Are these new pancake gadgets just flippin’ mad?
NOTHING beats a traditional pancake on Shrove Tuesday. But while the most radical it usually gets is choosing chocolate spread over lemon and sugar, this year is set to be different.
Here, MANDY FRANCIS tries a host of gadgets to make it easier — and more bonkers — than ever.
CREPE CREATOR
Breville crepe maker, £29, ao.com
WHAT IS IT? An electrically-heated hot plate with five heat settings. Comes with a T-shaped wooden tool to help you spread the pancake batter out and create large, thin crepes.
ANY GOOD? I plugged this in, switched on, and waited a couple of minutes for the green light to extinguish, which showed the hot plate had reached the correct temperature.
I then wiped a little butter over the surface, poured on a ladleful of batter and — the tricky bit — spread it quickly and evenly over the hot plate with the wooden spreader. The lip around the edge of the plate stopped any drips.
The crepe cooked evenly within two minutes, so was easy to flip in one piece. A further minute and I had a delicious and professional looking, large crepe. The machine and hot plate are wipe-clean, so no washing-up. 5/5
SELF-TAPPING SIEVE
Joseph Joseph Shake-It, £15 from houseoffraser.co.uk WHAT IS IT? A sieve with a ‘loose’ handle that simulates tapping it with your hand. ANY GOOD? Lumps are unappetising — but sieving has always seemed like too much faff to me. Yet this clever utensil has a rocking handle that means it jolts slightly as you shake it. My pancakes were much lighter and lumpfree as a result. 4/5
PANCAKE PAN GUN
Prepara Mist Oil Sprayer, £16, goodcookshop.com
WHAT IS IT? A refillable spray. Just fill the reservoir with the oil of your choice and spritz over your pan.
ANY GOOD? This allows you to use a controlled dose of your favourite oil, keeping your hands and counter clean. The only drawback? It squirts rather than mists, so you still need to move the oil around to coat the pan. 3/5
IMPERFECT PANCAKES
Flippin’ Fantastic Pancake Maker, £9.99, robertdyas.co.uk
WHAT IS IT? A silicone mould with seven round holes (above right). Just place in a hot frying pan, pour batter in and wait before flipping to release perfect, circular pancakes into the pan.
ANY GOOD? Instead of filling the mould neatly, the batter immediately leaked under the silicone, creating a sticky, inedible mess. A second attempt with a thicker batter was more successful, but the middles were slow to cook, which made them tricky to flip — and rather rubbery once cooked. 0/5
BATTER DOODLES
Joie Pancaker, £5, johnlewis.com
WHAT IS IT? A squeezy mixing bottle with an integral measuring cup. Allows you to create artistic pancake shapes.
ANY GOOD? I used the clip-on cup to measure the flour and milk into the bottle, added an egg, then sealed the lid and shook to blend it all together. The spout allowed me to draw shapes onto a hot pan, which was fun, but the family got impatient with their pancake stars and hearts — and hungry. 3/5
CITRUS SPRITZ
Lekue citrus spray, £13, ocado.com
WHAT IS IT? A pair of screw-in atomisers that extract juice from fresh lemons and other citrus fruit.
ANY GOOD? I sliced a small section off a lemon, screwed the atomiser into the fruit and pumped. I was rewarded with an impressive cloud of lemon juice — and a cry of ‘That’s really cool!’ from my ten-year-old. Alas, the squirts soon slowed to a trickle. 2/5
SMART SPOON
Skaler Weighing Scoop by Uutensil, £10.99, waitrose.com
WHAT IS IT? A large spoon with a mobile weight on the handle that allows you to weigh, measure, scoop and stir pancake with no need for scales.
ANY GOOD? Getting the right amount of flour in the spoon took several attempts — and it’s too large to use to stir small amounts. But it’s handy if you’re an experienced cook who already has an eye for measures. 3/5
PANCAKE PARTY
Swan Party Pancake Maker, £49.99, lakeland.co.uk
WHAT IS IT? A non-stick, electric hot plate with six indents so your guests can cook their pancakes at the table.
ANY GOOD? There’s no temperature control, so it took my family a couple of test runs to cook pancakes without burning them. Once we’d got the knack, we loved it — especially the children. There’s a small ladle to serve just the right amount of batter, and the indents stop spillages. 4/5