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We updated this article in July 2022 to ensure all pricing is accurate and all picks recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab are in stock.
Crepes are the French version of pancakes but unlike the fluffy American style, crepes are thinner and generally larger. They can be filled with both sweet and savory fillings and are typically folded or rolled. Crepes can easily be made at home with a crepe maker, though there is a learning curve. There are a few styles of crepe maker on the market, and each requires a slightly different technique to master perfectly thin crepes. But practice makes perfect, and we have rounded up the best crepe makers that will make that practice all the more fun.
There are two main types of crepe makers you'll come across while shopping: pans you can use on the stovetop and electric standalone versions. While you could use a good nonstick skillet with sloping sides to make crepes, a crepe pan's signature low profile makes it easier to thinly spread the batter and remove the cooked crepe from the pan. Electric crepe makers offer the same benefits with added heat regulation — just set it and it will typically let you know when it’s ready to use. And, in case you’re worried about crepe makers having just one use, know they’re not just limited to just crepes. They can also be used like a countertop or stovetop griddle for making eggs, tortillas, flatbreads, dosas and even searing meats.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we evaluated 15 different crepe makers, including non-electric and electric versions as well as a variety of materials, including cast iron and nonstick. We recorded the preheat time for each and assessed how evenly they cooked, as well as how easy they were to use and clean. Here are the best crepe makers you can buy in 2022, according to testing.
Our top picks:
Read on for more information on how our experts tested crepe makers as well as how to find the right crepe maker for your needs.
Lodge 10.5-Inch Cast Iron Griddle
Pros
- Withstands high temperatures
- Crepes cook quickly
- Versatile
Cons
- Cast iron handle gets hot, which is common with cast iron pans; use with oven mitt
High-quality construction, versatility and a sub-$20 price tag put this Lodge cast iron griddle at the top of our list. The heavy cast iron pan provides even heat distribution and can withstand high temperatures, making it quicker and easier to use than nonstick. Keep in mind that cast iron does require some care to maintain and you'll likely want to invest in a handle cover because it will get hot.
Proctor Silex Electric Crepe Maker
Pros
- Consistent crepes
- Good for large families
Cons
- Does not have an on/off switch
If impressing your family with large crepes is high on your agenda, this Proctor Silex crepe maker is a great value pick. Aside from its even cooking performance, we love that it comes with a measuring cup that scoops the perfect amount of batter required to evenly coat the entire surface of the pan for a quality crepe. The cup can then be neatly hooked onto your batter bowl to avoid messy drips and spills. It also comes with a plastic batter scraper and long spatula.
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Crepe Pan
Pros
- Lightweight
- Oven safe up to 500 degrees
Cons
- Not induction safe
If you're just starting your crepe-making adventure, this crepe pan from Cuisinart will have you pancake-tossing in no time. The pan does not come with accessories but its light weight makes it easy to spread batter evenly by picking the pan up and rotating your wrist. It is oven safe up to 500°F and will make a great addition to your everyday pan collection.
Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Crepe Pan
Pros
- Dishwasher safe
- Induction safe
- Lightweight
Cons
- Handwashing recommended
This nonstick pan from Le Creuset is our easiest-to-clean pick because it's dishwasher safe (although hand-washing will preserve the nonstick coating for longer). We love that the stainless steel handle stays cool, making it easy to spread the batter using the included scraper or by rotating the pan. It is also induction safe and light enough to flip crepes in the air.
Pros
- Crepes cook fast
- Rubber feet keep it in place during use
Cons
- Use only wooden utensils on its non-stick surface
The CucinaPro was our best-performing electric crepe maker. Despite its large 12-inch cooking surface, it has a relatively low profile, making it easy to store. It has five temperature settings and cooked crepes faster than any other electric model we tested. The sticky rubber feet will keep it from shifting around on the countertop.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Crepe Pan
Pros
- Induction safe
- Comes with a spreader
- Heats quickly
Cons
- Handwashing recommended
This enameled cast-iron pan has Le Creuset's signature bold and colorful exterior, making it an attractive addition to your stovetop. It comes with both a wooden batter spreader and spatula and can be used on all heat sources. In order to maintain the nonstick qualities, Le Creuset recommends hand-washing the pan and not using metallic pads or abrasive cleaning agents.
