Electric Takoyaki Pan Pancake de Suzanne Lefebvre24moldes

Following a recent trip to Japan where we were introduced to takoyaki. My wife and I absolutely HAD to get a takoyaki pan. The ordering process was typical Amazon - Prime! Flawless. Fast. Perfect.In Japan, we experienced a round takoyaki pan, and at the party we were at, several rounds of balls were made during the meal. When we looked and saw a pan with 24 cups were were excited.I read many reviews and there are two things to consider:1. The rectangular pan does have 4 "colder" spots. The outer 4 cups do not heat as efficiently as the other cups. The heating element is a rectangular oval shape that runs around the 2x4 center cups. We didn't have any problem with that, just let them cook longer before rotating.2. Voltage Concern OPINION - The element states that it is rated for 100V (like most appliances in Japan). The attached wired cord is rated for 125V. There is no thermostat, just an on/off switch. My research showed that most appliances are designed to operate correctly within 10-15% power fluctuation on the voltage...the typical swings on all power in an electrical grid. Unless going through a regulating transformer, these power swings are normal. So 10% on a 100V appliance equals 110V. Voila... no problem. The element may run a little hotter, but not outside of design capability. It's a heater element after all. It produces heat based upon the internal resistance of the element (diameter vs. length vs. construction). No problem. I will be VERY surprised if I ever have a problem with this unit. It will not run so hot that it will burn out faster at the voltage difference in the USA.If you're looking for a great takoyaki pan, I heartily give this a THUMBS UP.

I bought this for a friend of mine for her birthday since she'd been wanting to try takoyaki for years but we had no way of making them. Like most of the other reviewers, I live in the US and was nervous about the voltage difference but, emboldened by the successes of others, I made the purchase. It works perfectly! We haven't had the problems with hotspots that others complained of and the nice wrought iron ( think?) plate is removable for easy cleaning. The takoyaki themselves are fun and easy to make and, while the soft insides weren't really to my taste, the birthday girl loved them and I guess that's what matters. The only reason I rate this four stars rather than five is that the materials do feel very cheap - as one would expect for the price. The plate itself feels solid enough, but the cord seems thin and weak (the plug itself is similar and tugging it out of the wall socket honestly made me a bit nervous) and the plastic sidewalls are just basic plastic. The heating unit is a basic electric coil - the same as found in my crappy (but effective!) 80s oven, and I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively even heat.

I live in the US and have a flat-top electric stove, so I wasn't very sure about getting the regular pan. Instead, I bought this and have successfully used it many times to make great tasting takoyaki. It's very convenient because you just plug it in, switch it on and it's ready in seconds. You can also make up to 24 at a time, which is great when you are making it for a party or dinner.However, I do think that it needs some kind of converter because the heating is uneven. We kind of have this method of taking advantage of the uneven heating where we roll the mostly cooked takoyaki into the low heat sections to slow cook/keep warm. It can be overwhelming cooking a lot of takoyaki at once, so it is helpful to roll them into sections of the pan where it is not as hot. I think that sometime in the future I will invest in a converter to see if that is the source of the issue, but I still love the maker very much regardless!Overall I would recommend this if you're living in the US and need a sure way to make great takoyaki

I love being able to cook so many at once, but there are a few drawbacks. It has an open heating element under the cast iron tray, and a cheap plastic base. No English instructions. Uneven cooking. No temperature control, just on/off. After a few uses you get to know how quickly to turn them and where the hot spots are. There are nice grooves built-in for drizzles between each hole, and the cast iron seems to be quite sturdy. I think being able to cook so many at once, and the good price make it worth the downsides.

We bought this for my daughter to make takoyaki at the International Fair at her high school. The outer/end rows do not heat up much, so many of the takoyaki remain battery while the other ones cook. Disappointed! The round ones work better. The Cucina Pro worked great, instead.