Why do people buy pancake mix?

I have to say that if I go to the US i bring back a couple of boxes of Aunt Jemima pancake mix. but they are very tasty and taste like those in Denny's ? - that's the only concession i'll make to mixes. I dont see why people buy stuffing mix either, its truly vile!!!

Wonder what Ina would have to say? ?

One of my collegaues bought the Tesco Value pancake mix. All you had to add was eggs and milk. ?

Becuase it's fun using the shaky thing.

And I only ever have eggs in when I know I'm going to use them or else they go to waste.

Yuck! I thought you had to add an egg as well as water to pancake mix anyway? Are you sure you read the packet correctly? ?

I think the same about packet cheese sauce. I have a friends who's a real foodie (at least most of the time she is) and I went round the other week for the kids' teatime and she used a packet cheese sauce. There is nothing simpler than cheese sauce surely? Exceot maybe pancake mixture. ?

Must confess I do ... every year I tried to make it myself, it all went wrong, however non-stick the pan is it gets everywhere and it ends up in a lumpy gooey mess that took ages to clean off, then I got upset because I just wanted to have nice pancakes, and H would then tell me "it's ok, I don't even like them".

EVERY year.

Eventually I caved and just bought the mix. I am ashamed, especially since I have no problems making things like cheese sauce from scratch. ?

Lack of confidence I would imagine. In their cooking ability, in their measuring/weighing ability. Just not knowing how easy it is to do it any other way.

I have packets of pancake/batter mix ?

I use them so I don't have to weigh anything. I just open the packet, sling it in a bowl with eggs & water and that's it - easy.

Works for me <shrug>

Mrs M you could be me - I have a 'why do people buy pancake mix' rant every Feb. I think that the least people should be able to make is a simple batter mix. It is cheap an easy.

I buy pancake mix for Shrove Tuesday as Camperkid likes to have a pancake or two - but you add MILK to ours, not water......

I suppose it;s all do to do time, ease of use and if you can afford it why not? I don't buy it as I know I can make it cheaper myself ?

? I promise it was a "just add water" bottle. ?

I can still taste metal, even after a glass of squash and a glass of water.

I really don't get it but perhaps it's because I am a baker and always have flour, caster sugar and usually eggs in the house? Maybe a pack is seen as easier than buying things individually.

I'm still ? at all you need to add is milk and egg.

I don't allow real pancakes as the smell makes me feel ill. The mixes in the bottles don't smell as vile. I'm sure Dave used milk though..

We buy pancake mix every year. I can't think of a good reason not to. It's easy, we like the pancakes, I am failing to see the problem with it.

L
xx

Laziness, lack of confidence, no interest in food. either all, a combination or individually. i find it quite sad i must admit. ditto the fact one can buy frozen omelettes

? I'm just off to check if I should have added milk...

Because it doesn't taste of pancakes!

Definitely water! <phew> ?

If you have only ever had fake pancakes from a packet or a little chef, then trust me, the mix tastes like pancakes

L
xx

The reason the packet (not one of those shaker jobbies) where you add egg and milk amuses me is cos that's all you do with flour - so the packet mix that my colleague bought was overpriced plain flour with some anti caking agent!

H and I have this discussion every pancake day. He always buys mix for pancake day and I pretend to make pancakes with it when I've actually chucked it and made my own. I fessed up this year and shown him how to make it, he thought that because his mum buys ready mixed it must be complicated so he was saving me some hassle by buying it. He is gradually getting more confident with his cooking, he never got taught at school (because that's what a wife is for) and his mum wouldn't let him in a kitchen at home and then he got his meals at uni for a few years so he only had a year or so to even try before we got married.

Have to say that Aunt Jemimas mix is loverly tho, dirty but good

noooooooo!! ?

Mind you I laugh at packs of frozen chopped onions, and frozen mushrooms - putting the "mush" in mushrooms, surely?

I only have one pair of hands, two kids with differing needs, a very, very small kitchen and a very, very small amount of patience at the end of the working day - besides, it's once a year for us and in my defence, I make my own bread, yogurt, cook most things from scratch - I'm allowed a culinary faux pas once a year?

Rubbish.

Why do you find it so 'sad'?

And as for ? at the fact you only add eggs & water, it's true. I don't have to weigh flour or anything. Also, I like the taste.

So, shoot me ?

why is it rubbish? you ve already said you buy mix because youre lazy ("no weighing..." etc) therefore what i said is accurate.

i find it sad because it is probably THE simplest hot meal to make apart from a boiled egg. as KJX said, her colleague bought "mix" which called for eggs and milk. ffs, his "mix" is just...flour ?. dont get me wrong, if you want to buy mix thats upto you, but i cant help but find that a little sad that you cant put eggs, flour and milk in a bowl and give it a quick stir ?

Tbh, I am too lazy to make pancakes even with a mix. H does them

L
xx

I bought pancake mix when I was living on my own in Skegness. They were something I ate every once in a while and I didn't do any baking whatsoever there because I just didn't have the facilities and didn't have flour etc in because I just hardly used it. When you work 60-70 hour weeks and live on your own it's difficult making sure you have fresh stuff like milk and eggs in all the time!

But but but Little Chef cherry pancakes are motorway porn food and actually quite nice.

Pancakes out a bottle are metallic tasting and really not very nice at all.

I agree with Nick <faints> in that it's up to you if you want to use mixes but that they really are the easiest thing in the world to make. I use the bero/my mum's recipe and they are lusher than a lush thing. You don't need to even measure after a while as it's not really an exact science.

100g self raising flour (you can use plain but I like them a bit risen anyway as they are lighter)
50g caster sugar
Pinch of salt

Mix together and make a well, stir in one large egg then gradually beat in 4tbsp of milk until you have a thick batter.

<meerkat> Simples!

Mrs M, as I said I only bought packet mix because I actually didn't have store cupboard essentials in like flour or caster sugar. Normally (ie at my mums and every other house I've lived in) I have a well stocked cupboard and cook an awful lot from scratch, unfortunately shift works scuppers that somewhat ?

I now want pancakes!

Mrsm, that sounds more like half way between a crepe and an american pancake

if you want an amazing breakfast pancake, try these

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/americanpancakes_72713.shtml

to make them even better, either soak a big handful of sultanas in warm water for an hour, drain and add them to the mix, or a big handful of blueberries. just put a tablespoon of the mix in the pan, mine fits about 4 at once. i make these when we re going walking, proper breakfast stodge

So, you have to weigh that flour, right? And the caster sugar? It's just not gonna happen ?

L
xx

Nigella has an "instant" pancake recipe- you weigh all the dry ingredienst and store in a big jar, then just scoop out a cup and add egg and milk when you want to make them. I'll post if anyone's interested.

well yes, but you only have to do it once. if you take a cup that fits the weight of flour in exactly, ditto cups for the milk and sugar, then next time and all times after, you just scoop up a cup of flour etc so you dont need to weight it at all, you know the weights are correct.

But we have pancakes once a year, if that. It's easier to get a mix. And I am not really seeing the benefits of home making. Because it will what? save three pence or something? I get that they may taste nicer but I like the taste of mixes. In fact I also like the premade pancakes you just heat up, I now remember (although they are a bit rubbery).

L
xx