STEPHANIE ZONIS focuses on good foods and the people who produce them.
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November 2009
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Best Pancake Mixes: Whole Grain & Multigrain
Page 4: Testing Methodology
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Testing Methodology
Almost all pancake mixes were prepared according to package instructions. There were several exceptions:
- Where I deviated from the instructions, I explain what I did differently.
- Where I was given a choice (melted butter or vegetable oil, for instance), I specify which item I used.
- Mixes were prepared using the same brands of milk, eggs, butter and/or vegetable oil.
- If a range of liquid was given for preparation, I used the minimum quantity listed and added more liquid if necessary.
- If a standing time was specified in the instructions, the batter was left to stand for that amount of time.
Pancake Size
I did not follow instructions in pancake size. One-quarter cup of batter is a commonly-given quantity for the amount of batter to use per pancake. I find pancakes made from 1/4 cup of batter (or even a scant 1/4 cup) to be too large, so I used one of several spoons of approximately equal size, each holding about 2 tablespoons, to form the pancakes. All pancakes were cooked on a nonstick griddle, set to approximately the same heat setting each time. Only one type of batter was baked on the griddle at a time.
Finished Pancakes
Finished pancakes were placed onto a large plate and immediately sampled without any topping or garnish; at least half of each type of pancake was eaten plain. After a “plain” evaluation, pancakes were drizzled with a Grade B maple syrup and evaluated again; at least half of a pancake with syrup was consumed. No more than three different types of pancakes were tasted in one sitting.
Refrigerated Batter
Out of curiosity, I did refrigeration checks on some batters. After evaluating pancakes from these batters when they’d been freshly made up, I covered the batter tightly and placed it in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours. The exception was a batter from Polly’s Pancake Parlor, as the package noted that the batter could be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. Although the package also states that the batter can be frozen, I did not try this. Where I did a refrigeration check, it’s noted in the evaluation of the mix.
Now, on to the findings.
Continue To Page 5: General Findings
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