The 9 Best Comals
Updated by · How we research
Cast iron, carbon steel or stainless? Nine comals sorted by size, weight, handles and gas, electric and induction fit; the Lodge Round Griddle comes first. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Any heavy flat pan will warm a tortilla, but a comal's low rim makes the flip easier, by hand or with a spatula. The flat griddle comes from Mexican and Central American kitchens, where it cooks and warms tortillas, toasts chiles and spices, and makes quesadillas and arepas. Home cooks, taqueros and flatbread bakers rely on one.
From the manual
- The dishwasher, soaking or the microwave voids the warranty; rust, pitting, sticky seasoning and flaking aren't covered. warranty page
- A crack or warp in normal home use gets a free replacement, for the original buyer or gift recipient only. warranty page
- On induction, Lodge advises a lower setting than on other tops, and on glass, lift the pan rather than slide it. heat-source guide
- Start at medium-low, and hold off on tomato or lemon dishes until the seasoning builds. care guide
From the manual
- Preheat on low to medium; Victoria says high heat can cause sticking or smoke, and some early sticking is normal, so use extra oil. tips page
- The lifetime warranty repairs or replaces a pan that cracks or warps in normal use. warranty page
- It needs proof of purchase from an authorized Victoria dealer, and seasoning wear, rust and flaking aren't covered. warranty page
Compare the specs
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Product | Diameter (in) | Material | Induction (maker lists) | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lodge Round Griddle | 10.5 | Cast iron | Yes | Limited lifetime |
| 2. Victoria GDL-186 | 10.5 | Cast iron | Yes | Limited lifetime |
| 3. Victoria GDL-187 | 12 | Cast iron | Yes | Limited lifetime |
| 4. Uno Casa Tortilla Press Bundle | — | Cast iron | — | — |
| 5. Concord Convexed Comal | 21.25 | Stainless steel | — | 1 year, register in 30 days |
| 6. Cuisinel C10-RG | — | Cast iron | — | Limited lifetime, U.S. only |
| 7. Victoria GDL-188 | 15 | Cast iron | Yes | Limited lifetime |
| 8. IMUSA IMU-186AMZ | 9.5 | Cast iron | Not listed | 90 days |
| 9. IMUSA CAR-52023 | 13.5 | Nonstick carbon steel | Not listed | 90 days |
Diameter is the size in the maker's product name. IMUSA's figures come from its pages for the sister IMU-186W and CAR-52021T, and its warranty is the brand's 90-day cookware policy. Lodge and Victoria replace a pan that cracks or warps in home use; Concord's warranty counts only if registered within 30 days. A dash means the maker doesn't say.
Sources
- Lodge 10.5-inch round griddle (L9OG3) Made Right warranty
- Victoria 10.5-inch comal 12-inch comal 15-inch comal and pizza pan Cast iron tips (induction) Limited lifetime warranty
- Uno Casa Comal and press bundle
- Concord 21.25-inch convexed comal Warranty FAQ
- Cuisinel Care and use Lifetime warranty terms
- IMUSA IMU-186W 9.5-inch comal (Spanish) CAR-52021T 13.5-inch comal (Spanish) Limited warranty (PDF)
From the manual
- Victoria says the long handle stays cooler, but its care tips warn that handles get hot, so keep mitts or a trivet handy. product page, tips page
- Don't slide it on glass or ceramic tops, and keep it out of the dishwasher and microwave. tips page
From the manual
- Uno Casa says to skip soap, dry the pan fully and re-season it before storing, with about an hour in a 375 F oven. bundle page
- Press each ball on parchment, then cook the tortilla 30 to 40 seconds a side. bundle page
From the manual
- The one-year warranty covers factory defects only, and it must be registered within 30 days of purchase. warranty page
- Concord also sells it in a bundle with a 30-inch stand and a 90,000 BTU burner; the comal alone ships without either. bundle page
From the manual
- The silicone handle sleeve is oven-safe only to 350 F and can get hot, so Cuisinel says to keep using mitts. care page
- Soap is fine, but no dishwasher or soaking; dry it over medium heat, since air-drying rusts cast iron. care page
- The lifetime warranty applies only in the United States and excludes overheating and commercial use. warranty terms
From the manual
- IMUSA lists gas, electric and glass-ceramic tops, the oven and a campfire, but not induction, and says to wash it by hand only. spec page
- The cookware warranty lasts 90 days, covers only manufacturing defects and needs the original receipt. warranty sheet, p. 1
From the manual
- No metal utensils or abrasive sponges, and don't run cold water over it while it's hot. p. 1
- IMUSA warns that fumes from overheated nonstick can harm pet birds, so keep them out of the kitchen. p. 1
- Don't leave it heating empty after cooking, and keep the flame no wider than the pan's base. p. 1
Editor's Notes
November 4, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
We checked every pick against its maker's own pages, since none has a model manual online, and added a spec table and the makers' care and warranty notes under most items. We corrected the Poctli honor, which said the shop makes no lead-free claim; Poctli says its clay is lead-free and unglazed. We also fixed the claim that clay can't go on an electric top, the IMUSA cast-iron pan's missing warranty, and unsourced lines about the Cuisinel and the GDL-188's surface.
