The 8 Best Crepe Makers of 2022
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We asked an expert pastry chef to share her top picks.
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Pastry chef and cooking teacher Abby Dahan grew up eating crepes often. Her parents, French ex-pats who moved their family to the United States when Dahan was six years old, cooked them all the time. “We would have them once a month,” Dahan says. “There’s nothing better than a warm crepe with Nutella — just the smell, everything. It’s perfect.”
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As the executive pastry chef for the Schulson Collective, a restaurant group in Philadelphia, Dahan often makes crepes at home. Her pan of choice is a low-sided, nonstick crepe pan, which she finds is easier to wield than other styles. For most home cooks, the best crepe pan is a 10-inch nonstick pan, characterized by its low sides which make for easy flipping.
If you’re thinking about buying a crepe maker, there are several styles to consider. Flat-top griddles are commonly used by restaurants and food stands that churn out hundreds of crepes a day, while cordless or portable crepe makers are ideal for smaller formats. Other types of crepe pans include French steel, ceramic nonstick, and cast iron options.
To help you make the most delicious sweet and savory crepes at home, we found the best crepe makers for every type of home kitchen setup. The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick 10-Inch Crepe Pan tops our list for its ideal size and versatility. Read on for our other favorite picks.
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 10-Inch Crepe Pan
Best Overall
Pros: This nonstick pan is affordable, versatile, and lightweight.
Cons: Since it’s nonstick, this pan requires gentle care and cleaning to preserve its coating.
For making crepes at home and at the restaurants where she works, Dahan says she uses something very similar to this pan. Nonstick is the easiest material to work with since the key to a great crepe is seamlessly unsticking it and flipping it over before sliding it onto a plate. The low sides make the flipping easier, which Dahan says can often be challenging for beginners.
At 10 inches, Dahan says this is the ideal crepe pan size. It’s big enough to eat with filings like an egg, spinach, or other savory sauce, but it’s also small enough that you can enjoy a few at a time. Though the product is technically dishwasher-safe, Dahan says it's always best to hand-wash nonstick surfaces before drying and keeping them in a place away from hard surfaces that might scratch the nonstick coating. With proper care, Dahan says you can get years of use from a pan like this one, which makes the $30 price tag a steal.
Price at time of publish: $30
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 10 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 1 pound
Nordic Ware 03460 Traditional French Steel Crepe Pan
Best Value
Pros: French steel conducts heat efficiently and evenly, and only improves its nonstick capability with age.
Cons: French steel will need to be seasoned for optimum nonstick usage. Although it’s lighter than cast iron, is still significantly heavier than our nonstick picks.
French steel pans are popular for their excellent heat conduction and lighter weight than cast iron, but Dahan says for someone of her size and stature, their weight can still offer a challenge.
“I wouldn’t choose to make a whole batch of crepes with a French steel, but it could work for someone else who has stronger hands and wrists,” she says. If the weight doesn’t present an issue for you, French steel can be a good option because they last a long time. Like cast iron, they build a patina that becomes increasingly nonstick over time. Just be sure to always use plenty of butter, and never wash them in a dishwasher.
Price at time of publish: $44
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 10 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 2.1 pounds
Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick PRO Crepe Pan
Best Splurge
Pros: A reinforced nonstick surface and lifetime warranty make this pan a great investment for regular crepe makers.
Cons: Unless you’re making crepes often, this higher-priced piece may not be worth the extra cost.
Le Creuset is known for making pieces that last a lifetime, and this crepe pan is no exception. The surface is reinforced to last longer than other nonstick pans, and the pan includes a lifetime warranty that guarantees replacement if the nonstick does eventually give out. With an 11-inch diameter, this pan is slightly larger than our other nonstick picks, so if a 10-inch crepe feels too small for your preferences, this larger pan offers the versatility of nonstick with a slightly larger field to play in.
Price at time of publish: $120
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 11 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 3.54 pounds
Tramontina 12 Inch Professional Fry Pans
Best Nonstick Pan
Pros: This nonstick skillet is super versatile for crepes and other foods and saves kitchen space if you can’t fit a dedicated crepe pan.
Cons: High sides make flipping a bit more difficult.
If you don’t have space in your kitchen for a dedicated crepe pan, Dahan says a classic nonstick skillet is a perfectly appropriate option. The advantage of a crepe pan is that the larger flat surface makes it easy to see how far to spread your batter, but a slightly larger skillet has a similar effect. This 12-inch pan has plenty of space to make a 10-inch crepe, without going too far up the outer edges. Plus, this particular skillet has a wider lip, which helps make flipping easier.
The nonstick surfacing on this pan is excellent for the price, but to extend its life, avoid using the dishwasher and any sharp metal tools, both of which could damage the coating.
Price at time of publish: $58
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 12 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 2.77 pounds
Lodge 10.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Griddle
Best Cast Iron
Pros: This cast iron crepe pan retains heat well and will last forever.
Cons: Cast iron is heavy and bulky.
For the cook that values long-term use and versatility, a cast iron crepe pan or griddle is a good option. Cast iron will outlast almost any other option and can be used for a variety of other foods, including pancakes, bacon, eggs, flatbreads, and even roasting in the oven. The drawback of a cast iron skillet for crepe making, Dahan explains, is its weight. This pan weighs more than 4 pounds, which can start to slow any cook down after a dozen or so crepes. With that said, the weight works for people who prefer cast iron’s superior heat retention.
Price at time of publish: $39
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 10.5 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 4.51 pounds
GreenPan Smart Shape Ceramic Pancake Pan
Best Ceramic
Pros: This ceramic pan is lightweight and has low sides for easy flipping.
