Takoyaki makers

Takoyaki makers cook Japanese balls of thin batter, traditionally filled with pieces of octopus, in a plate with half-round cavities. You’ll find an electric appliance for home use as well as professional electric and gas machines with stainless steel bodies and one to three plates for bistros and stalls.

Takoyaki makers

For home use, compact electric appliances need no hob, such as a model with 18 cavities of 4 cm in diameter and 500 W of power. You set the browning level on the dial, and besides takoyaki you can make sweet balls from pancake batter in them.

Bistros, stalls and food trucks rely on professional machines with a stainless steel casing, heated by electricity or gas. They have one to three plates with 28 cavities each, so every batch yields 28 to 84 balls. On models with several plates, each plate is controlled separately, and some come with a set of cooking tools.

When choosing, the number and size of the cavities decide how many balls are ready at once, along with the heating type to suit where you’ll use it. The batter should turn golden without burning, so fine control of temperature or flame pays off. Turn the balls with thin skewers; wooden ones won’t scratch the non-stick coating.