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Ebelskiver pancake pan worth it?

mr drinkie

By mr drinkie
in Kitchen Consumer

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mr drinkie

mr drinkie

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried the ebelskiver pancake pan from Williams-Sonoma? It gets insanely high ratings on their site, and I think my daughter would love them and enjoy helping make them. It is only $40, so I can't go that wrong, but I just hate specialized tools taking up space that might only be marginally used. Also, some reviews said the non-stick surface tended to flake.

Here is the link.

k.

I like to say things and eat stuff.

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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My MIL's family had a famous old cast iron aebelskiver pan that's been passed down to her. At one point all my husband's siblings have acquired one. Ours came from eBay and is pretty old and in good condition. You might be able to find a good cast-iron one on eBay or Craig's list for way less than $40. It took me a little while to master the technique of turning the little suckers; give the gift of wooden chopsticks along with the pan! That said, we rarely if ever make them any more. Kids love them, because they are cute, you can put a surprise berry in the middle, and it's just another excuse for pouring on the maple syrup. But they are grease-bombs, so a little goes a long way as far as I'm concerned. The romance of aebelskivers may outpace the reality. And whoever is standing over the stove fussing with them doesn't get much rest; the saving grace to cooking them may be that you don't eat so many of them. If you buy a seasoned good-quality pan, it will last forever and eventually pay for itself down the line. Or you can always sell it on eBay to a collector. Seasoned properly, simple cast-iron is non-stick, and when you have a pan dedicated to something like aebelskivers it isn't hard to keep it in good condition.

I don't really know if cast aluminum is so great at even heat distribution, so you might want to research that. And don't fall for those "turners." Chopsticks or wooden knitting needles do a good job.

Edited by Katie Meadow (log)
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ElsieD

ElsieD

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I have the Lodge preseasoned pan. It works extremely well, but I have to admit I haven't used it much. Hmm, I think it's time to pull it out. They are yummy little things but are a bit of work to make.

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paulraphael

paulraphael

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I'd look for one for $10 or so. The WS price is unsurprisingly ridiculous. I once dated a dane who had an inherited aebelskiver pan hanging on the wall. Raised a lot of eyebrows. I remember the things being tasty, too, but that was ages ago. We probably made them once a year.

Notes from the underbelly

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andiesenji

andiesenji

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You can make them with a savory filling, as well as sweet but although I like them, the work involved is quite a lot for the results one gets.

If you are cooking for a bunch of people, it is possible to make them ahead and hold then in a warm oven but the product is still labor intensive.

I used to make them when my kids were well into their teens but I rarely bother now, unless I am serving a brunch and someone specifically asks ahead of time if I will make some.

I agree that the W-S pan is overpriced.

The Lodge pre-seasoned pan is a much better buy.

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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But they are grease-bombs, so a little goes a long way as far as I'm concerned.

I've never tried these, but why do you say they're grease-bombs? Aren't they just regular pancake batter cooked in a different pan?

They seem to need a little puddle of oil in the bottom of each half-sphere before each one gets cooked. Pancakes only need a quick swipe with a greased paper towel, or not at all. Dunno why Aebelskivers need more oil; maybe it isn't necessarily so? Just my experience, even with a very well-seasoned pan.

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mr drinkie

mr drinkie

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Well, I am still not sure if I am going to pull the trigger on this one. I did find a couple cast-iron Griswold ebelskivers on eBay that are right now about $10, but shipping is $10+ and bidding hasn't ended yet. All others listed are about the same price as W-S.

The cast-iron ones seem to have a lot of surface area. Are they even heavier than regular cast iron skillets?

k.

I like to say things and eat stuff.

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djyee100

djyee100

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I bought a cast iron aebleskiver pan years ago, and I made aebleskivers exactly once. They're delicious, but fussy. Recipes frequently require whipped egg whites, so it's not a simple pancake batter.

My Thai cooking teacher, Kasma Loha-Unchit, uses her aebleskiver pan for cooking Thai coconut hotcakes, or kanom krok. The pan is good for that, although the cups are a little deeper than a Thai kanom krok pan. She also fries quail eggs in those little cups for a dainty brunch item. Again, not things one will cook everyday.

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JTravel

JTravel

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We went to Thailand with Kasma several years ago. She bought us those little coconut pancakes and they were wonderful. When I found my bargain/thrift shop pan I thought of them. Have to admit though that I only made the Ebelskivers once, and haven't done the Thai ones yet. Maybe this will get me at it. The learning curve on turning the little "Things" was very sharp but by the end of the batch I was getting better at it.

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andiesenji

andiesenji

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We went to Thailand with Kasma several years ago. She bought us those little coconut pancakes and they were wonderful. When I found my bargain/thrift shop pan I thought of them. Have to admit though that I only made the Ebelskivers once, and haven't done the Thai ones yet. Maybe this will get me at it. The learning curve on turning the little "Things" was very sharp but by the end of the batch I was getting better at it.

I use a "trick" utensil - a "pig-tail" turner the smaller of the two in this set.

It works a treat!

I also use to to hook waffles out of waffle irons - better than any other method I have ever used.

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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ElsieD

ElsieD

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Is there a chance that either of the two writers above could direct me to a recipe for the Thai coconut pancakes? I have done an internet search but any recipes I have found would feed a cast of, well, many, many people. As there are only two of us, a recipe which would make a smaller amount would be nice. Thanks!

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djyee100

djyee100

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Is there a chance that either of the two writers above could direct me to a recipe for the Thai coconut pancakes?

Kasma's recipe for kanom krok, which you can make in an aebleskiver pan. It's supposed to yield 20-24 hotcakes. You should be able to halve the recipe. Also, (my advice) don't underestimate how many of these delicious little things you can eat. :rolleyes:

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/kanomkrok.html

Some notes from the class where we made kanom krok:

- if you use the dried unsweetened coconut, add about 1/4 cup water to lighten the batter.

- stir the rice batter every time before you pour; it tends to settle.

- fill the cups about 2/3 full (rather than 3/4); remember the aebleskiver pan is deeper than a Thai kanom krok pan.

The kanom krok with green onions were the surprise favorite of the class.

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