Waring Commercial WSC160 Heavy-Duty Commercial Electric Crepe Maker, 16-Inch

I got this just to make crepes at home. I probably didn't need such an expensive model to accomplish that, but after having read the reviews I decided not to waste my time with under sized or under powered models.I have had it a month now, and couldn't be happier. I took my time on the seasoning process (takes about 2 hours but only needs to be done once) and after that it works better than any non-stick pan you can buy. I have also used it for so many other things besides crepe's, since it's my new favorite all purpose griddle. Pancakes are now world class, quesadillas, grilled sandwiches.. Everything is perfect.I was a bit concerned about some of the reviews saying how long it takes to heat up. But it's never been an issue for me. I just turn it on before anything else, and by the time I'm done with getting ingredients ready and so forth, it's ready to cook.About the only downside is that it's heavy.

We bought this to replace the one in our small café when the element went out. We were worried that it wouldn't really be restaurant quality for this price, but were pleasantly surprised. It has a larger surface area than our old one, which is great. It looks really good, is super sturdy, and it cooks evenly. We did notice that we had to turn up the heat setting vs the old one when we use it for things like tuna melts and grilled cheese sandwiches. The temps are great for crepes, though. Also, this doesn't have an on/off switch, so be sure you'll have ready access to a power outlet, as it has to be plugged in/unplugged for use. The edge gets extremely hot, and we're cramped for space on our countertops. The 1st day we had it, one of our employees was making iced tea and rested the plastic pitcher against the edge of the crepe maker. End of pitcher! So, I turned the crepe maker 45 degrees, meaning the temp gauge is on one side and part of the metal rail is in front to prevent burns and any further melted equipment.

This seems to be a well built machine that I expect will give many years of good service. I spent a day seasoning it out on the porch to keep the heat and smoke out of the house. I used flax seed oil as that seems to be the preferred oil (among cast iron fans) and went out and used a towel dampened with oil to give it a light coat every half hour or so. Expect a bit of smoke and smell during this process.The next day we made crepes. First one was a disaster, so we reduced the temperature a bit and then made perfect crepes. At first, even though seasoned, you will have to brush the surface with some butter before pouring the batter, but with time, as with all cast iron cookware, this will diminish or go away completely.I'm happy with the machine and will be keeping it, but I have a quibble and it is the very inaccurate temperature control knob markings. It goes from 280 to 350 to 420 to 490 as if these are useful. A calibrated guide at 10 degree intervals would have been a really nice touch and made this a 5-star review. I use a infrared thermometer to check the temperature of surfaces that are critical and you can certainly tweak this unit and put a little sharpie mark at your favorite, it's an annoyance.I can say this unit will achieve it's rated high temperature of 570 and then some. At one point I was reading 585ish. Not sure what you would cook at that temperature, but it will do it.Oh, expect to wait about 20-30 minutes heat up time depending on your desired temperature. Not a problem if you know.Great for pancakes and tortillas as well. You could cook most anything on it.

I love this product, it's impressively large...so plan a place for it cause its heavy. I wish it had an off and on switch...your paying a lot for it to NOT have this feature!

After traveling to Paris this fall, I fell in love with the street vendors and small shop owners crepes... (see photos) I was a professional caterer for 15 years, and I knew that after witnessing the variety of dessert, sandwich and fresh ingredient crepes I saw taking over as the fast food in the Paris Latin quarter, I had to start cooking crepes again! They are NOT just for dessert!! I picked this particular piece of equipment after researching days on the internet, and review sites. I started cooking crepes 30 years ago, using a hot skillet and rolling it around until the crepe covered the bottom and up the sides, just as many instructions have you do. There is nothing wrong with this method if you are going to cook Crepes once or twice a year.HOWEVER, I wanted the texture of the crepe I experienced, and as experienced cooks know the equipment is vital to creating the kitchen creation you want.... I LOVE this product. Your Crepe creations will meet and exceed your expectations!Two things. #1-This is a commercial product. It is heavy and it requires professional treatment, it must be seasoned properly. #2- This is a big piece of equipment. it will take up some space! Photos are of the Parisian Crepe Chef who used if not THIS piece of equipment, would give this product 5***** in his restaurant....