Four simple steps to making pancakes for your family that are as good as your favorite restaurant's!

Sometime back we published four keys to making restaurant quality pancakes that we got from a national supplier. They weren't bad but we can do better. So here's our modified version.

Pan preparation.

Pour a little oil the and then wipe the griddle with a paper towel. A thin coating of oil on a heated griddle means more uniform cooking and color.

Pour high.

Use a ladle to get uniform-sized pancakes. With a steady motion, pour the batter from a height of ten inches to make nice, even circles.

Watch for doneness.

Cook the pancakes until the tops are full of bubbles, the bubbles set, and the edges begin to look dry. The pancakes should be a golden brown.

And the biggest problem . . .

It's the consistency of the batter. Too thin, and they're crepe like. Too thick and the centers don't cook the way they should.

Set the temperature on the griddle to 375 degrees, pour high, and see if the batter is too thick or too thin. It should be a scant 1/4-inch thick on the griddle before it starts to rise.

Now you should have great pancakes.