How do I use a convex crepe pan?

Question

I picked up what I believe to be an old cast iron Crêpe pan at the thrift store. I made a batter, and its consistency seems like what I made in the past when using a frying pan. This time, however, I can only get these octopus looking things, or worse, batter all over the stove top.

The picture doesn't help, but the dome is maybe an inch high and eight inches in diameter.

Searching around, it looks like this implement is a little out-of-date and arcane at this point. So how do you do this, anyhow?

Answer 1

As far as I can tell what you don't do is pour the batter onto the pan. What you do do is dip the warmed pan into batter (I'd think you stick just the cooking surface into the batter, not the whole thing) and put it back on your burner to cook a crepe quickly.

See the product description on this convex pan on amazon and this vintage pan on ebay for where I got my information.

Answer 2

I've used both electric and non- electric domed models. The electric one came with a pan similar to a concave doggy dish the same size as the pan. I kept a large tablespoon to spiral around the batter to its edges to keep it round.

The hand type didn't have a special dish. I used the spoon more with that pan. It sat right on the burner, gas or electric stove. I suspect you could use that one even on an open fire pit.

Answer 3

Crepe batter is very thin, not much thicker than whole milk. Experiment with different batters, and also the temperature of the pan.

Answer 4

You don't have to butter or oil the pan between dips in the batter. I have this pan and simply flip and dip the pan in a plate that has a similar shape. Works wonderfully, though a tiny bit of batter is lost in the end. My pan was purchased new at a thrift shop, but only the frying pan came with it.