Wasted oil/fat when making pancakes.

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2

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  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    Well, I use the same amount of oil as I did with butter, back in the days before I got lactose intolerant.

    If I use a small piece of butter (2-3 gram) for a pancake, then I have to add more butter when making the 2nd and 3rd.
    I have never been able to make pancakes (more than 1 pancake) with only butter added from the beginning.
    It allways disappears and I have to add more grease the more pancakes I make.

    Or am I the only one?

    Do you guys add a couple of grams of butter and can make for example 10 pancakes with that?
  • softwind
    softwind Posts: 484 Member
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    I'd invest in a good cast iron pan and use either a misto or cooking spray. That really is a lot of oil. When we make pancakes we only have to spray the pan every 3 or 4 pancakes.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    I use a non-stick pan and no oil to make pancakes, though my batter recipe has a little oil mixed into the batch (like 1 tblspn for the whole batch). If you're worried about calories, substitute:

    - egg white or unsweetened applesauce for whole egg
    - whole wheat flour for up to 50% of the white flour
    - add a handful of blueberries or sliced strawberries
    - add flavor with a bit of cinnamon or vanilla (or both!)
    - almond milk for cow's milk

    And use the nonstick pan. You'll find they're fluffier and less greasy.

    Spend the extra calories on more maple syrup.
  • annarop
    annarop Posts: 11 Member
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    I tend to put oil (or butter) in the pan, then when it's spread nicely, wipe away the excess with a paper towel. You can then use the paper towel to wipe the pan between pancakes (be careful of burnt fingers/fire, health and safety is not so much my thing ;) ) - you can usually make 3-4 more pancakes using the same teaspoon or so of fat, without them starting to stick.
  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    Okay, maybe my pan sucks. I'll get a new ceramic one :)

    But I still haven't got my question answered correctly.
    Does 100% of the oil get absored in my food, or another percentage?

    Thanks.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    But I would like to know how much oil gets absored in food when frying on pan.
    Because some of it gets "steamed" away etc because of the heat.
    Is there a "rule of thumb" percentage of absored oil/wasted when cooking?

    Sorry.

    Due to the molecular properties of oil, it does not evaporate or "steam" away the way water or other liquids might. If it evaporates at all, it occurs very slowly - much more slowly than it takes to cook a pancake.

    If you are using a cast iron pan, it is possible that some of the oil is being absorbed into the metal - this is likely to be minimal, though.
  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks Shannon, that's what I was looking for :)
    So it would be the same if I use coconut oil/butter, I guess?
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    Thanks Shannon, that's what I was looking for :)
    So it would be the same if I use coconut oil/butter, I guess?

    Yep.

    I really do suggest you get one of those mistos or invest in a nonstick skillet for making pancakes. We make ours on something like the link below, and we don't use any oil at all.

    http://www.target.com/p/hamilton-beach-electric-griddle/-/A-13686258?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=13686258&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=13686258&LID=3pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=13686258&kpid=13686258&gclid=Cj0KEQjwnZShBRDfxqzr55rcyMEBEiQA1iRNP0FZtjJKBzyqFT0CsIptjzytNz7y0JcAUTbrkU_kS9oaAoF08P8HAQ
  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    Wow, that one looks amazing :-)
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
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    Actually it isn't a forgone conclusion that each T of oil is going to the pancakes. If you are burning your pancakes you are probably smoking your oil. This means some of your oil is burning off. It is likely your pan is too hot. If you lower your temp, you could likely also lower the amount of oil. I typically cook pancakes around a nudge above midpoint on my gas stove.
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
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    Well, I use the same amount of oil as I did with butter, back in the days before I got lactose intolerant.

    If I use a small piece of butter (2-3 gram) for a pancake, then I have to add more butter when making the 2nd and 3rd.
    I have never been able to make pancakes (more than 1 pancake) with only butter added from the beginning.
    It allways disappears and I have to add more grease the more pancakes I make.

    Or am I the only one?

    Do you guys add a couple of grams of butter and can make for example 10 pancakes with that?

