Weekends are meant for pancakes. If you can resist the temptation of sleeping in, you’re one step ahead of the rest since it means you will be enjoying some mouth-watering stacks of pancakes that come with any or all of the following: gooey chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, melted butter and lots of sweetness from the syrup.
You can cook up pancakes right at home while still wearing your pajamas. The secret to making perfect pancakes can matter a lot on how you cook your pancakes, whether that’s on the stove in a frying pan or on a griddle.
Griddles are a great option since they let you cook more pancakes at a time, which is always a bonus. So, it might be time to learn how to cook pancakes on an electric griddle.
What Are Griddles?
Regardless of whether it's a stove-top or electric griddle, you will be able to cook up a breakfast of champions with either of these. It only takes a few steps and the right temperature to cook pancakes to perfection in just a matter of minutes. There are a few differences between the different models of griddles that are available.
Griddles are a flat cooking surface that comes with an even heat source. There are electric griddles (i.e., plugged in and used away from the stove) and stove-top griddles that fit right over the burners on your stove and retrieve its heat from them. If you’re more comfortable using your stove, a stove-top griddle might be the best option for you.
Cooking Pancakes on an Electric Griddle
Once you have your pancake mixture ready, depending on the specific recipe you use, start everything off by heating the griddle to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it get hot for around 10-20 minutes. It should end up hot enough that the mixture will cook well but not hot enough that the pancakes will burn on the outside without cooking thoroughly on the inside.
When you're ready to add the pancake mixture, lower the heat to 360-370 degrees. A good tip is to use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to make perfect-sized pancakes. Make sure you separate the pancakes 1 1/2 inches from each other so they have enough room to be flipped over.
Only flip the pancakes once you see small bubbles forming in the mixture or if you see light browning around the edges. If you'd like, you can gently peek underneath to see if the color is right. If it is, it's ready to flip. Finish it off with two more minutes on the other side.
Cooking Pancakes on a Stove-Top Griddle
If you're used to cooking on the stove, then you might prefer a stove-top griddle. Rest assured that it provides just as good results as an electric griddle since both involve the same steps for cooking pancakes. The only real difference is that you will be using the temperature controls a little differently since stove-top griddles get their heat from an oven’s burners.
To cook pancakes the correct way on a stove-top griddle, the optimal heat is at a medium setting throughout the entire process, including preheating.
Proper Griddle Temperatures for Eggs
Pancakes aren't the only food you can cook well on a griddle. There's also eggs, another breakfast staple. In order to cook eggs to perfection on the griddle, the temperature plays a huge factor.
Some griddles come with temperature controls, and some come without. It’s recommended that you purchase one that comes with a temperature knob since it gives you more control over how your food turns out.
The temperature at which to cook eggs on a griddle should be 250 degrees F. You can leave it at this temperature for pretty much the whole time that the eggs are cooking.
Proper Griddle Temperatures for Pancakes
There is some temperature fluctuation when cooking griddle pancakes as opposed to cooking eggs. Start by heating your griddle to 375 degrees F. Leave it to preheat for around 10 minutes. Once it’s at the right temperature, you will lower the temperature to between 360 and 370 F once you add the pancakes.
If you own a griddle that doesn’t have its own temperature control, you can test if it's at the right heat by one of two ways. First, add water. It should sizzle and dance gently. When it does, you know it’s ready. However, if the water dissolves right away, it means that the griddle is too hot and needs to be turned down.
The other way is with a test drop of batter. These drops should last around 20 seconds on the griddle without burning. If it burns right away, it's too hot.
How to Prevent Your Pancakes From Sticking
Pancakes are best when they are fluffy, circular and golden brown. The opposite of this is what happens when pancakes end up sticking to the griddle. A good way to solve this is by adding lots of butter and oil to grease the griddle, creating the optimal nonstick surface.
You have to remember that a griddle is a lot larger than a frying pan, and as a result, it needs more coating than normal. You can also get into the habit of regularly seasoning your griddle. To do this, add a thin layer of oil to it every time you finish cleaning it. Doing this will ensure it lasts longer and helps to create a nonstick surface.
Don't Overflip Your Pancakes
When your stomach is rumbling, it can be tempting to want to get breakfast going faster by constantly flipping the pancakes. Unfortunately, this only does more harm than good, as it actually slows down the cooking time and may even cause the pancakes to lose their fluffy shape. Pressing down too hard on them can also cause this.
Instead, be patient and don't go through with that first flip until you see a hint of golden brown color on the other side or when you start to see small bubbles appearing in the mixture. Once flipped, give it around two minutes to cook. In the end, it should be nice and golden.
Using a Test Pancake
If you're a frequent maker of pancakes, then you probably already know that the first pancake is usually the worst. Instead of dreading this fact, take advantage of it.
By using that first pancake as a test pancake, it will allow you to test whether the griddle is hot enough. Since griddles allow you to make several pancakes at a time, it’s likely that you won’t even miss that one failed pancake.
How to Mix Pancake Batter
Mixing pancake batter seems simple, but there are some mistakes that can wreak havoc along the way. To avoid all this, start by ensuring that you do not mix the wet and dry ingredients together until after you have mixed both the dry and wet ingredients separately.
Additionally, let the batter rest for about five to 15 minutes before cooking. This allows even hydration in the batter, lumps to smooth out and gluten in the batter to relax.
References
Writer Bio
Sarah is a multi-platform writer and editor. Her work has appeared in USA Today, Vital Proteins, Healthline, Diply, and more. When she's not writing, she's trying to keep up with her border collie, Emmy.