The 4 Finest Crepe Pans of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

There are particular meals I choose to purchase not make, like fried chicken and ice cream. Anecdotally, the variety of current, devoted retailers and stands suggests crepes fall into this class for many individuals. Nevertheless, after my first try many moons in the past, I used to be shocked to search out how straightforward they’re to make at residence. As my adoration for skinny, crispy crepes raged on, a very good crepe pan grew to become important.

Whereas a stainless steel or nonstick skillet will do in a pinch, a devoted crepe pan has a wider floor and decrease sides to ship higher outcomes with much less fuss. That mentioned, there are plenty of choices: basic carbon metal, nonstick pans with picket spreaders, and electrical fashions that are supposed to be dipped into batter. As a web site, we’ve by no means reviewed crepe pans. It was excessive time to crack some eggs, whisk batter, and get testing. 

The Winners, at a Look

This crepe pan is skinny, gentle, and conducts warmth identical to a crepe pan ought to (learn: evenly). In contrast to heavy forged iron, you received’t discover any hassle lifting and swirling batter. As soon as seasoned, clean-up is simple.

Many cooks will discover a nonstick crepe pan simpler to make use of, because it nearly eliminates all points with flipping. The Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Professional has an enormous floor and comes with a picket spreader, making all of it the better to get the batter to as skinny as attainable.

Devoted crepe stands typically use these round electric griddles. My favourite from Proctor Silex has an extra-large floor, eight settings, and heats rapidly and evenly.

This machine has you dip the new floor into the batter, eliminating the necessity to excellent your swirling and thinning abilities. I feel it’s a very good possibility for these new to crepe making.

The Exams

• Fundamental Crepes Take a look at: To see how crepe pans and machines might carry out at producing their namesake meals, I made a full recipe’s value of our basic crepe recipe with every mannequin. I evaluated the ultimate crepes, how straightforward the crepes have been to flip, the general efficiency and usefulness, and the convenience of cleansing.
• Galettes Bretonnes (Winners Solely): For these ok to move the primary check, I made buckwheat crepes with them (sometimes utilized in galettes bretonnes). This savory batter is thicker and extra viscous than wheat flour variations, so I famous how straightforward (or arduous) it was to flip and fold this kind of crepe.

Use a Crepe Pan

Earlier than diving into the nitty-gritty of what I discovered whereas testing, let’s take a beat to debate the right way to use a crepe pan. You begin by heating the pan over medium to medium-high warmth (expertise will make it easier to nail the candy spot). If the pan requires it, add some clarified butter after which a ladle of crepe batter. 

Instantly start tilting and swirling the pan to unfold the batter. This motion must be fast and clean to cowl the underside of the pan evenly earlier than the batter units. The aim is to create a skinny layer that cooks uniformly.

Alternatively, if utilizing a bigger crepe pan, an electrical crepe machine, or aiming for impeccably spherical crepes, a batter spreader is useful. Pour the batter into the middle, then use the spreader—typically a T-shaped picket instrument—to swirl the batter outward in a fast, round movement, ranging from the middle and dealing to the sides. 

After the batter is unfold, cook dinner the crepe for about 45 to 60 seconds, or till the sides start to brown and raise from the pan. Use a spatula to verify if the underside is golden and, if that’s the case, flip it fastidiously. Cook dinner the second aspect for about 30 seconds till frivolously golden. As soon as accomplished, slide the crepe out of the pan and onto a plate. Modify the warmth as wanted all through the method, because the pan can turn out to be hotter the longer it is used.

What We Realized

Ought to You Purchase an Electrical Crepe Machine? 

There’s a motive crepe retailers cook dinner crepes with electrical machines. Like electric griddles, these machines are easy to make use of, provide even heating crepe after crepe, and by no means provide you with hassle with sticking. 

So, what’s the draw back? Nicely, the machines can go away just a few issues to be desired. For one, there’s no selecting up and swirling the batter to skinny it. The machine stays placed on the desk so that you’ll must follow spreading and might want to purchase a spreader/spatula if it doesn’t include one. You additionally received’t have the ability to submerge the machine in water and should clear the floor by hand. Storage is one other issue to contemplate, particularly when you’ve got restricted house.