October 18, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Lodge Round Griddle stays from the old list and now ranks first: a plain cast-iron disc that does the everyday comal job well. Most of the rest of that list had drifted. The Lodge Round Baking Pan listing now sells a different pan, the Ancient Cookware Mexican Clay and GauchoGrillX Budare Curado are unavailable, the Columbian Home Mexican Origins listing is gone, and the Cuisinart Chef's Classic is really a crepe pan with no current price. We also dropped the Concord Frying Bowl, a deep bowl rather than a comal, the MDS Cuisine Convex, which is nearly out of stock, and the Home-Complete Skillet, now sold as a pizza pan with no stated warranty.
The Victoria GDL-186 stays too. New picks add larger Victoria sizes, a convex stainless steel comal for big gas burners, a press-and-comal kit for cooks who start from masa, and two low-cost IMUSA options.
We found no lab tests of comals, so the evidence here is makers' dimension charts and drawings, their heat ratings and care guides, plus owner feedback and recall databases. And if you don't own one yet, any heavy flat pan will warm a tortilla. A comal just makes the flip easier.
Earlier notes
March 2, 2021, by Christopher Thomas:
Cooking implements don't get much simpler than comals. For example, the Ancient Cookware Mexican Clay is about as authentic as they get, and as the name implies, it's made from nothing more than simple clay.
Of course, more durable materials like cast iron can make a difference in both performance and versatility, which is why the Lodge Round Baking Pan remains at the top spot. The Home-Complete Skillet is less expensive but its finish isn't quite as nice, and the Lodge Round Griddle is just a hair less convenient than the others because it doesn't have the same pair of loop handles.
Cast iron isn't the only alternative, though. The MDS Cuisine Convex and Concord Frying Bowl are both made from stainless steel; The MDS has the convex shape needed for some specialty dishes, and the Concord is big enough to accommodate a small food truck. On the other hand, the GauchoGrillX Budare Curado leverages polished aluminum to deliver performance almost on a par with steel models, but at a considerably lower weight.
November 16, 2018, by Lydia Chipman:
Considered a variety of contemporary and traditional options suitable for preparing authentic ethnic cuisine, with flat, convex or concave surfaces, with offerings in several different sizes and materials.
Special Honors
Poctli Comal de Barro Poctli sells handmade clay comales from San Marcos Tlapazola, in Oaxaca, in sizes from about 10 to 14 inches. Clay is the original comal material, though it's fragile and won't work on induction; Poctli says its 10-inch comal can go on a gas or electric top. The shop recommends curing the surface with cal, a slaked lime paste. Poctli says its comales are unglazed and made from lead-free clay, which matters because the FDA's lead warning is about glazed traditional pottery. poctli.com
Made In x Masienda Comal This bare carbon-steel comal, made by Made In with the masa supplier Masienda, has an 11.75-inch cooking surface and weighs 3.8 pounds, light for its size. It comes with its first two coats of seasoning. The maker says it works on gas, electric and induction, but warns that electric and induction burners raise the risk of warping. Stock comes and goes, so check the page before planning on one. masienda.com
Cast Iron, Carbon Steel, Stainless Or Clay
Coated carbon steel is lighter and cheaper still, but the coating caps the heat.
A comal is a smooth, flat griddle used across Mexico, Central America and parts of South America for tortillas and arepas, toasting spices and nuts, and browning meat. The word comes from the Nahuatl comalli, and Venezuelans call a similar pan a budare (Wikipedia).
The traditional comal is unglazed clay, and makers in Oaxaca and elsewhere still produce them. Clay is fragile, does best over a gas flame or open fire, and won't work on induction. Most home cooks now use cast iron. It's heavy, about 4 to 6 pounds for a 10- to 12-inch disc, and it holds steady heat once it's hot. Lodge says its iron is made with only iron and oil, with no PFAS coatings (Lodge).
Bare carbon steel is the lighter metal option. Masienda, a masa supplier, says its carbon-steel comal matches cast iron's heat retention at about half the weight, but warns that electric and induction burners carry a higher risk of warping (Masienda). Coated carbon steel is lighter and cheaper still, but the coating caps the heat. Large convex stainless discs are the street-vendor style: tortillas warm on the raised center while meat cooks around the edge, over a big gas or propane burner.
