Any chef will tell you that the best crepe maker is a large skillet set aside purely for making beautiful crepes and nothing else. It will have a thick base, a non-stick coating and sloping sides so that the crepes slide out easily.
That is all very well if you are a trained chef, but many of us mere mortals struggle to cook the delicious thin crepes that you get everywhere in France and in some great restaurants everywhere and we would like to be able to serve them up to family and friends.
If it was all so easy, there would be no crepe makers for sale. They would not sell! But as it happens there are lots of them on the market and your only problem may be choosing which one. We can help with that, but first lets look at more reasons to buy a crepe maker.
Why Buy a Crepe Maker
The bottom line is that With a crepes maker you will get consistent results and golden, perfect crepes every time that are just the right size and thickness. You will not get the situation where your first few attempts are inedible and it takes you until the end of your batch of batter to produce a decent one! As crepes are always best eaten as fresh as possible, otherwise they become tough, you need to be able to produce one great crepe after another if you are going to serve them up to family or guests.
Crepes: Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook
Once your crepe is cooked, the gadgets are designed to release the crepe easily and your masterpiece will not collapse out of the pan in a heap or tear as you remove it, which can easily happen, when you make a crepe with a normal pan.
Crepe makers generally come with a range of delicious recipes as well as instructions, and most importantly the exact recipe for making perfect crepes with the actual gadget. Follow it and your crepe making should be foolproof!
Which Type Crepe Maker to Buy
If you want a dedicated crepe maker and not just a suitable skillet, there are basically two types to choose from : stove top crepe makers and electric crepe makers.
In the stove top type, the crepe maker is heated up and then dipped into the batter picking up a thin layer to form the crepe. You let any excess batter drip off and then turn it upside down to cook. After thirty seconds or so, it can be inverted over a plate and the crepe is easily released with a little coaxing if necessary. This type of crepe maker looks like an upside down skillet and generally comes with the dipping pan or plate which you fill with the batter.
You can also get an electric version of this dip, flip and cook style crepe maker where the heating is done by an electric element in the base rather than the stove.
Another type of electric crepe pan is the most common type of electric crepe maker. This type looks like a normal round flat griddle with a non-stick coating and this has a heating element underneath. You heat the griddle plate, add a small measured amount of batter to the center of the griddle and spread it out using the purpose made tool provided.
One advantage of electric crepe makers is that they are thermostatically controlled so that crepes are cooked at the perfect temperature and your crepes will achieve the coveted lovely golden brown color.
A commercial crepe maker machine is generally the electric griddle type although some are powered by gas so that they can be used where there is no electricity supply, for example at fairs etc. A professional crepe maker can cost several hundred dollars but something like this is not necessary for making a few crepes for family and friends.
Where to Buy
You can buy crepe makers online as well as in local department stores and kitchen supply stores. The advantage of buying on the web, is that you will get a lot more choice without the inconvenience of having to trek from store to store and you can easily compare different brands and models so that you get the right one for you. Some sites have crepe maker reviews which are particularly useful when you are assessing which crepe maker to buy. The best crepe maker for you is not the best for everyone. Below you will find a number of the most popular crepe makers. These are all available online at a discount and often with free shipping. If you would like to see more CLICK HERE.
 VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker (Click Image for Details) |
This Villaware crepe maker is an electric appliance which makes easy work of cooking crepes and thin pancakes once you get used to it and you can do that quite quickly by following the instructions provided. It has a 7.5 inch cooking surface however so it makes relatively small crepes compared to some of the much larger griddle models, but this size means that your crepes are easy to handle. Delicious crepe recipes included. Click here for more details. |
 Krampouz Tibos Electric Crepe Maker (Click Image for Details) |
This Tibos crepe maker has a special batter spreader device patented by parent company Krampous, which helps you create perfect pancakes. The Krampous crepe maker also has a 33cm (13″ plate) so you can cook the larger crepes favored by restaurants. This is a quality product, which is a little pricier than other crepes makers but will be worth it if you want to enjoy crepes frequently. After you take a look at the Crepes from Around the World recipe book accompanying the appliance, you will want crepes more often than ever! Click here for more information.
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This CucinaPro crepe maker has great reviews and a great price for those on a budget and it makes superb traditional French crepes up to 12″. The griddle has a non stick aluminum plate and comes with the essential batter spreader. Our favorite buy of the electric crepe makers. Click here for details and to read a whole heap of great crepe maker reviews on this model.
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 CucinaPro 1448 12 Inch Griddle & Crepe Maker (Click Image for Details) |
 Nordic Ware French Crepes & Wraps Pan and Dipping Dish (Click Image for Details) |
This Nordic ware crepe maker is heated on top of the stove and is a dip, flip and cook style crepe pan. Although many reviews are positive there are some concerns about the quality of the dipping pan. For further details click here but be sure to read the consumer reviews before ordering.
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If you prefer to make your crepes chef style, this beautiful 10 2/3 inch diameter Le Creuset crepe pan along with special crepe spreading tool will give you all you need to do the job well. The smooth enameled base of the pan works on all types of stove and the surface is designed to give even heat distribution and good heat retention. Although the manufacturers say that you do not need to season the surface with oil before using, you will generally get better results if you do! The shallow rim of the pan is angled to allow crepes to slide out easily after cooking. Click here for more details.
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 Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 10 2/3 Inch Crepe Pan, Cobalt (Click Image for Details) |