In her cooking classes on crepe making, Celia Hay recommends using a 25cm non-stick frying pan. See her recipe for classic crepes here.
With non-stick pans, you need to make sure that you use the correct spatular/scraper or you damage the surface and they start to stick. In general non-stick pans are cheap and therefore inexpensive to replace. However there are good quality (and expensive) coasted steel pans available too. There are so many different types of pans available. For something like crepes, which you need to rotate around, steel is better than cast iron which is so heavy. Save this for the steak!
To re-season a frying pan
Over time, metal and cast iron frying pans need to be re-seasoned before cooking something like crepes or they will just catch and stick to the surface and tear when you try to turn them.
- Wash the frying pan in soapy water and use a scourer to remove any old food. Dry thoroughly
- With a paper towel, rub the surface of the frying pan with vegetable oil.
- Place on a hob and heat gently. Once the pan is hot and the oil has cooked off, wipe the hot frying pan with a new layer of oil. Repeat this three or four times. The coating of the surface in this way will give it a more "non-stick" patina.
Alternatively, some people re-season by lining the frying pan with salt and then heating it slowly on a hob for 20-30 minutes to cook off impurities.
Avoid scraping the surface of your newly seasoned pan with hard brushes, scourers or detergent. It is best just to wipe out the pan with a cloth and reserve this pan for making crepes or omelettes. As soon as you sear a steak or scrub the surface you will need to re-season the frying pan. This is why it may be better to treat yourself to one of those inexpensive non-stick frypans available in most supermarkets or kitchenware stores.
