Pancake machine facts for kids
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A pancake machine is a cool device that automatically makes cooked pancakes! These machines use electricity to do all the work. People think the first pancake machine was invented in the United States in 1928. There are many kinds of pancake machines. Some are for businesses, like restaurants, and others are for homes. Some machines are fully automatic, meaning they do everything themselves. Others are semi-automatic, needing a little help from a person. Big companies make many of these machines, but some people have even built their own! For example, in 2013, The Happy Egg Company made a special, fun pancake machine to celebrate Pancake Day in the United Kingdom.
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How Pancake Machines Started
Pancake machines have an interesting history. Let's look at some key moments.
Early Inventions
In 1928, a person in Portland, Oregon, created an electric pancake machine. This machine worked by dropping pancake batter onto a hot, round grill. The grill was heated by electricity. The batter came from a container above the grill. Compressed air helped push out just the right amount of batter. As the batter cooked on the hot grill, a special shelf flipped the pancake over halfway through. Once cooked, the pancake would slide out of the machine when it touched a gate.
Vendo's Machine
In 1955, a company called Vendo developed an automatic pancake machine in the United States. This machine used a special pancake mix made by the Quaker Oats Company's Aunt Jemima brand. The Vendo machine could make pancakes very quickly, "in less than three minutes." It was a semi-automatic machine. This means it did all the cooking steps, but someone still had to pour in the pancake batter.
Big Machines for Events
In 1956, four engineers from Racine, Wisconsin, built two huge pancake machines. These machines were 5 feet wide and used gas for heating. They were made for the yearly Pancake Day event. This event was put on by the Kiwanis Club in Racine.
Different Kinds of Pancake Machines
There are many types of pancake machines, each working a bit differently.
How They Work
Some machines move pancake batter along a heated conveyor belt inside a closed box. Others automatically drop batter onto a flat, hot cooking surface. Some pancake machines, like one made by Crepe-Coer, can cook both sides of a pancake at the same time! There are also semi-automatic machines. These need a person to do some tasks, like pouring the batter.
Where They Are Used
Pancake machines are often used in places that serve food. You might see them in cafeterias, restaurants, or even hotels. They can help reduce wasted pancake batter. Some hotels even let guests use the pancake machines themselves! You might also find them in fancy airport lounges or other self-service areas.
Homemade Pancake Machines
Some creative people have built their own pancake machines at home!
In 1977, Ken Whitsett from the Ocala Kiwanis Club in Ocala, Florida, built a homemade machine. He used it for his organization's annual pancake day. This Kiwanis machine had a large container filled with batter. People would manually drop the batter onto a spinning griddle. They also had to flip the pancakes by hand and put them on plates when they were done. This machine needed four people to run it. It could make a lot of pancakes, between 750 and 1000 per hour!
Companies and Brands
Today, many companies make pancake machines for both businesses and homes.
Machines for Businesses
Commercial pancake machines are usually found in the foodservice and hospitality industries. This means places like restaurants, hotels, and cafes.
Popcake is a well-known brand of pancake machines. Their machines can make 200 pancakes every hour! Each pancake is ready in just seconds. These machines are designed for places like cafeterias and convenience stores. Popcake is a U.S. company. Marek Szymanski invented the Popcake machine. By 2014, about 7,000 of these machines were being used around the world. Popcake machines let users choose the size, number, and how well-done their pancakes are. A plate of pancakes can be ready in about two minutes.
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A Popcake pancake machine
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Front view of a Quickcakes-brand pancake machine, with various condiments atop the machine
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Machines for Home Use
In March 2015, a home pancake machine called PancakeBot became very popular on Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a website where people can donate money to help new ideas get started. PancakeBot asked for $50,000, but it received over $141,000! PancakeBot can make custom pancakes with different designs. It uses pancake batter in a bottle. A special robotic arm moves the bottle over the griddle. The machine uses custom software to create these cool designs.
Fun and Unique Machines
Some pancake machines are made just for fun or special events!
In February 2013, The Happy Egg Company built a very creative pancake machine. They did this to celebrate Pancake Day in the United Kingdom. This machine was quite complex. It automatically made pancakes from scratch! First, a fresh egg from a hen would roll onto a spinning table. Then, the table would move the egg to a spot where it was automatically cracked. The egg was then mixed with other ingredients. After that, the mixture was poured onto a griddle. The pancake was flipped to cook the other side, and then it was flipped onto a plate. How cool is that?
