Crepe makers were originally large cast-iron plates set over the fire to cook cereal-based batters. The machines have since evolved and the cast-iron plates were set on top of stainless steelframes. These first machines were electric machines, and later on gas crepe griddles were developed as well. Although professional cast-iron crepe makers usually need to be seasoned, non-stick cast-iron griddles can now be commonly found on the market. source: Wikipedia