Since I no longer have to chase trains in the morning, I woke up and decided to make a batch of flapjacks for breakfast. What to cook them in? I went to the basement and I found this:
I bought that electric skillet when I was in Flight Training down in Laredo Texas at the A.F. Base BX. That was in….. (wait for it)….. 1970.
Yup. That skillet is now (using all my fingers and toes….) 47 years old. Yikes!
And I still have it! And it still works!
To cook flapjacks, I set it to 200° F, and wait until it is hot. I use the old-fashioned way of telling whether the temperature of the griddle is right. I toss in a few drops of water, and if they skittle around like little balls, without evaporating, then the temperature is just right. If you look closely at the following photo, you can see some of them.
It was tricky getting that shot because those suckers move fast. Here is a closer view of one of them.
If the little water balls pop when they hit the pan, it is not hot enough. If the water just vanishes and doesn’t make little balls, it is too hot. When the temperature is just right….. the water makes little balls that chase and dance around on the pan for several minutes. It’s kind of fun just tossing the water into the skillet and watching.
It’s called the Leidenfrost effect. Click on the link. Use caution; there be equations in there.
OK. I am easily entertained. Back to the flapjacks.
After the skillet is up to temp, I dump in the batter.
I cook it until bubbles appear on the top of the batter. Then, turn it over.
Yum!
This skillet is soooo old….. look at what is written on the bottom of the pan.
Can you see what it says?
GENERAL ELECTRIC
ELECTRIC SKILLET
MADE IN U.S.A.
An electric kitchen device that was made here. Now that’s old!
Hmmm.”General Electric Electric Skillet”. Isn’t that redundant? I think “General Electric Skillet” would have sufficed.