Le Creuset Cast Iron Crepe Pan Review

We purchased the Le Creuset Cast Iron Crepe Pan so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

Making a crepe, a delicate French pancake, takes some skill, but a product like the Le Creuset Cast Iron Crepe Pan can help. With a perfectly flat surface, low sides, and good heat control, this pan is built to make thin, perfectly round crepes. To see if it was really up to the challenge, we took it home and tested it ourselves, evaluating features from design to performance. Keep reading for our thoughts.

Design: Built for endurance, not for ease of use

Le Creuset is known for its cast iron cookware—and in our opinion, this pan didn’t disappoint in terms of design and durability. Its enamel and non-stick cooking surface were both beautiful and high-quality. (This was the first time we’d used a cast iron pan with a non-stick surface, and we liked that it cooks like cast iron but doesn’t have a breaking-in period to season it.)

This pan also comes with a pastry spreader and a crepe turner. The pastry spreader has a handle, which we thought was a good length, while the turner has beveled edges with a pointed tip. Even though we thought these tools were well-designed for the challenge of turning crepes, they weren’t exactly easy to use at first—but more on that below. 

Lastly, this pan isn’t limited to crepes only. It has a raised edge that allows you to make omelets, sausage, or pancakes. We appreciate that it’s not a single-use kitchen tool. 

Performance: Get ready to practice

Before you get cooking, be aware: This isn’t the kind of crepe maker where you can jump right in and see perfect results. First off, the thin cast iron doesn’t distribute heat as evenly as it does in thicker pans that we’ve used—the areas where the pan overlapped with the burner were much hotter. The result of this was that we couldn’t spread the crepes to the very edge of the pan, because when we did, the middle of the crepe cooked while the outer edges stayed raw. To solve this, we ended up making our crepes smaller so that the outer edge stayed on the part of the pan that overlapped with the burner. 

It also took some adjustments to find the right temperature, which can be a common issue with cast iron. We let the pan warm for about five minutes until it reached a medium heat, which is the level at which we cook crepes with our regular non-stick frying pans. 

Even still, our first four or five crepes gave us problems. Part of that was due to the fact that we’d never used a pastry spreader before; we found that our crepes were getting cooked before we could spread the batter fully. We then turned down the heat to medium-low, but it took awhile for the pan to cool.

Once we got the temperature right and figured out how to use the pastry spreader, though, the crepes started turning out better. The non-stick surface was very helpful, as was the crepe turner. The pointed edge slid under the crepes without a problem, allowing us to flip them easily without splashing the batter.

Lastly, we’d like to note that it’s possible to spread your batter by picking up the pan and turning the handle. However, when we tried this, we got tired quickly because the pan was heavy. Also, the handle gets very hot, so you’d need to use a handle sleeve or potholder to do this safely. We thought that using the pastry turner was much easier and more effective. 

Cleaning: Easy peasy

You don’t clean the Le Creuset like a typical cast iron pan. Because the non-stick surface doesn’t need to be seasoned, you can throw it in the dishwasher or hand-wash it with hot soap and water. You have to wait for it to cool, but once it does, cleaning is fast and easy. We just wiped the surface down with a wet paper towel. 

Also, during use, the pastry spreader is supposed to be washed in between each crepe. We put it in a bowl of water next to the stove to keep it clean between crepes, which worked great.

Storage: Easy to store but protect the surface

Storing this pan is simple. There’s no electrical plug or base—it’s just a flat pan. You do have to protect the non-stick surface, though. We were concerned that the other pans would scratch it, so we put a paper towel over it before stacking other cookware on top.

Price: Too much, unless you love cast iron

Cast iron pans—and particularly Le Creuset ones—tend to be expensive. With this model, you’re paying for the brand name, the enamel, a non-stick surface, and a lifetime warranty. We believe that you can buy similar non-stick pans that perform similarly (or better!) for less money.

Competition: Less expensive, good-quality options out there

Salton Crepe Maker: The Salton, which we also tested, is more specialized than the Le Creuset. You dip the pan into a batter tray and place it on a base for cooking. While you can only cook crepes and tortillas on this model, it cooks evenly and produces crepes of consistent size and thickness. Plus, it’s much much less expensive than the Le Creuset—so, as long as you don’t mind a single-use kitchen appliance, we think it’s a great deal.

NutriChef Electric Griddle and Crepe Maker: We also tested this model from NutriChef, which functions like the Le Creuset in that you can cook much more than just crepes on it. However, we thought that it cooked food more evenly and responded more quickly to changes in heat. It’s less expensive, too.