Throughout the day, television commercials are full of products that promise to improve some key area of viewers’ lives, perhaps an area that they didn’t even realize was due for an improvement. The Perfect Pancake Pan is just such a device, improving in an area that most people didn’t realize needed a change. The goal of the pan is to make sure that avid breakfast lovers can create perfect pancakes every time, with less messy flipping that can lead to thinner pancakes, smeared batter, and other problems that plague the everyday flapjack.
The unique pancake pan does offer a number of key differences from the typical griddle, including round “slots” for each pancake being made in the morning. This allows it to theoretically be far easier to use, and much less messy in the process. Before getting started with the product, though, it’s worth understanding how the pan works and if it can really do a better job with this morning breakfast staple than the average griddle or frying pan.
How it Works: Consider the Device a Pancake Sandwich
Perhaps the closest thing to this pancake pan is the George Foreman Grill, which cooks food from both sides by using a sandwich-style design. The pancake pan operates almost exactly like this, but with a few minor modifications due to its lack of electrical equipment or removable burners. Instead of cooking on both sides at once, the pan simply closes over top of pancake batter that is placed into one of four round holes.
After a few moments on the burner, the cook simply flips the entire pan upside down. The burner will then cook the underside of the pancake effortlessly, without a spatula and without any messes that can sometimes result from a missed flip or an underdone pancake that wasn’t ready to be turned over just yet. This unique design also makes the pan perfect for cooking other breakfast staple and even more savory treats for the whole family, and it presents an innovative method of cooking evenly and consistently throughout the meal.
The Must-Have Features: No Sticking, No Flipping, and Other Benefits
The Perfect Pancake Pan adheres to a few basic requirements of modern cookware, including a non-stick coating that makes the pan far easier to clean each morning. It also means that pancakes will practically fall out of their round slots when the cooking process is finished, instead of sticking in those areas and requiring a knife or spatula for removal. The non-stick coating is a good thing, in this area, as the deeper pancake cooking areas would present some problems for pancakes stuck to the surface.
The non-stick nature of the griddle also means that buyers can fore go the butter, oil, or nonstick spray used on other pans. The biggest benefit here is that pancakes will simply not be as greasy or oily as they would be with nonstick spray. It also cuts down on the amount of steam and smoke released into the kitchen when cooking a particularly large batch of pancakes in the morning.
An “always cool” handle will resist the heat of open flames and electric burners, and that’s good news for the cook. All too often, even high-end pans can’t keep their handles cool during cooking of any kind. With these features, the Perfect Pancake Pan certainly seems like a worthy purchase.
Though it’s sold as the perfect way to create some pancakes in the morning, this pan can actually do quite a bit more than that. The pan’s unique round cutouts make it perfect for cooking up eggs each morning and, with its “sandwich-style” cooking method, yolks can actually be cooked in a way that is perfectly runny every time. Those with other preferences can leave the eggs on for just a moment longer to enjoy a solid yolk, all with no flipping and no runny messes.
In real world usage, views seem to be mixed. Many consumers concede that the pan does not keep batter in as well as the commercials claim, but they also note that it’s possible to develop a “better method of flipping the pan” after a few uses. With this slight modification, the pan performs better and less batter is released from the sides of the pan during everyday use.
Still others note that, no matter how they flip the pan, it just doesn’t seem to work. Batter tends to run out the sides, dripping on to the stove or into the open flame of a gas burner. Many people have noted that they simply stopped using the pan after a few attempts at creating the perfect pancake, most of which resulted in something far from ideal.
We did find however that when allowed to cook on the first side long enough that there are little or no running batter issues. That little tweak combined with the ability to cook other foods better and easier has impressed us.
A Great Idea that Seems to Work for at Least Some Buyers
The unique nature of the pancake pan in question means that it probably does require at least a little bit of adaptation by those who are used to regularly turning over pancakes. After a few uses, though, it does seem that most people get the hang of using the device, producing pancakes that are fluffier than usual, perfectly round, and without other flaws. That’s good news, and it’s the kind of review that the company behind the product probably loves to hear.
Of course, it’s impossible for any product to impress 100 percent of the population. As with any kitchen purchase, buyers should make sure that it works for their needs and performs as expected in their own setting. In most cases, with a little adaptation, the Perfect Pancake Pan will get the job done and make breakfast, and other meals easier. It’s as simple as that.
