I tried 4 store-bought pancake mixes, and my favorite was also the cheapest

• I tested four national brands of buttermilk-pancake mixes.
• The mixes I tried were Hungry Jack, Krusteaz, Pearl Milling Company, and Birch Benders.
• Hungry Jack's buttermilk-pancake mix was classic, but my favorite was the affordable Krusteaz brand.

Pancake mix is a pantry staple in most American households, but which one is the best?

I set out to determine which boxed pancake mix is most worth the money based on flavor, texture, and price. To do so, I compared the buttermilk flavor of four different pancake-mix brands: Hungry Jack, Krusteaz, Pearl Milling Company, and Birch Benders.

Here's how I ultimately rated the pancake mixes.

I tried the buttermilk flavor of four different pancake-mix brands: Hungry Jack, Krusteaz, Pearl Milling Company, and Birch Benders.

For each mix, I followed the recipe on the back of each box for the most basic pancake and the fewest number of pancakes.

Many of the recipes required the same ratio of mix to water, but one required oil, milk, and an egg. I cooked all of the pancakes for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, using about a half-tablespoon of butter to grease the pan each time if needed. I also used about a quarter-cup of batter for each pancake.

To keep things as fair as possible, I also served all the pancakes the same way, with a half-tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of Maine maple syrup.

My least favorite brand I tried was also the most complicated.

The 32-ounce box cost $3.99 at my local Big Y grocery store in Massachusetts. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup mix
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 egg

Unlike the other pancake mixes, this batter called for milk, oil, and an egg.

After I mixed the ingredients, I noticed the batter was slightly thicker than other pancake mixes I've tried.

It took a little extra effort to get out all the clumps and to make sure the egg was fully incorporated into the batter.

The pancake puffed up slightly and became a thicker consistency while cooking.

It looked almost cake-like in texture, and it turned a nice golden brown.

This pancake was thicker and more cake-like than the others.

The texture was slightly stodgy and crumbly, but also a bit dry. The pancake had a nice crispy outer layer, but this pancake desperately needed butter and syrup to add some moisture.

My third-favorite brand was the Hungry Jack buttermilk complete pancake mix.

The 32-ounce box cost $3.00 at my local Big Y grocery store in Massachusetts. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup mix
• 3/4 cup water

The batter was slightly runnier than the others.

However, it was extremely easy to work out the clumps and create a smooth batter.

The pancake browned easily in the pan.

The pancake was slightly thinner than the others I made, even though I used the same amount of batter for each pancake.

The pancake had a sweet, buttery flavor. I thought it was the most classic of the mixes I tried.

It tasted like something I'd get in a diner, or even a frozen pancake you'd heat up in the microwave. While the flavor on its own didn't blow me away, I thought it was a great vehicle for maple syrup and butter. 

My second-favorite was the organic Birch Benders buttermilk pancake and waffle mix.

The 16-ounce bag cost $5.99, making it half the size and double the price of the other brands I tried.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup mix
• 1/2 cup water

The batter was slightly thicker, and I could practically smell the buttermilk.

For a recipe that only required mix and water, it looked strikingly similar to the Pearl Milling Company buttermilk-pancake mix, which had also required an egg, milk, and oil.

The delicious smell of the buttermilk pancake wafted through the kitchen.

The pancake puffed up slightly to become about an inch thick, which I thought looked like the perfect thickness.

I thought the Birch Benders buttermilk pancake had the right balance of sweet buttery and savory flavor.

The pancake had a good balance of flavor for a "just-add-water" pancake mix, and it is arguably the mix I would reach for again over the others, based on flavor.

However, for half the amount of mix as the other boxes and for double the price, I couldn't say it was the best value compared to the others. I'm simply not convinced it's so much better that it warrants the higher price tag.

My favorite was the Krusteaz buttermilk-pancake mix.

The 32-ounce box cost $2.99 at my local Big Y grocery store in Massachusetts, making it the cheapest brand I tried.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mix
• 2/3 cup water

The batter was perfectly smooth without being too watery.

It was a perfect balance between thick and runny, and it spread easily in the pan.

The pancakes turned a delicious-looking golden brown in the pan.

The pancakes were slightly thicker than the Hungry Jack-brand pancakes, but not as thick or cake-like as the Pearl Milling Company pancake.

The pancakes had a tasty buttermilk flavor and were the perfect thickness.

The outside was crispy, but the pancakes themselves were still moist and slightly crumbly on the inside.

Not only did this pancake-mix brand have great flavor and texture, but it was also the cheapest out of all the brands I tried. This is hands-down the brand I would purchase again.

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