Paper thin, the right combination of soft and crispy, and stuffed with anything from ham and cheese to a fresh selection of berries and a dusting of icing sugar, crepes are a much-beloved French delicacy that we’d love to enjoy not just while roaming the streets of Paris, but in our own homes for a lazy Sunday brunch. But nailing the thin but perfectly circular consistency of crepes is a lot more difficult than street vendors have us believe. In a regular stainless steel pan, flipping the crepe or keeping the batter from sticking to the bottom might take plenty of practice – but this doesn’t have to deter us. Thanks to electric crepe cookers, we get to live by the principle of ‘set it and forget it’, nailing perfect crepes every time.
The pan or hotplate heats evenly and consistently, with variable temperature controls working great not just for paper thin layers of pancakes but for their denser cousins, like Scotch pancakes, so we can flip without fearing our pancakes are going to fall apart in the process, and even cook a full breakfast with a unit doubling as a mini-griddle. We’ve shortlisted our picks for the best versatile pancake makers that we think are worth your money.
KEN’S PICK
VonShef Electric Crepe and Pancake Maker
This unit isn’t just perfect for no-sweat crepe-making, even for the complete novice – it also works as a griddle you can use to cook yourself up a full breakfast of Scotch pancakes, fried sausages, poached eggs, tortillas or dosa. The temperature control mechanism lets you warm the crepe maker up to the desired temperature, an indicator light signalling when the pan is warm enough to use. The 12.6 inch, aluminum non-stick plate heats up thoroughly and evenly, so you won’t have to worry about patches of your pancakes remaining raw or breaking up when you try to flip them.
If you’re going for delicately thin crepes, you’re in for great news, since the unit comes with its own accessories to make your life easier – an oil brush to let you grease the hotplate, a ladle to let you scoop the right amount of batter, a T-shaped batter spreader so you can evenly and thinly spread the batter out for perfectly circular crepes, and a crepe spatula to let you flip like a pro. The even heating and temperature control takes the guesswork out of cooking, so you can safely flip your pancakes and crepes without worrying about uncooked batter splattered about making a mess. The hotplate is easy to clean down with a damp cloth or towel, the non-stick coating keeping foodstuffs from sticking or clinging to it.
KEN’S BUDGET PICK
NutriChef Electric Crepe Maker Griddle
A brilliant countertop unit which saves space and effort, the precise temperature control settings and indicator lights notifying you when the hotplate is ready to go give you much better control over nailing the perfect pancake, every time. In fact, the unit comes with both a batter spreader as well as a wooden spatula designed to let you flip, fold and dish out crepes perfectly. The 12 inch, non-stick aluminum pan is also brilliant for cooking eggs, thicker pancakes, bacon and more. With a no-fuss design you can show off in front of family and friends as you cook up fresh crepes or a full breakfast, use in a trailer or camper, and store away with ease, the crepe-maker-slash-griddle comes with a lip that’ll prevent runny batters spilling off along the sides, to keep the mess in your kitchen at a minimum.
RUNNER-UP
Morning Star Crepe Maker Pro
This unit, with its 13-inch hotplate, comes with its own batter spreader and a raised lip to let you get the shape and size of your crepes just right, with variable temperature settings and consistent heating technology to let you cook not just papery thin crepes, but also pancakes, bacon, eggs and more. The non-stick, aluminum pan is easy to clean down and great for cooking runny or thin batter based foods like dosa, crepes and tortilla as well as nailing flatbreads or warming up pizza. If you’re making crepes and are nervous about flipping or serving them, we also recommend looking into a crepe spatula to make the business easier for you.
The lightweight griddle comes with a carry handle to make it easy to transport, with space to let you wrap the cord around the base when the unit is not in use. This makes it a great portable griddle to take with you for camping or road-trips, so you’re able to cook yourself a hearty meal whenever on the go. Rubberized feet improve the unit’s grip against your counter, so it won’t budge as you use it or ding up your counter.
RUNNER-UP
CucinaPro 12” Crepe Maker and Electric Griddle
The 12-inch hotplate and T-shaped batter spreader let you create perfectly circular crepes with ease, five available temperature presets giving you more control over the cooking process. The non-stick, aluminum pan can be used to cook anything from pancakes to eggs and bacon, with indicator lights to let you know when the pan is hot enough to start cooking. Simple to wipe clean and store away when not in use, we recommend using a crepe spatula to flip, fold and serve your crepes if you don’t want to risk ruining their perfect shapes. The minimalistic and modern unit comes with rubberized feet for extra grip and stability, and is compact enough to not take up too much storage or counter space.