One other downside is that true, conventional French crepes have buttery, crispy edges that I wasn’t in a position to replicate with any of the nonstick machines (or pans for that matter). 

Carbon Metal Was a Winner

Surprisingly (or not, since carbon steel is superior), I most popular the carbon metal crepe pans over the nonstick metal or forged iron choices. The forged iron pans have been too heavy to raise and tilt, leading to inconsistently unfold batter. Whereas straightforward to select up, the nonstick pans couldn’t ship the identical texture and taste as talked about above. Carbon metal pans strike the most effective steadiness between warmth conductivity, ease of use, and efficiency. They supply a sturdy, naturally nonstick floor when correctly seasoned, are lighter than forged iron for simpler dealing with, and provide superior warmth management (a should for crepes).

Many carbon metal pans have to be seasoned, a reasonably easy course of that sometimes solely must be accomplished earlier than first use. For the De Purchaser crepe pan I examined, this concerned rubbing some oil on the pan and heating it to smoking earlier than letting it cool. Some carbon metal pans come pre-seasoned, so be sure that to verify the producer’s directions.

What Measurement Crepe Pan Do You Want?

When deciding on the proper crepe pan, measurement performs a task within the ease and high quality of your crepe-making. A pan with a bigger floor space gives extra room for batter spreading, which is essential for creating skinny, even crepes. The perfect diameter for a conventional stovetop crepe pan is between 9 1/2 to 10 inches. At this measurement, the pan is massive sufficient to permit for spreading, but sufficiently small to handle simply over the burner and flip the crepes gracefully.

For these keen on electrical crepe makers, choosing a mannequin that measures a minimum of 11 inches in diameter is good. Among the greatest ones, like our prime choose, prolonged as much as 13 inches. These bigger sizes can help you use the spreader to clean batter so far as you have to get it ultra-thin.

The Standards: What to Search for in a Crepe Pan

If you happen to’re out there for a crepe pan, you’ll first have to decide on between nonstick or conventional. I most popular the general texture and high quality of the crepes produced on carbon metal and forged iron pans, although these do have a studying curve in comparison with nonstick. Between carbon metal and forged iron, carbon metal was a lot simpler to raise, tilt, and swirl with—important for making evenly unfold crepes. 

Whichever pan you select, choose one which’s light-weight sufficient to select up and tilt. For me, that was not more than three kilos. So far as measurement, bigger floor areas left extra room for spreading, with the candy spot hitting proper round 9 1/2 to 10 inches. 

If the electrical crepe machines appear extra your velocity, go for one a minimum of 11 inches throughout (and as much as 13 like our winner, for those who can). One of the best ones include instruments for spreading and flipping and have easy-to-read and intuitive controls that allow you to regulate warmth exactly. Longer cords are all the time a plus, too.

Our Favourite Crepe Pans

What we appreciated: We’ve been followers of carbon steel pans for a very long time. Skinny and light-weight, this kind of pan heats up rapidly and conducts warmth nicely. Those self same properties make it a fantastic materials for a crepe pan. This pan has a large floor space with low, gently sloped sides. This design provides you the choice to tilt and swirl the batter to skinny it or use a spreader (each a picket spreader and flipper are included with the pan). When it got here time to cook dinner crepes, the batter simply unfold throughout the floor of the pan, leading to a skinny crepe with lacy edges.

What we didn’t like: This pan requires a spherical of seasoning earlier than you start, however we now have a handy guide for that. As soon as this half was accomplished, the crepe batter by no means caught. Carbon metal will not be dishwasher-safe and have to be dried totally after cleansing to stop rusting. 

If the worth is a bit excessive on your funds, the pan can be available at a lower cost level with out the picket instruments.

