Is It Worth It To Buy A Special Crêpe Pan?
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If you're stocking up your kitchen for the first time or just looking to expand your collection of cookware, the number of foods that seem to have specialized tools and dishes for them can be overwhelming. While you might not need a specialty peeler or slicer for every vegetable in your crisper or a space-consuming bread maker, one "specialty" pan might be worth adding to your collection if you're a fan of fancy breakfasts.
As Pans Junction explains, a crepe pan is similar to a frying pan but has lower sides and flat edges to make flipping crepes and pancakes easier. The pans are designed to stick less than frying pans and are often made out of cast iron or with a non-stick coating. They are usually heavy enough to withstand high temperatures. According to cookware manufacturer Le Creuset, the flat design also makes spreading batter around the pan easier for an even cook.
More than crepes
While hassle-free flipping and even batter spreading are certainly nice features, you may still be skeptical about the practicality of a crepe pan if you aren't making crepes or pancakes on a regular basis. However, unlike something like a garlic press, this specialty kitchen item is not limited to one use based on its namesake. As Le Creuset notes, the low sides of the pan make it ideal not just for cooking pancakes and crepes but also omelets and other egg dishes.
Pans Junction also notes that thanks to its easy-access design and non-stick properties, it is ideal for cooking delicate foods like fish as well as for other flatbread dishes like naan, tortillas, or personal pizzas, or heating up grilled sandwiches.
There are dozens of crepe pans available in a variety of materials for different stoves, so make sure you find one that works for you. BBC Good Food notes that high-quality crepe pans (or pancake pans in the UK) are available for as little as £13 (or about $16), though the average on Amazon is around $30-$40 and Le Creuset's models cost upwards of $200. Overall, for a "specialty" product, a crepe pan is an incredibly versatile piece of cookware that might be worth adding to your kitchen collection.