Most people think it’s difficult to make crepes, and the reason they give is the flipping part. They think it takes years of practicing and a lot of dexterity, but it really doesn’t; if you get the batter just right and use the right tools, you’ll be able to flip the third-fourth one you make without any wrinkling or tearing. What tools to use? Well, read on to find out.
While you can use a counter top electric griddle to make crepes, it’s not advised for multiple reasons, it takes some extra practice and experience to produce the proper circular shaped crêpes you can get at a restaurant. The device also needs extra balancing unless you care cooking something with thick batter like pancakes, as most of the hotplates are tilted towards the grease drip container. Electric crepe makers do the job better and take this slanted surface issue out of the equation.
The second thing you need to flip it just right is a thick batter. Less milk than what’s in the recipe usually helps, but it’s really up to your taste. Feel free to experiment and find out what different ingredient ratios do to it. You should be able to find one that works soon enough. It’s really not that difficult, a little more flour is usually what it takes.
The third aspect to becoming able to flip it is the spatula. Do not use metal tools as they will scratch the non-stick surface. Most crepe makers come with the batter spreader and the spatula, lack of either will not result in imminent disaster, you’ll just have to get a little creative. Anything thin and wide should work perfectly.
A trick my mom taught me is to let the bottom side cook properly before doing anything. A good non-stick surface should let you move the batter on the plate after a minute or two. Using the spatula check if the batter is stuck or not, slip it a little. If it moves, put the tool under it as close to parallel with the plate as possible. With a swift move lift the whole thing a turning it up-side down when it’s around 10 inches away from the surface. As soon as the top side is facing down, slap it back.
I don’t consider myself and exceptional cook, but even I managed to do it at the third time I tried it. A flat crepe maker helps a lot, with some extra practice you shouldn’t have any trouble doing it in a pan either. Considering that the former costs $40 for a 10 inch model, I see no good reason to not have a crepe maker small appliance.
