For really smooth crepes, I prefer to prepare the batter in a blender or even in my Kitchen-Aid. I can do a pretty good job with a whisk, but there are always going to be clumps I miss. That means lumpy crepes, and although they taste just as delicious, they don’t look as nice.
I use an 8 inch skillet. It makes perfectly sized crepes.
I melt some butter in the skillet for the first crepe and usually that’s enough to last throughout the whole batter.
That first crepe is always my experiment one (or what I call the cook’s crepe). I use to test the heat of my skillet and to get my timing down for the remaining batter. Plus, since it is going to absorb must of the butter, it gets a little too crispy to roll up like the other crepes. Personally, I like buttery, crispy crepes, so that’s what I nibble on while I make the rest.
Crepes are pretty easy to read. As long as you keep the heat about medium, you can easily judge when to flip without burning the side that is cooking. The top of the crepe will appear dry, especially around the edges. The crepe in this picture is about 10 seconds away from being flipped. See how the edges are getting dry but the middle is still moist? That’s okay because that middle section will cook quickly once it’s flipped.
Crepes are also very malleable. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a crepe tear or fall apart when I flipped it.
I use a spatula or a fork to flip the crepes. If I get a batch that is a little more stubborn, I’ll use both. I use the fork to begin lifting one edge of the crepe and then slide the spatula under to flip it.