Pros
- Cord keeper under base
- Non-slip handle
Cons
- Batter tends to stick to surface (not easiest to clean)
Our top pick for the best cordless electric crepe maker is made by Salton. It has a tidy cord keeper under its base and we found the batter was much less likely to drip off the cooking surface when dipping into the crepe batter than with other models. The pan is nonstick and can be easily wiped clean but as with all cordless models, batter tends to get stuck between the cooking surface and the base.
Morning Star Crepe Maker Pro
Pros
- Has handles
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Requires higher temperature for golden crepes
Morning Star's professional-looking electric crepe makers have handles that make it portable and a tapered base, which makes it less likely that batter will drip down the sides. It has a temperature dial, but we found it needed to be on the highest setting in order to quickly get a nice golden color on our crepes. It comes with a batter spreader but not a spatula.
How we test crepe makers
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we tested 15 electric and non-electric crepe makers by using the same homemade crepe batter recipe to make at least three crepes in a row on each pan or griddle. We evaluated cooked crepes for their browning, doneness and consistency, and we scored the crepe makers on how easy they were to operate, the time it took to heat up, surface temperature, how many heat settings they featured (for electric types), "doneness" indicators (like lights and sounds) and the quality of the operating manuals. Our top performers made consistent evenly cooked crepes — crisp on the edges but with a thin and flexible texture.
What to look for shopping for the best crepe maker
✔️ Type: There are two types of crepe makers: non-electric and electric.
- Non-electric crepe makers are less cumbersome than electric crepe makers and allow for more manual control by the user both when it comes to the heat level and batter spreading. If you add too much batter to a pan, it’s easy to pour off the excess.
- Electric crepe makers are good at regulating their temperature and usually offer multiple heat settings to achieve your preferred doneness. They are great for making crepes for large families and their nonstick surfaces are easy to wipe clean, which is important since none of the electric models are safe to submerge in water.
- There are also cordless electric crepe makers that are more beginner-friendly if your batter spreading or flipping technique is rusty or nonexistent. This is because cordless electric crepe makers allow you to dip the surface of the crepe maker into a batter versus pouring it in and trying to level it out. It allows for an easy release without the manual spreading or flipping of crepes. These types are the quickest to heat up, but have typically lower peak temperatures and are the most difficult style to clean due to the gaps in between the nonstick surface and the base handle.
✔️ Size: Crepe pans and crepe makers for home use range in size from around 7.5 inches to 16 inches in diameter. For home cooks and novice crepe makers, we recommend a 10- to 12-inch diameter pan. It's a manageable size to hone your perfect crepe-making skills and also provides enough cooking surface to make more than just crepes — like tortillas, fried eggs, pancakes and grilled cheese.
✔️ Material: Crepe pans are typically made of non-stick, cast iron or enameled cast iron. Non-stick options release crepes easily and eliminate the need to use excess oil or butter. Cast iron options can be heated to much higher temperatures than non-stick and electric options, but the handles tend to get hot, they’re heavier which can make flipping your crepe a bit difficult and they require extra maintenance in terms of seasoning. Lastly, enameled cast iron offers the same high-heat ability as cast iron but doesn’t require seasoning and is easier to clean which allows for a smoother crepe-making experience.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Anna Helm Baxter is a cookbook author and an experienced recipe developer, culinary producer and food stylist who spent over five years working in the Woman's Day and Good Housekeeping test kitchens. She tested all of the crepe makers in this story in the GH Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab.
Anna Helm Baxter is a recipe developer, food stylist, video producer, cake maker and on-air talent. She was previously the Deputy Food Editor at the the Hearst Lifestyle Group: Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Dr Oz, and Country Living. She continues to freelance as a recipe developer and stylist and is the author of multiple cookbooks, including Salad in a Jar, Soups Made Simple, 10 Minute Desserts, and One Skillet.
