Ask any discerning foodie, a good roadsidediner is a holy institution. For families on road trips or friends craving a 4 a.m. bite, diners are reliable repositories for heaping stacks of pancakes or freshly ironed waffles. Either way, when you see that glowing golden "World's Best Diner" sign, (if you're like us) chances are you're banging a larry on the highway to try them out. A lot of establishments proudly display this stately sign, and, at some level, they're all right. Diners rock, and no matter how fluffy your homemade versions are, diner pancakes and waffles are almost certainly better -- and there are a few reasons why.
As forWaffle House, thechain is happy to share that "farm-fresh eggs and rich, creamy half-and-half" are part of its crave-able waffle equation. Not to be outdone,IHOP shares that real buttermilk is a key ingredient in its classic pancakes. Classic, whole ingredients are usually the best starting place for better hotcakes, but it's more and more common to see cheaper fillers like cornstarch and the use of shorteninginstead of butter.But flapjacks and Belgian waffles are so simple in terms of ingredients, that they won't pay the right dividends when the recipe's padded out. Whilemany iconic diner chains keep their batter recipes a secret, not reinventing the wheel — with just a supremely hot griddle and un-experimentalbatters (it's a comfort food after all) — is probably the best policy, and likely how most roadside joints keep their doors open.
It's A Diner's Job To Know More About Your Pancakes Than You Do
But this is not to discount the value of well-thought-out techniques, which established chains have down to a science.Marie Grimm, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation, revealed to Delish that to make a killer batter, the wet ingredients should be "ice cold."Using cold eggs, milk, butter, oil, and water prevents the ingredients from prematurely heating the gluten in the flour, explains Grimm, which is responsible for creating the springy bounce that IHOP pancake fans love, and have come to expect from their short stack.
Another advantage is better equipment. While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with awaffle iron or griddle that's already hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.IHOP also has designated griddles that never cook anything other than pancakes, as Jon Kotez, IHOP's senior manager of field operations support, toldRestaurant Business. Waffle House, on the other hand, mixes its batter in a special appliance called a bain marie, which is effectively a giganticdouble boilerthat evenly warms the batter for a perfect, consistent cook every time.
Diner pancakes and waffles often taste better than homemade versions due to a commitment to classic, whole ingredients and well-thought-out techniques.
Restaurants also refrain from using butter and oil on the griddle, popular ways to grease pans when in your own kitchen, which tend to affect the flavor. Overall, it's no wonder that the high quality of restaurant ingredients and standards tend to put their flapjacks over your homemade ones.
An undeniable element of technique is involved in the flipping, timing, and surgical extraction of delicate waffles from the teeth of the iron. It also takes an experienced hand to not cram too much batter into the iron or underfill and end up with a thin, lackluster puck.
Waffles generally have more butter and sugar in the batter and become more caramelized while cooking, so they savor a little richer. On the other hand, pancakes are softer and easier to eat. Both take ice cream, syrup, or other sweet toppings as well as each other in a flavor sensation.
The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.
In an interview with Delish, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation revealed that the pancake house keeps the wet ingredients “ice cold” in the prepared batter. This eliminates any heat interaction with the glutens that might cause the batter to rise prematurely.
Truly, waffles are superior to pancakes for the following reasons: they provide you with delicious places to put syrup, and are a more fulfilling meal (both mentally and physically). While many may criticize the holes in waffles as “giving you too much syrup” I would argue that they give you the perfect amount.
The aeration in the pancake batter makes the eggs light, tender, and fluffy without adding any obvious flavor, so the egg dish is both hefty and light at the same time. Pancake batter also gives the eggs enough body and structure to hold together over the meaty, cheesy fillings.
They can recall the joy of ordering a hot, fluffy stack of pancakes for the first time off a menu at a restaurant, or the sharp disappointment of a pancake topped with corn syrup instead of real maple syrup. In all these ways, pancakes remind people of kinship, enjoyment, and Familiarity.
Iodine, riboflavin, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc, copper, and iron are also found in a pancake breakfast. Healthy Eating SF Gate notes that pancakes are a great source of iron, with wholewheat ones providing 3mg in one serving, which is up to 38 per cent of daily iron intake.
While the griddles themselves likely vary from one diner chain to the next, diners are pretty much all working with a waffle iron or griddle that's already hot. IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm.
They are easy to make, easy to stack and easy to eat. They have an infinite number of combinations that go with them, they're filling, and they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pancakes are not only very versatile, but they are DELICIOUS.
“What links pancakes from different ingredients and different cultures … is their flat shape, which helps them cook through quickly,” says food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark. “They're relatively simple, and their smallish size makes them easy to eat.”
Restaurants do have a few tips, tricks, and secret ingredients for really elevating this seemingly simple dish. For example, IHOP adds a little pancake batter to their scrambled eggs to ensure they are light and fluffy while remaining filling, according to The Daily Meal.
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