Does It Really Do That: Pancake Puffs Pan

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you like pancakes, you'll love Pancake Puffs, or at least that's what the infomercial promises.

It says: "Pancake Puffs are easy to make. Just use your favorite pancake batter and flip. Easier than flipping a regular pancake."

But does it really do that?

With four children under the age of five, Janna Smythe says she wants to find out.

She makes pancakes at least once a week.

The Pancake Puffs pan is cast iron.

It promises to evenly distribute heat over seven little wells, allowing you to make seven pancake puffs at once.

First, we wash the iron pan in soapy water, oil it and we're ready to go.

We make our favorite pancake mix, stir it up and add our choice of butter or oil to our pancake wells.

We try a little of both, and we're good to go.

Directions say put your Pancake Puff pan on medium heat, fill the wells three quarters of the way and wait for the underside to get golden brown.

Although the infomercial promises us that it is "easier than flipping a regular pancake".

Right away, we disagree.

Even though the Pancake Puff Pan comes with its own wooden flippers, they aren't all that easy to use and perhaps more importantly, certainly not safer than a fork.

Janna agrees the flippers are not very child friendly.

If you feel the tip, it is really sharp.

We find it takes longer to make pancake puffs than pancakes.

Janna ends up turning up the heat because they seem to be taking forever.
But that is not surprising.

After all, Pancake puffs are thicker than pancakes.

After five or six minutes when they are ready to turn, they do look great.

Janna adds her maple syrup for traditional pancakes and she says no doubt
about it, "They are great!"

Not only do they taste great, take a close look inside and you will see they
are perfectly cooked all the way through.

"They are a good size for kids", said Janna. "Yeah, they are a perfect little size."

Pancake puffs aren't just for breakfast, they promise a lot of creative eating.

The infomercial suggests filling pancakes with your favorite filling including decadent chocolate.

That looks too good to pass up.

We try it first with the Pancake Puff pastry filler, but think our chocolate ready whip is a lot easier straight from the can.

Just fill with chocolate. You can feel the puff fill up.

How does it taste?

Janna loves it.

Her four year old daughter spits it out, but all in all, Janna says the Pancake
Puffs Pan does really do what it promises.

"Yeah," said Janna. "I think they are yummy and for $20, isn't a lot for something in the kitchen."