Pancakes
There are many good kinds of pancakes and a plethora of miserable pretenders out there. I enjoy cooking pancakes and want to share some tips learned the hard way.
Tips
Mixes
Just-add-water mixes aren't as good as mixes that require an egg, but they're passable as long as they're thoroughly cooked and they combine good flour with buttermilk and/or buckwheat for flavor. The fresh egg strikes a balance between moisture and chewiness, and makes the recipe more forgiving.
I prefer buckwheat mixes with their heady flavor.
Making the batter
Pancake batter should be a little lumpy and thick. If it isn't lumpy, it's probably mixed too long. If it isn't thick, it won't make a cake, and it'll get burned on one side before it's cooked enough to be cake-y.
Pancakes won't rise if the batter has been beaten too long or has been left sitting for hours.
If you're having a pancake party for many people, make multiple batches. Cooked pancakes store well in a warming oven. Uncooked batter has a peak time for cooking that may only be extended to an hour or so by keeping in the refrigerator.
Pans
A seasoned, cast-iron pan/skillet/griddle is the way to go. Runners-up include electric, non-stick griddles for their constant, predictable temperature, and thick non-stick pans for the ease of use. But pancakes griddles should get very hot, melting the plastic spatulas one usually uses with non-stick cookware. Specifically, the part of the pan not covered by batter will get hot enough to melt any plastic, so please use wooden spatulas for non-stick surfaces.
Crepes
You can't make airy crepes by using a spreader, but at least the spreader helps you cook them evenly.
To make airy crepes, the batter needs to be just the right thickness, much less thick than pancake batter.
Unlike dough for rising pancakes, crepe batter should be thoroughly mixed, because there isn't enough time to cook through lumps.
I prefer to use an electric crepe-maker. I simply put a pool of batter in a deep plate, invert the griddle into the batter for a second, where just the right amount batter sticks to the griddle every time, and bring it out to cook for just about 30 seconds—The thinnest and most uniform crepes I've ever seen. I think the MAXIM model I have is discontinued, but many are available on eBay.
