Comal Alternative: 5 Pans That Heat Tortillas Just as Well

A comal is a flat, rimless griddle, and in a Mexican kitchen it does one job better than anything else: it heats tortillas fast and evenly, with nothing in the way of your fingers or a spatula. But plenty of good tortillas get warmed every night in kitchens that have never owned one.

This guide covers what to use instead of a comal. Most of the time the answer is a pan you already own, or the gas flame on your stove. If you want to buy something, we compare five pans and griddles that do the comal’s work, say how close each one gets, and where each one falls short.

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Why cooks look for a comal alternative

• Tortillas tonight, no comal in the cupboard. You need a way to heat them with what is already in the kitchen.
• Storage. A comal is one more heavy, flat piece of iron. Many cooks would rather buy a pan that also fries eggs and sears steak.
• Batch size. A round comal holds one or two tortillas at a time. For a family taco night, a long griddle is quicker.
• Stove type. Some cooks want a plug-in surface that frees up the burners, or a lighter pan for a glass top.

Quick verdict: the best comal alternative

Five comal stand-ins side by side

Our five standout alternatives, one for each kind of cook, with what each maker or listing states. All five are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes and materials are as stated by each maker or listing; check the listing before you buy.

What a comal does that other pans have to copy

Masienda, the heirloom-corn masa company, describes the comal as a flat, round griddle that “has been used since the Mesoamerican period to cook, toast, roast, blister, and puff.” The first ones were clay; later comals were made from cast iron, copper and other metals. What they share is the shape: a flat, open surface with little or no rim, held at a steady high heat.

That shape is what an alternative has to copy. A tortilla needs dry, direct heat across its whole face so it softens, puffs and picks up a few brown spots in well under a minute. A low rim lets you flip it with your fingers or slide a spatula underneath. Any heavy, dry pan can supply the heat. The rim is where the stand-ins differ: a crepe pan’s low, flared edge is close to a comal’s, a griddle has none at all, and a skillet’s tall walls make flipping fiddly.

The metal matters less than people think. America’s Test Kitchen notes that carbon steel pans are lighter than cast iron and “thin enough to heat quickly,” while cast iron holds heat longer. For tortillas, both work; carbon steel is simply quicker to heat and easier to lift.

Heating tortillas without a comal: three ways with what you own

A dry skillet

The Takeout’s guide to heating corn tortillas, by Iva Sorsa-Sunic, calls the skillet the easiest method: place the tortillas on a dry, preheated cast iron skillet for about 30 seconds a side, and dampen them first if they are not very fresh. Any heavy skillet works; skip the oil. Our comal vs cast iron skillet comparison explains where the skillet’s walls slow you down.

The gas flame

The Daily Meal’s guide to heating corn tortillas says the best way to reheat them without ruining their texture or flavor is a gas range set to medium-low, with the tortilla turned with tongs after a few seconds a side. It adds char and a little smoke. Stay with it the whole time, use tongs, and only do this on a gas burner; an electric coil or glass top is not an open flame.

Oven or microwave, for a stack

The Takeout’s guide also lists the oven, with stacks wrapped in foil for about 15 minutes, and the microwave, with a stack wrapped in a damp paper towel for about a minute. Both warm tortillas without browning them. The microwave is fastest, though the guide notes the texture can suffer. A tortilla warmer keeps any of these batches soft at the table.

Five pans and griddles that can stand in for a comal

All five are from identifiable makers and were in stock on Amazon, sold new, on the day of writing. Buy one only if the pans you own are not doing the job.

Which alternative for which cook

• You own a skillet and cook for one or two: use it dry, as The Takeout describes. Buy nothing.
• You have a gas stove and like char: the flame, with tongs and your full attention.
• You want one new pan that feels like a comal: the de Buyer crepe and tortilla pan.
• You feed a crowd: the Lodge Blacklock griddle on the stove, or the bella electric griddle on the counter. Our guide to cast iron griddles and our electric griddle roundup have more choices.
• You cook on a glass top: see our comal for electric stoves guide before choosing.

What we left out, and why

We did not include a gas-stove toaster rack: the one we found was an import listed only in German, with no US maker details. We left out ridged grill pans, because the ridges mark tortillas and stop them lying flat. And we did not pick a cast iron skillet: most kitchens already own one, and our comal vs skillet comparison recommends one by name.

When a real comal makes more sense

If you warm tortillas most days or press your own, a comal is worth the shelf space. It is flat, open and quick to grab, and it does nothing else badly enough to get in the way. Our guide to the best comal for tortillas covers cast iron, carbon steel and electric choices, and our nonstick comal guide covers coated ones.

Comal alternative questions, answered

What can I use instead of a comal?

A dry, preheated skillet, a flat griddle, a crepe pan or a gas flame. The Takeout calls a dry cast iron skillet the easiest way to heat corn tortillas.

How do I heat tortillas without a comal?

Heat a dry skillet and give each tortilla about 30 seconds a side, as The Takeout describes, or turn it over a medium-low gas flame with tongs for a few seconds a side, as The Daily Meal describes.

Is a griddle the same as a comal?

Close. A comal is a flat griddle, usually round; Masienda describes it as a flat, round cooking griddle. A long double burner griddle does the same job with room for more tortillas.

Can I use a crepe pan as a comal?

Yes. A low-rimmed crepe pan is the nearest shape to a comal, and de Buyer sells its Mineral B pan for tortillas as well as crepes.

Can I heat tortillas on an electric stove without a comal?

Yes, in a dry skillet or on a griddle. Do not lay a tortilla directly on an electric coil or glass top; the open-flame method is only for gas burners.

Our final word on cooking without a comal

You do not need a comal to heat a good tortilla. Use the skillet you own, or the flame if you cook on gas. If you want to buy one pan, the de Buyer crepe and tortilla pan comes closest to a comal and earns its place with crepes and eggs. For crowds, go long with a double burner or electric griddle. And if you would rather someone else warmed the tortillas tonight, see Julia’s menu or call to order.