Why does the first pancake fail?
The first pancake you make simply always fails. It sticks to the pan and is anything but beautifully browned. And so it ends up going straight into your mouth. Not that that’s such a disaster, but you simply want to know: why does the first one always fail? There are several theories.
Theory 1: The pan
The NRC once asked a pancake maker the same question. His answer: when you make pancakes at home, you usually do so in a pan that you also use to cook other things in. No matter how well you clean it, there will always be some residue left behind. Your batter sticks to that the first time. So it’s better to buy a pan that you use only for making pancakes.
Theory 2: The temperature
24Kitchen thinks it’s different: it claims that the first pancake fails precisely because the temperature of the pan isn’t optimal yet. Often, you pour the batter in when it isn’t hot enough yet. The cold batter also cools the pan down even further. It’s better to use batter at room temperature and be patient by checking the temperature before pouring it into the pan. You can do this by sprinkling a few drops of water into it. If they start to ‘dance’, you know the pan is ready.
Theory 3: The butter
Delish claims it has to do with the butter. You melt it in the pan, but before pouring in the batter, you should spread it well over the entire pan with a paper towel. In a sense, you’re greasing it extra. This seals all the tiny bumps and nicks in the pan. That way, the batter can’t drip into them anymore, which means the pancake is less likely to stick to the pan.
Read also:
