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

Why are diner pancakes different? ›

The final diner secret IHOP revealed: Real pancake pros don't use any oil or butter on their griddles. Instead, they make sure to use nonstick appliances so no extra fat is needed for the pancakes to lift off the hot pan.

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 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.

How does Gordon Ramsay make perfect pancakes? ›

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 is the key to making fluffy pancakes? ›

5 Tips for Fluffier Pancakes
  1. Allow the Batter to Rest. A good rule of thumb when you're wondering how to make fluffy pancakes is to let the batter rest. ...
  2. Beat the Egg Whites. Separate your yolk from the egg white then beat to create a fluffy pancake. ...
  3. Don't Over Mix! ...
  4. Wait for the Bubbles. ...
  5. Follow a Good Recipe.
Dec 1, 2019

Why are my pancakes chewy and not fluffy? ›

Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated. That means mixing until the flour streaks have disappeared, but leaving the pesky lumps. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.

What makes pancakes fluffy and helps them rise? ›

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Why are black bear diner pancakes so good? ›

They are made with heavy cream which gives them a light, fluffy texture with golden edges that just melt in your mouth. I've never met anyone who doesn't love a good pancake. It's perfect for a crowd as you can just get out a big griddle and set out all kinds of different toppings to make it fun.

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.

Why are Denny's pancakes so fluffy? ›

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.

What makes pancakes taste like pancakes? ›

Malted milk powder is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes pancakes taste like the ones you ate back in the day. Malted milk powder is sweet, so you can swap out the sugar in your recipe for up to 3 tablespoons of malted milk powder, per cup of flour.

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.

Does milk instead of water make pancakes better? ›

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter, so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

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.

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