The Super Bowl of Hotcake Showdowns: Round 3

Round 3 of the widely lauded and hotly debated Handfelt Hotcake Showdown took place on Superbowl Sunday, and for the first time included the presence of a small child, a baby even. Too small and itty bitty to consume pan-fried cakes, the little one made sure to wait until right before we sat down to eat before having a meltdown. Clearly pancake envy was at play. Thus, let the record show that this test was conducted under duress. Let's get to the results before the kid starts crying again.

The Sample

First up, the contenders:

Hailing from the pretentious aisles of Crate and Barrel comes Barefoot Contessa's Pancake and Waffle Mix. At a staggering $7 for a 16 oz can, this ascot wearing pancake mix comes with lofty expectations. The recipe suggests either regular milk or buttermilk. We opted for the latter, a decision which proved crucial later on.













Next up is Krusteaz Wheat and Honey, one of the few sample brands that is of the 'just add water' ilk. The original Krusteaz held it's own against Aunt J before eventually bowing out...how will it's hippie cousin fare? Note that for this one, following some sage pancake advise sent to me by my mother, we substituted Club Soda for the water, which is supposed to make the cakes thinner and crispier.












The reigning champ:

Aunt Jemima Original, two time champ and pantry stalwart, tries to make the third time a charm and continue her reign of flapjack dominance.













The Method

As in previous rounds, I prepared the three pancake mixes according to directions on the box and carefully calibrated their "doneness" (perfectly golden brown, not too thick, not too thin, brimming with chewy carb goodness) using my Celaphon non-stick skillet.

One-by-one, Katy and I sampled each pancake: one bite with butter only, one bite with sugary Mrs. Butterworth's syrup and another with real, Grade A maple syrup. We then recorded our comments for each cake and ranked them on a scale of 1-5 (low to high). I was aware of which pancake went with each mix, but Katy's was a blind taste test. Being a man of principle, especially when it comes to pancakes, I didn't let this knowledge affect my rankings.

The Results

Barefoot Contessa:

Ben's comments: 5 stars, "Light and fluffy, these could be served without complaint at trendy breakfast nooks everywhere. I feel like these were flipped using God's spatula."

Katy's comments: 5 stars, "Nice golden yellow color, smooth texture. These remind me something at an expensive brunch place and are nice and buttery and tasty even without syrup."

Krusteaz Wheat and Honey:

Ben's comments: 3 stars, "Wheat pancakes have been exposed as frauds yet again. If I want wheat pancakes, I'll move into some hippie commune, take 3 wives and start growing my own cilantro."

Katy's comments: 4 stars, "Very wheat-y. These would hit the spot sometimes, but not all the time, kind of like Seinfeld reruns."

Aunt Jemima:

Ben's comments: 4 stars, "These have all the hallmarks of Aunt J, that obese yet lovable temptress. They have an unmistakable cake-y flavor to them that is distinct and instantly recognizable, like a Carlos Santana guitar solo.

Katy's comments: 4.75 stars, "Nice and light with a cake flavor that makes my inner Lily happy."

The Winner

After a long and impressive run, Aunt Jemima is finally dethroned by Barefoot Contessa. At $7 for a smallish jar, Contessa proved it's worth, although admittedly, at that price point you're probably almost better served just going the extra mile and making your pancake batter from scratch. Contessa was also aided with the 'buttermilk for milk' substitution, which gave it more flavor and helped separate it from it's gaggle of skim milk or water based competitors.

Aunt J certainly has nothing to hang her head about, and will probably still end up being the 'go to' pantry mix for everyday use. Barefoot Contessa screams 'special occasion' as much as an instant pancake mix can lay claim to such a thing.

Next up: a battle of the homemade pancake mixes, rife with special guest judges, including those who probably know best: the under 5 set.

Pancake Standings

Barefoot Contessa (sold exclusively at Crate and Barrel)
Aunt Jemima Original
Krusteaz Original
Krusteaz Wheat and Honey
Bisquick
Hungry Jack
Trader Joe's Multigrain

And with that, I leave you with the most classic pancake video of all time:

Cabin Fever- Pancakes! - The most amazing videos are a click away