Cons: Ceramic coatings typically have a shorter lifespan than other types of nonstick.
Ceramic is typically a good substitute for nonstick, though Dahan says given the choice, she still prefers a French steel. If you’re set on ceramic, GreenPan’s aptly named pancake pan is a good option. It’s lightweight with low sides that make flipping easy, and the arched handle is a great angle for maneuvering the batter around the pan.
At just over 16 inches in diameter, it’s one of the larger pans we recommend, great for filling with heftier items like roast chicken, sauteed mushrooms, or just a whole lot of Nutella.
Price at time of publish: $56
Style: Pan
Cooking Surface Diameter: 16.5 inches
Edge: Raised
Weight: 1.52 pounds
CucinaPro Cordless Crepe Maker
Best Cordless
Pros: This pan makes easy work of evenly and thinly spreading the batter.
Cons: A cordless crepe pan is a single-use kitchen tool.
If you’re not comfortable spreading batter around a skillet, consider a cordless crepe maker. This tool features an electric base that heats the top unit to the cooking temperature. When the unit is heated, a light goes on, and you can remove the heated upper unit, gently dip it in crepe batter, and return it to the cooking unit. Some people find this technique easier than a nonstick pan, though Dahan insists that pans are truly just as easy to maneuver, and significantly more versatile than this single-use item. If you’re committed to this style of crepe maker, though, the CucinaPro is the best on the market, with fast heating, easy-to-read indication lights, and a nonstick surface.
Price at time of publish: $40
Style: Electric
Cooking Surface Diameter: 7.5 inches
Edge: Flat
Weight: 2.45 pounds
Morning Star Crepe Maker Pro 13 Inch Crepe Maker & Electric Griddle
Best Professional
Pros: A flat-top electric crepe maker allows for larger crepes.
Cons: Spreading crepe batter can be more difficult on a flat-top crepe maker.
If your crepe-making visions include using a little wooden dowel to spread batter in a perfect circle on an electric cooktop, you’re thinking of a professional-style crepe maker. Dahan says that while these crepe makers can be fun to use, they also present a significant learning curve. The challenge is that the high heat from the griddle cooks the batter quickly, making it difficult to efficiently spread the batter before it starts to cook.
Learning curve aside, this Morning Star Electric Crepe Maker unit has a wide base, easy-to-use heat settings, and a great nonstick surface.
Price at time of publish: $100
Style: Electric
Cooking Surface Diameter: 13 inches
Edge: Flat
Weight: 6 pounds
Factors to Consider
Material
Dahan says she prefers a nonstick surface, but whatever material you’re using, make sure to sufficiently heat the pan before starting to make your crepes. A nonstick pan is easy to use, but even with careful cleaning and storage, the coating will eventually start to wear. If you’re using something like a French steel or cast iron, the coating will become increasingly nonstick over time, but only when properly washed and dried. Dahan also likes nonstick pans because they’re typically lighter, which makes turning out batches of crepes much more manageable.
Size
When thinking about the best size for a crepe pan, Dahan says you should consider the desired fillings. For simple fillings like sugar, butter, and Nutella, a smaller crepe pan is fine. When you start to get into chunkier, savory fillings, you’ll find that a 7-inch crepe isn’t quite large enough to contain the ingredients. A 10-inch pan is an ideal size for Dahan, who says that this is typically large enough to hold any fillings without the pan becoming unwieldy.
Versatility
Most stovetop crepe pans can be used for other things, Dahan says. The low sides make them great for pancakes, omelets, or anything that needs to be flipped. A flat-top griddle can also be used for things like burgers, eggs, and flatbreads, though you’ll want to be careful with the nonstick coating. Use only plastic or wooden utensils to preserve the life of the coating. Electric crepe makers and cordless crepe makers are slightly less versatile, as they’re intended to be used only for crepes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make crepes?
<p>“Crepes are so easy and delicious to make at home,” Dahan says. “The batter is milk, butter, eggs, and flour as a base, and then any kind of add-ons that you want like vanilla or orange zest.” Dahan says that in addition to using a good recipe, the most important trick is to let the batter stand for an hour, which helps the flour hydrate and the batter spread more evenly.</p>
What is the best size crepe pan for making crepes?
<p>Dahan recommends a 10-inch crepe pan as a great basic for the at-home crepe maker. This size is super versatile and works for all kinds of toppings and fillings. Anything larger can become difficult to wield.</p>
How do you clean a crepe maker?
<p>Different crepe makers have different cleaning instructions, but generally, it’s best to wash them by hand with soap and water, especially if your crepe maker has a nonstick finish. For electric crepe makers, wipe the surface clean with a damp cloth, then store them somewhere safe so the surface won’t get scratched.</p>
Can you make crepes with pancake mix?
<p>While some pancake mixes do have recipes for making crepe batter, Dahan says it’s worth making the batter from scratch because the small number of ingredients means that every bit counts when it comes to quality.</p>
Can you make crepes in a frying pan?
<p>Yes, you can make crepes in a frying pan, though the higher edges can make flipping slightly more difficult. To make crepes in a frying pan, ensure your nonstick pan is well-heated, and reserve any extra batter to practice flipping.</p>
Our Expertise
Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé is an experience professional home cook. She has worked in restaurant kitchens, professional test kitchens, and also on farms and at farmer's markets. She's an expert at translating techniques, recipes, equipment, and ingredient information for all skill levels. She's dedicated to making the home cooking experience more enjoyable and is always on the lookout for the next great tip or trick to pass along to readers.
