Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie (2024)

ByJoe Rumrill

Considering how technically simple they are to make, the perfect at-home pancake always seems to elude us, doesn't it? The taste always seems a little lacking, the texture's either too mushy or firm, and it's always so tough to get them to end up round and not shaped like something out of a sci-fi film. Flapjacks ordered from a diner, however, rarely disappoint. The items we have in our cupboards are often the exact same as a restaurant's might be ... so what's the big secret? Before you start installing red vinyl booths in your own breakfast nook, we've got the answer.

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Restaurants are simply better equipped to make tastier meals since they haveprofessional-grade appliances and higher-quality ingredients than would be available to the average cook at a standard grocery store. These establishments' primary function is to whip up delectable A.M. eats, whereas home cooks have a million things on their minds. Plus, just the knowledge that they won't have to wash up their own dishes can make a customer more excited about what they're about to eat.

Restaurants use better quality ingredients

Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie (5)

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There's no getting around the sheer simplicity of using a boxed mixfor making pancakes in the comfort of your own kitchen on a weekend morning. However, along with that ease, you may be taking a hit in the overall taste department. Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience. Using milk instead of water when you're utilizing it as a mix-in creates a fluffier texture in the end, much like it does when the same is done to scrambled eggs.Restaurants also refrain from using butter and oil on the griddle, popular ways to grease pans when in your own kitchen, which tend to affect the flavor.

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Overall, it's no wonder that the high quality of restaurant ingredients and standards tend to put their flapjacks over your homemade ones. Don't look at it as competition, look at it as something to aspire to!

Restaurants have professional griddles

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Unless you happen to secretly live in a Denny's, you likely don't have access to a restaurant-grade griddle. These powerful stovetops are designed to be used every day and are usually made from heavy-duty cast iron for maximum heating efficiency. These griddles are kept at a continuous temperature of around 375 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day, which, according to the Great American Pancake Company, is the ideal griddle temperature. The constant heat leads to a more evenly cooked pancake, that never runs the risk of having the batter poured too early. If the heat is always at the right level, it's always the correct time.

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After taking all of this into consideration, there's no reason to feel bad that your pancakes don't measure up to your neighborhood breakfast dive. They've got the edge over your home stove facilities, and barring a total overhaul of your kitchen, it will always be that way. But, hey, at least at home you don't have to reserve a table ahead of time ... you know the chef personally!

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Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie (2024)

FAQs

Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie? ›

Restaurants have professional griddles

Why are diner pancakes so much better? ›

While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with a waffle iron or griddle that's already piping hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease them, says Grimm.

Why does the last pancake you make always taste the best? ›

Why does the last pancake you make always taste the best? Leaving process continues and allows for the ingredients to meld.

How do restaurants get pancakes so fluffy? ›

The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.

Why do IHOP pancakes taste so good? ›

In an interview with Delish, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation revealed that the pancake house keeps the wet ingredients “ice cold” in the prepared batter. This eliminates any heat interaction with the glutens that might cause the batter to rise prematurely.

Why don't my pancakes taste like restaurant pancakes? ›

The batter ingredients remain fridge cold before cooking

If you're wondering why your pancakes don't measure up to those served at a restaurant, you may want to follow the professionals' lead and leave your ingredients in the fridge until you're ready to mix the batter.

Do restaurants put pancake batter in scrambled eggs? ›

Restaurants do have a few tips, tricks, and secret ingredients for really elevating this seemingly simple dish. For example, IHOP adds a little pancake batter to their scrambled eggs to ensure they are light and fluffy while remaining filling, according to The Daily Meal.

How Gordon Ramsay makes pancakes? ›

Instead of using a boxed pancake mix, Gordon mixes his own ratio of flour, milk, and eggs with a whisk before letting it sit for about 15 minutes to thicken. Then, using a hot nonstick pan and cooking spray, he'll spoon about a ladle full of the pancake batter mixture onto the center of the pan.

Why do you throw away the first pancake? ›

Why is the first pancake often so ugly that it gets tossed? Pancake experts say that there are some possible reasons, including the amount of butter being used, the temperature of the heating surface, and so on. Perhaps the first one is a "tester." Once it is made, the next batches will be fine.

What to add to store bought pancake mix to make it taste better? ›

No matter what kind of mix you use, there's no denying that stirring ingredients like blueberries, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and canned pumpkin will make your pancakes feel — and taste — special. You can also top your stack of flapjacks with whipped cream or real maple syrup to disguise unaltered box batter.

Why are restaurant pancakes so much better than homemade? ›

Restaurants have professional griddles

The constant heat leads to a more evenly cooked pancake, that never runs the risk of having the batter poured too early. If the heat is always at the right level, it's always the correct time.

How are diner pancakes so good? ›

Most diner kitchens cook their pancakes using a batter that's either malted or fermented, maybe with a sourdough base. That's why, on their own, these special hotcakes feature a bit of malty, tangy sweetness that plays so well with all that syrup we plan on using.

Why do restaurant waffles taste better? ›

Diners use half-and-half instead of milk

A lot of waffle recipes call for milk, which gives them a creamy, light flavor and gently amps up their sweetness. Diner chefs, however, reach for something a little more exciting when making their waffles.

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