This Is The Magic Temperature For IHOP Pancakes

If you're going to name an entire restaurant chain around pancakes, they'd better be pretty special. Thankfully, IHOP knows what it's doing and it does not mess around when it comes to heating up cakes on the griddle. With so many different pancake options on its menu and so many flapjacks served annually (over 700 million, according to PopSugar!), the company is bound to have some trade secrets regarding its pancake process. 

Fortunately, a lot of those secrets have come to light, so you don't need to investigate what kind of magic IHOP is up to behind the scenes in order to make its pancakes perfect. It turns out the pancake masters just have a really good system and some very consistent methods to cooking on the griddle. In addition to making sure all the liquid batter ingredients are ice-cold at the time of preparation, IHOP also has a griddle used exclusively for pancakes, according to Restaurant Business. IHOP also never uses butter or oil on the pancake griddles, and pancakes are cooked at a very specific temperature.

True story: All the pancake-only griddles at IHOP are set to exactly 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the perfect pancake every time, reports Restaurant Business. IHOP actually keeps all of its griddles set to this magic temperature, and it develops all its new recipes to be cooked at 350 degrees. Since all of IHOP's food items are cooked to order, this helps with the efficiency of the kitchen. 

If you don't have the type of high-tech stovetop that can set to an exact temperature, Delish explains that 350 degrees lies in the sweet spot of medium to medium-high heat. IHOP's consistency is a huge part of its success, and since the same temperature is used throughout, picture-perfect pancakes appear in every order, ready for you to smother them in maple syrup. So the next time you stop by IHOP for breakfast, dinner, or breakfast for dinner, know that your food is being cooked fresh just for you.