I've heard good things about pancake makers so I thought it would be rather apt for me to give one a try; it is Pancake Day after all.
The waffle and pancake maker that I have been sent is the Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker. It comes with non-stick plates, which didn't require me to use much (if any) oil or butter - just as with the best air fryers - although it is advised. This means that there is such a thing as a 'healthy' pancake, right? And the things that I have heard about a pancake maker is that they are quick, relatively mess-free, and you get the perfect first pancake.
Since I've not used a pancake maker before, I decided to look for a recipe on the Cuisinart website, which uses very similar ingredients to the basic pancake recipe detailed in the instruction manual. I specifically chose this one though because it makes up to 16 pancakes, rather than 10, and I liked that it uses vanilla extract (yum!).
Keep scrolling to find out how I got on, and for the recipe I followed.
Traditional pancake recipe: Ingredients
The recipe I followed was a traditional pancake recipe from the Cuisinart website. It's a very similar recipe to drop scones, using just a different flour and citrus zest.
The ingredients listed below claim to make up to 16 pancakes. However, if you like your pancakes thick and super fluffy like me, load up on the batter and you'll make around 10.
I substituted granulated sugar for golden caster sugar, reduced-fat milk for oat milk, and butter for margarine.
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup reduced fat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Traditional pancake recipe: Method
I used the new Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker. It has three main settings; low, medium, and high, with a few notches in between for finer temperature adjustments, and the highest temperature it goes up to is 210C.
I used the device to cook these traditional pancakes, but it can also be used to cook waffles since it comes with two interchangeable plates that can be easily clipped on and off when you need them.
It took just one minute and 32 seconds to cook my pancakes to perfection. Note: the batter starts to cook as soon as you drop it into the mold.
Step 1: Measure out your ingredients.
Preheat the pancake maker (I set it to Medium)
Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Gently pour and whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Add the melted butter and stir until combined.
Tip: Allow the batter to rest for up to one hour in the fridge for a lighter pancake
Step 4. When the green light indicator shows, use a ladle or spoon to add the pancake batter to each of the two moulds. Fill to the top of each mould.
Step 5. Close the lid and and cook for approximately two minutes, or until golden in color.
Step 6. Remove the pancakes from the plates and repeat with the remaining batter.
Step 7: Load with your favourite toppings
Traditional pancake recipe: Verdict
I am rarely impressed with an appliance after the first time I use it, but this case is an exception.
For starters, and this may be a low bar, the two very first pancakes I made on the Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker were actually edible. When using a frying pan, these test runs would usually be slimy with butter and probably broken after a failed flip, so I was really pleased with this outcome.
Despite the fact I didn't use oil or butter in the heating element, I was also really impressed that the pancakes didn't stick whatsoever.
Then there's the fact that it's just so easy to use a small appliance like this in place of using the stove. If you have many mouths to feed and distractions that pull your attention away from plating the perfect pancake, this could be a real boon.
It's unlikely that I'll go back to my old ways of making pancakes again now I've used this pancake maker. It's a total game changer - even cleaning up after using it is made easy with the dishwasher-safe removable plates - so it's a clear win for me.
