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

ByJoe Rumrill

Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie (4)

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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

Why Pancakes Always Taste Better From A Restaurant - Foodie (6)

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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 use better quality ingredients

What makes pancakes taste better? ›

8 Tips for How to Make Pancake Mix Better-Tasting Than Homemade
  1. Substitute Kefir for Water or Milk. ...
  2. Use Flavored Water Instead. ...
  3. Add an Egg…or a Plant-Based Egg. ...
  4. Sprinkle More Baking Powder. ...
  5. Have Fun with Add-Ins.
Jun 13, 2024

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.

Why do IHOP pancakes taste 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 hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.

Why are diner pancakes so much better? ›

Restaurants have professional griddles

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.

What does adding an extra egg to pancakes do? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

What makes modern pancakes better? ›

What makes modern pancakes better? A. Modern pancakes are better as they are made with milk,eggs and proper cooking utensils. They are also very tasty and nutritious too.

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 makes Denny's pancakes so good? ›

Now you can have Denny's fluffy buttermilk pancakes at home everyday! Have you ever wondered why Denny's pancakes are so much more delicious than ordinary pancakes? The secret is buttermilk. Indeed, buttermilk not only makes pancakes more moist and fluffier, it also gives a tinge of tang not found in usual milk.

How to make pancakes like Gordon Ramsay? ›

Method
  1. Whisk the buttermilk, egg and oil together.
  2. Stir the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. ...
  3. Melt a small piece of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. ...
  4. Leave to cook for 1 minute or until it has puffed up slightly and is a light golden-brown underneath.

What does IHOP put pancake batter in? ›

It is marked that the Omelettes contain wheat and gluten as they are made with a splash of Buttermilk Pancake batter to create a light, fluffy Omelette. The same batter is also used in our Burritos and Bowls.

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 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.

What can I add to pancake mix to make them better? ›

Milk, yogurt, melted butter, and ricotta cheese are just a few dairy products that can alter a box mix pancake's structure, yielding a pancake that's both fluffy and moist. If your pancake mix simply calls for water, substitute the same amount of milk and enjoy an airier texture.

Do pancakes taste better with water or milk? ›

Pancake lovers' biggest complaint when adding water instead of milk is that the flavor seems to change. Pancakes aren't as richly flavored with water. There are a few ways to improve your batter when you've used water, including: Add extra butter.

Why do my pancakes taste bland? ›

If your pancakes are flavorless, it might be because it needs a hit of salt. After salt, it's time to start experimenting. Substitute a different kind of flour—like whole wheat, rye, oat, or almond flours or cornmeal—for half of the all-purpose flour in the recipe.

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