Key Specs

• Materials: Carbon metal
• Weight: 2 kilos
• Deal with size: 8 inches
• Induction appropriate?: Sure
• Dishwasher-safe?: No

What we appreciated: Le Creuset makes some nice merchandise and their crepe pan isn’t any exception. I beloved the super-wide floor space and the small lip for corralling batter. The nonstick coating gave me no hassle when it got here to flipping crepes. The coating is triple-reinforced and distributed warmth extra evenly than the opposite nonstick fashions I examined. It additionally comes with a picket batter spreader.

What we did not like: This pan is expensive. Whereas we don’t typically recommend splurging on nonstick, a crepe pan’s going for use far much less regularly than a regular nonstick skillet.

Key Specs

• Materials: Nonstick coated metallic
• Weight: 3 lbs, 8 ounces
• Deal with size: 8 inches
• Induction appropriate?: Sure
• Dishwasher-safe?: Sure (although we don’t advocate cleansing nonstick within the dishwasher)

What we appreciated: Many of the electrical crepe machines operated the identical, although there have been just a few ways in which this one stood out. The floor space is extra-wide, which helps skinny the batter as a lot as attainable. You can even use this machine to make dosa or massive tortillas. The warmth settings are clearly marked and easy to function, with loads of room for half settings between numbers so you’ll be able to dial within the excellent temperature.

The completed crepes have been evenly cooked and flipped with out sticking or resisting and the machine comes with just a few instruments, like a batter scoop, spreader, and flipper. The physique of the machine stays cool throughout cooking, so you’ll be able to transfer it after use with out a lot difficulty. I additionally appreciated the built-in place to retailer the wire.

What we did not like: Take into account that this kind of crepe maker can’t be lifted and turned, so that you’ll must excellent utilizing the instrument to unfold the batter. Nevertheless, I used to be in a position to get the dangle of it rapidly. This kind of machine is bulkier to retailer than a slim metallic pan. 

Whereas a nonstick floor like this doesn’t require the usage of oil or butter, the draw back to that’s that the ultimate crepes won’t have the signature buttery edges that true French crepes provide (the producer says to not use butter, as this gunk up the floor over time).

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless-steel; plastic
• Weight: 3 lbs, 14 ounces
• Deal with size: N/A
• Induction appropriate?: N/A
• Dishwasher-safe?: The instruments are

What we appreciated: As an alternative of the ladle-and-spread technique, you add all of your batter into the offered bowl and dip the new floor of this crepe maker into it. Solely a skinny layer sticks to the machine, eliminating the enterprise of attempting to unfold the batter as skinny as attainable. When the crepe is cooked just a few moments later, the sting begins to peel again and the crepe may be simply flipped and eliminated. Whereas the general high quality didn’t evaluate to a lot of the different pans and makers we examined, this may very well be a fantastic possibility for novices or these intimidated by the crepe cooking course of. 

What we did not like: The crepes weren’t the prettiest or essentially the most evenly cooked. Crepe purists and perfectionists may not be glad with the outcomes from this machine, although I’d say this choose will not be for them anyway. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Nonstick-coated metallic and plastic
• Weight: 1 pound, 10 ounces
• Deal with size: 8 inches
• Induction appropriate?: N/A
• Dishwasher-safe?: No

The Competitors

FAQs

Are you able to make crepes in a forged iron pan? 

You can also make crepes in a cast iron pan. Take into account that you might wrestle to swirl and flip the crepe in a forged iron skillet resulting from its weight and excessive sides.

Is forged iron or carbon metal higher for crepes?

We discovered that carbon metal is best for crepes. Whereas forged iron is nice at distributing and sustaining warmth, it is heavier than carbon metal. We most popular light-weight pans we might choose up and tilt to swirl the batter.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Taylor Murray has been working in meals and meals media for over 10 years, together with in award-winning eating places. She has written extensively for Severe Eats. 
• Taylor examined 12 crepe pans, making a full batch of ordinary crepes in every and a batch of crepes bretonnes within the winners. Throughout this, she evaluated every pan’s efficiency, usability, and design.