If a place is going to call itself the International House of Pancakes, those pancakes better be pretty good, right? IHOP, an acronym the chain didn't fully embrace until 15 years after it first opened, serves all kinds of diner fare, but the pancakes of its name are the obvious main event. And, clearly, they're doing something right. The chain sells an astonishing 700 million pancakes each year. Plus some of the menu items that aren't pancakes, like scrambled eggs and omelets, have pancake batter in them. So what makes the pancakes so special at the place with the blue roof? Here's why IHOP's pancakes are so delicious.
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00:00Sure, IHOP sells burgers and steaks and omelets, but you know you're only going for the pancakes.
00:07What is it that makes their stack so special, though?
00:10We uncovered some pancake intel to really get to the bottom of the hype.
00:14Here's what makes IHOP's pancakes so darn good.
00:18When you're baking a cake, the recipe usually calls for room-temperature eggs or butter.
00:24Apparently, you should not assume it's the same protocol when you're trying to make great
00:28pancakes.
00:29IHOP's Vice President of Culinary Innovation Marie Grimm told Delish that any liquid going
00:34into their pancake batter is always very cold, and it turns out that's a crucial thing.
00:40That's because when the liquid ingredients in a batch of batter are warm or room temperature,
00:45they cause a chemical reaction by raising the temperature of the gluten in the flour,
00:50which gives a springy quality to the pancakes a little too soon.
00:55So presumably, IHOP chefs don't pull their liquid necessities out of the fridge until
01:00it's time to mix with the dry stuff.
01:03This might surprise you, but when it comes to IHOP pancakes, butter does not make everything
01:08better, at least during the cooking process.
01:11The Culinary Innovation VP from IHOP, Marie Grimm, informed Delish that using butter or
01:17oil to grease the griddle messes with the perfect finished pancake that IHOP seems to
01:22have mastered.
01:23The problem with butter is that it burns easily, so if you've got a griddle on a hot temperature
01:28for long amounts of time, or are making a large batch of pancakes, you might end up
01:34cooking on residual brown milk solids from the butter breaking down.
01:38That burnt butter flavor can potentially overcome the rest of the flavors.
01:43With oil, there's a risk for dark, uneven spots on the cakes, which isn't necessarily
01:48a bad thing, but not on par with what you expect at IHOP.
01:52If you want to mix meat with your pancakes, save it for the plate.
01:56Bacon and syrup, anyone?
01:58If you want good pancakes, you've gotta be cautious with the griddle.
02:02In the case of the IHOP kitchen, there are two stations designated solely for pancakes
02:07amongst the four giant flat tops.
02:10There are a total of five cooking stations on the IHOP griddle, some wet and some dry.
02:15John Kotez, the senior manager of field operations support for IHOP, told Restaurant Business
02:21that dividing the flat tops into separate stations is what makes the IHOP kitchen so
02:26quick and efficient.
02:27But this griddle setup is also why the pancakes are so divine.
02:31Keeping the pancakes on their own griddle prevents any chance of flavors from another
02:36menu item co-mingling with the precious cakes.
02:39It preserves that pure, distinct IHOP flavor.
02:43Breakfast items co-mingling on the same griddle doesn't feel that jarring, but pancakes that
02:48have the residual taste of burgers with grilled onions?
02:52No thanks.
02:54If it doesn't cook perfectly at 350 degrees, IHOP doesn't want it.
02:59That goes for pancakes and all their other delicious grub, too, because all of IHOP's
03:03griddles are set at 350 degrees.
03:07In fact, they develop every new menu item based on that temp and that temp alone.
03:12IHOP's consistent griddle temperature helps to ensure they get the same delicious pancake
03:17results with every order.
03:19Combine this sweet spot of a surface temp for flipping flapjacks with the cook time
03:23they've likely got down to a science under one big flashy blue roof, and you've got pancake
03:28perfection.
03:31IHOP may be a chain diner, but it's certainly not serving you any reheated frozen fare.
03:36Everything, including the famous pancakes, is cooked when the order hits the kitchen.
03:41The IHOP senior manager of field operations support, John Kotez, confirmed this with Restaurant
03:47Business, saying,
03:48"...everything is cooked to order, and you're building toward a single plate.
03:52Eggs anyway, toast, protein."
03:55So make no mistake, those pancakes are still in batter form when you order them.
04:00Don't believe it?
04:01Think about this.
04:02With as many add-in options as there are on the menu, it would be almost pointless to
04:07whip up big batches of buttermilk pancakes in advance, only to have custom orders come
04:12in.
04:13The Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity pancakes at IHOP are not that special when you really
04:18break it down.
04:19They're a stack of plain ol' pancakes with fruit, and a syrup flavored with that same
04:24fruit on them.
04:25That's it.
04:26They aren't infused with the fruit that tops them, or even dyed to be that color.
04:30But having said all that, how can you deny the inviting, aw shucks vibe of a dish called
04:36Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity?
04:38Of course we want some, and of course they're even tastier than their naked counterparts.
04:43Pancakes with berries and whipped cream are a real treat, even if it is slightly embarrassing
04:48to utter.
04:49Uh, I'll have the Rooty Tooty.
04:51The Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity cakes continue to maintain icon status.
04:56These fruit-topped stacks have been on the menu since 1985, so clearly they're doing
05:01something to keep their fans coming back.
05:04We don't have to tell you that food tastes better when it's free.
05:07It does.
05:08It always does.
05:10So that's why we'd like to proclaim our mad respect and adoration for IHOP Free Pancake
05:15Day, formerly known as National Pancake Day.
05:18Hey, Dad, can we get a boat?
05:21No, honey, I'm not rich rich.
05:24I'm pancake rich.
05:26Not only does IHOP offer a fresh, free stack of their original buttermilk pancakes on this
05:31day every year, but they also encourage those enjoying the complimentary cakes to donate
05:36to charities such as the Children's Miracle Network, Shriners Hospitals, or the Leukemia
05:41and Lymphoma Society.
05:43So you're eating for free, but also contributing to a noble cause if you do decide to fork
05:49over a donation amount of your choice.
05:52It's a way to put your passion for pancakes toward the greater good.
05:55With IHOP Free Pancake Day, the pancakes are even more delicious because you don't have
06:00to bust out your wallet if you don't want to, but you'll probably feel even better if
06:05you do.
06:06Who knew pancakes could have such an impact?
06:081.