    If you use 2-3 grams of butter per pancake, 5 pancakes is about a tablespoon (14g) of butter. So, either you're using way more oil than you did butter or there's a measurement issue.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
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    Man, that's way too much oil for pancakes. If you have to add that much fat, whether it's butter, EVOO, coconut oil or good ole Crisco does not matter.

    I'm also a pancake lover and I use an old non-stick griddle. I just put drop of oil on the griddle, wipe it over the whole griddle surface with a paper towel and cook away.

    If you'r using that much fat on pancakes, you seriously need a new recipe and a new griddle.
  • engodwin
    engodwin Posts: 516 Member
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    The boiling point for Olive oil is 572 degrees F. The recommended cooking temp for pancakes is 375 degrees F. Check your cooking temp.

    Oil molecules are big so it takes more energy to get them to leave the liquid state and become a gas. Oil molecules do not evaporate as easily water. Usually the "steam" you see is smoke - from the molecules breaking down, aka burning, not "steam" - H2O in a gaseous state.

    ^Thus making it virtually impossible to determine how much is absorbed in your pancake/pan, and how much is being destroyed. Unless of course you have a chemistry lab in your kitchen :wink:

    I would log it, but that's just me.
  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    2-3 grams butter for every pancake. That amount looks just like the same amount of oil (1tbs).
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    I'd count on all that oil being eaten.

    For pancakes I use a large nonstick pan (Teflon) and canola oil spray PAM. There is an olive oil version as well, which I tend to use for savory foods.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
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    I had pancakes last night and used lite margarine only 50 cals a tbsp. Since I made egg whites and pancakes I used two tbsp--only 100 cals. I suppose you may have to switch your oil of choice, use less, or cut down on your pancake consumption.
    Either way, yes, you have to log it. Bread type foods, BTW, like pancakes, just soak up the oil. If you have a griddle, you could make waffles instead and use much less oil.
    You need to find ways to cut down on the cals. My pancake and egg dinner (4 egg whites, 50grams pancake mix, 2tbsp lite margarine, 1/4 cup lite pancake syrup) came to a grand total of 440 cals.
  • sirrdk
    sirrdk Posts: 12 Member
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    The stove is on the second lowest temperature when I'm cooking pancakes.
    It takes about 2-3 minutes for the pancake to cook, on each side. Meaning 5-6 minutes for 1 package.
    That's a lot of time on pancakes. So if I turn the gas stove on the lowest, it's gonna take more than 6 minutes for each pancake.
    And I don't wanna waste more time on cooking pancakes than I already do.

    But yeah, some of the oil does get burned away, as it always gets smokey when I make pancakes.

    Either I'm lousy cook, or everything I do is wrong!?
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    Try adding oil to the batter maybe.

    Honestly, try a non-stick pan. Then the oil shouldn't be necessary. If it doesn't work, a little spray goes a long way.

    If you continue using oil, YES count the calories. It's being absorbed by the pancake and you are eating it.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
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    The stove is on the second lowest temperature when I'm cooking pancakes.
    It takes about 2-3 minutes for the pancake to cook, on each side. Meaning 5-6 minutes for 1 package.
    That's a lot of time on pancakes. So if I turn the gas stove on the lowest, it's gonna take more than 6 minutes for each pancake.
    And I don't wanna waste more time on cooking pancakes than I already do.

    But yeah, some of the oil does get burned away, as it always gets smokey when I make pancakes.

    Either I'm lousy cook, or everything I do is wrong!?
    I think you are praying to Jesus that the oil gets burned away, but no, you're eating all that, and yes, you need to log it. OR.....you could carry on and show up a couple weeks later posting that you are not losing weight and don't know why. :huh:
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
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    you are eating a lot of calories for breakfast. even if 50% of the oil evaportated, which is unlikely given that its oil, you would still be eating a ton of calories for breakfast.

    so... if you are watching calories... you may need to rethink pancakes or do as suggested and get a better recipe or turn down the heat. when i make crepes or pancakes all it takes is an initial 1tsp of butter, and i never have to add more. i cook them just a little over medium. nonstick pan.

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