Why You Should Think Twice Before Cooking Pancakes Without A Pan

There are few Saturday morning breakfasts as deliciously satisfying or indulgent as a big stack of thick, fluffy pancakes doused in melted butter and pools of maple syrup. While every good batch of homemade hotcakes starts with the perfect batter, it ends with the perfect cooking method. Some people swear by using an electric griddle, while others say that a trusty cast iron pan is where it's at. But there's one other pancake-cooking hack that you may have never considered: Making them directly on your stovetop.

That's right, leave it to Reddit to come up with the most bizarre breakfast trick. One user recently posted that they saw someone on Snapchat make pancakes by pouring the batter directly onto an electric stovetop burner, sans pan. While the no-pan pancake method may sound genius, is it worth trying for yourself?

Here's why you may want to proceed with caution — and why a pan isn't exactly optional. (Apparently, they are called pancakes for a reason...)

If making pancakes directly on your stovetop sounds too good to be true, spoiler alert: It kind of is. After all, for as convenient as this little hack sounds, it also sounds messy. Pouring pancake batter on a burner? That has to be a recipe for disaster. And Reddit users warn that it is, explaining that not only does it have a good chance of being a mess, but it can also damage your stovetop.

"Even on a low setting the burner direct heat would make a mess of things and the batter would burn and stick everywhere," one person says, while another cautions, "You are likely to ruin or damage your stove...  [Do] not recommend, do at your own risk."

Leaving burnt-on food on your stovetop shortens the life of your appliance, Reader's Digest explains. Plus, using a metal spatula to flip your pancakes will scratch and ding up your stove, which also cuts down on how long it will last and risks serious damage.