention of the pan plays an important role, therefore a paella pan is generally made of thicker material. Since there is no need to keep the paella contents in constant, vigorous motion (gentle stirring is sufficient), neither do the sides of the paella pan need to be high.