Size, Handles And Your Stove
Match the comal to your largest burner. A 10- to 12-inch disc fits most home burners and holds one to three tortillas. Bigger pans, such as 15-inch iron or 21-inch stainless discs, overhang a standard burner, so the rim runs cooler than the center. They make sense on a griddle burner, a grill or an outdoor burner. A big comal also allows two heat zones: Rick Bayless, chef and co-owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill, has corn tortillas start on a medium zone and flip onto a medium-high one, using a griddle that stretches over two burners or two skillets, in the corn tortilla recipe on his site (Rick Bayless).
On electric and glass-ceramic tops, choose a heavy pan with a dead-flat bottom. A bowed base rocks and heats poorly, and dragging cast iron can scratch the glass, so lift it instead of sliding. Induction needs a magnetic pan: cast iron and carbon steel work, while clay and most aluminum do not. Masienda recommends warming its carbon-steel comal slowly on electric and induction to avoid warping (Masienda).
Handles matter more than they look. A long handle keeps your hand away from the heat but takes storage room. Two loop handles make a heavy pan safer to lift. Every cast-iron handle gets hot, and even silicone sleeves warm up, so keep a dry mitt nearby.
Seasoning, Care And Safety
Pre-seasoned cast iron is ready to use, and the seasoning improves as you cook. The care routine is short: wash by hand, dry right away, wipe on a thin coat of oil, and never soak it or put it in the dishwasher. If rust appears, scrub it off and re-season (Lodge). Bare carbon steel needs a thin coat of oil heated onto it before first use, even when it's sold seasoned, and a wipe of oil if it sits unused for a week or two (Masienda).
Coated comals follow different rules: keep them under the maker's temperature limit, use wooden or nylon tools, and wash by hand. Clay comales are often cured with cal, a slaked lime paste, before use (Poctli).
Lead is the main safety question with clay. The FDA warns that some traditional glazed pottery, especially imported or handmade pieces with bright decoration, can leach lead into food, that washing or boiling won't remove it, and that home test kits can screen a piece (FDA). Neither the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission nor Health Canada lists a cookware recall for any brand on this list (SaferProducts.gov, Health Canada).
How we researched this
We compared about 20 comals and griddles, including several sizes of the Victoria, IMUSA, Lodge and Uno Casa lines. None of the nine picks has a model manual online, so we read the makers' own pages instead: Lodge's L9OG3 listing, heat-source guide and Made Right warranty; Victoria's 10.5-, 12- and 15-inch comal pages, care tips and warranty; Cuisinel's care guide and warranty terms; Concord's comal, bundle and warranty pages; Uno Casa's bundle and press pages; and IMUSA's pages for the sister IMU-186W and CAR-52021T, plus its warranty and nonstick care sheets. Masienda's care guides, Poctli's clay notes and FDA guidance on lead in traditional pottery covered the materials outside the list. On November 4, 2026, the CPSC and Health Canada recall databases showed no cookware recall for any of these brands; IMUSA's one U.S. recall, in 2016, was for espresso makers.
Sources (19)
- Wikipedia: Comal (cookware)
- Lodge: cast iron made without PFAS
- Lodge: beginner's guide to cast iron cleaning and care
- Masienda: Made In x Masienda comal
- Masienda: Comal, an ancient workhorse made new
- Masienda: comal care
- Victoria: our history
- Poctli: comal de barro
- FDA: lead-glazed traditional pottery
- SaferProducts.gov recall search
- Lodge: 10.5-inch round griddle (L9OG3)
- Lodge: Made Right limited lifetime warranty
- Victoria: 10.5-inch comal
- Victoria: limited lifetime warranty
- Poctli: FAQ
- Rick Bayless: corn tortillas
- Health Canada: recalls and safety alerts
- Lodge: how to use cast iron over any heat source
- Concord: comal, stand and burner bundle
Frequently asked questions
What is a comal?
A comal is a flat, low-rimmed griddle used in Mexican and Central American cooking to cook and warm tortillas, toast chiles, seeds and spices, and make quesadillas, sopes and arepas. Traditional comales are clay; most modern ones are cast iron or steel.
Can I use a skillet instead of a comal?
Yes. Any heavy flat pan will warm a tortilla. A comal's low rim and wide flat face just make flipping easier and leave room for more than one tortilla.
What is the best comal for an electric or glass-top stove?
A flat-bottomed cast-iron comal that fits your burner, such as the Lodge Round Griddle or the Victoria GDL-186. Lift it rather than sliding it. Clay is fragile, so check the seller's stove guidance before setting one on glass.
Does a comal work on induction?
Cast iron and carbon steel do, because they're magnetic. Clay, aluminum and some stainless discs don't. Carbon steel can warp on induction if heated too fast, so warm it slowly.
Cast iron or carbon steel?
Cast iron is heavier and holds steady heat. Bare carbon steel is lighter and heats faster. Both need seasoning. Coated carbon steel is the lightest, but its coating limits the heat.
Are clay comales safe?
Unglazed clay is the traditional choice. The concern is lead in some glazed traditional pottery. The FDA advises testing such pieces and not using them for food if a test finds lead.
