For some people, making pancakes is a breeze. The results are light and fluffy, with perfectly crispy browned edges, while others find it a bit more difficult to get to this. Either their pancakes turn out underdone - or worse, they're burned, flat, and tasteless. The good news is making delicious pancakes isn't rocket science. If you fall in the latter category of pancake makers, rest assured that the problem has less to do with you and more to do with your stove.
The pandemic forced us to learn a few things about cooking in the kitchen, so we can only imagine that by now some of you have a love-hate relationship with this appliance. Chances are if you live in a big city, you probably live in a condo with a tiny stove (basically, an electric heater). If you have a gas stove, consider yourself lucky. Unlike electric stoves, gas stoves maintain a consistent temperature.
In our early testing, we made STAC(S) on a few different stoves, but mostly on our own condo stoves. The problem with these types of stoves is that the temperature levels have to be tinkered with during the cooking process, which can sometimes result in errors and a lot of frustration. We also learned that many people cook everything at high heat just to speed up the cooking process. This is a surefire way to burn your pancakes (among other things).
If you have a "favourite" burner (because who doesn't?) we recommend you use it whenever possible. It's your favourite for a reason, right? It wouldn't dare to let you down. It's tried, tested, and true (most of the time), and usually cooks things the way you like them. If you don't have a favourite burner or your stovetop just plain stinks, don't worry. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you exercise patience and get to know what you're working with, you'll get the hang of its nuances in due time.
Besides monitoring the temperature, it's important to give your stove some time to do its thing. For STAC(S) specifically, heat the oil (on medium heat) in a non-stick pan for a few minutes before dropping the first spoonful of batter in. Once you hear the sizzle of the batter, you'll know you've gotten it right.
For more tips on how to make The Perfect STAC(S), click here.
