5 ms·

The First Pancake Always Sucks

13 points by gk1 5y ago

dusted 5y ago
Slightly disappointed that this was not an explanation about why the first pancake always sucks. Agree with the sentiment of the article though. Getting hands dirty and having some small success can make a big difference for newcomers.
- gk1 5y ago
  Here you go: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/feb/04/flip-flop-why-is-the-first-pancake-always-a-dud-kitchen-aide https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/f... That’s where I got the chef’s quote from.
  - dusted 5y ago
    Well, that was an interesting read too! :)
eesmith 5y ago
I don't get the metaphor. Does it mean the first pancake in the batch? I haven't ever noticed a problem. (Sometimes I do a full-pan mega-pancake where I only make one pancake.) Or the first time someone tries making pancakes? But isn't that true of a lot of things you make the first time? I assume the first, as in "Gotta get your sea legs" or Brooks' "Build one to throw away" (with the followup "second-system effect".) ... Oh, I'm an old fart. It's a phrase, like https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=first%20pancake https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=first%20panc... from 10 years ago. FWIW, follow the advice at https://www.quora.com/Why-do-you-have-to-throw-out-the-first-pancake?share=1 https://www.quora.com/Why-do-you-have-to-throw-out-the-first... - make sure the pan is up to temp, don't use much grease (I use butter), and give the leavening time to act.
- couchand 5y ago
  In my experience, getting the griddle to the perfect temperature requies overheating initially and the cooking a crappy pancake. No matter how many times I make pancakes (contribut to a new project) the first one always sucks. Also, don't butter the pan. Put the butter in the batter.
  - chopin 5y ago
    > Also, don't butter the pan. Put the butter in the batter. Does it emulgate properly? The batter I use is pretty liquid. What's the advantage over buttering the pan?
    - couchand 5y ago
      Ive found that a buttered pan produces dark brown crispy splotches. An unbuttered pan makes a nice, consistently amber and fluffy cake.
      - eesmith 5y ago
        I like the dark brown crispy splotches.
        couchand 5y ago
        Ha! Then butter your pan! Best of luck to you.
mooreds 5y ago
"Normalize failing the first time you do something." - love it, but like most good advice it is easier to say than to live. As an adult, I am pretty competent. I am used to doing things well. But this is due to the fact that the things I do well are often something I've done many times. Or if not that thing, adjacent or similar to it. I remember talking to a child in my 20s. I was crushing aluminum cans and he was mystified by how good I was at it. He asked how I had gotten good and I had no explanation. Age has some virtues. But this strength (that I'm good at many things) is a weakness when I encounter something outside of my wheelhouse. Because I'm relatively good at things, when I come upon something that I'm not good at, the first couple of times I do it I really suck. I have to commit to push through, and that takes effort and willpower that I could put toward something else. For example, I have a guitar in my room right now that I played some last year. Never got to the point of chords, just single string picks. Could do a couple of songs and read simple music, but right now staring at that fills me with a bit of dread. Because I'm so bad at it (relative to other things). Is it better to spend time honing skills you are already good at or exploring skills you aren't? (The old exploit or explore problem rears its head again.)
- couchand 5y ago
  I have this pattern. I play ukulele now, but I could only break over that hump because I first started when I was travelling for three months. Maybe take your guitar on vacation?
- gk1 5y ago
  > like most good advice it is easier to say than to live. Tell me about it... I've been sitting on this blog post for several months! "Do as I say, not as I do." :)
hermitsings 5y ago
Preach
harryvederci 5y ago
The first pancake doesn't always suck, you're just not patient enough to let the pan heat up enough. Maybe it's the same with your team members? Let them soak up the project a bit, and maybe their first contribution sucks a little less than if you didn't let them "heat up the pan"?
- fayten 5y ago
  I second this. A good onboarding process is a patient one. It should involve lots of mentorship and paired programming. Agile shops can easily onboard people during an active sprint. Then they pair with others, QA other tickets, and sit in on some code reviews. After all that they know what the expectations are and can join in on the next sprint.
- piinbinary 5y ago
  I think it can also be due to having too much oil in the pan. I've started wiping the pan with a paper towel that I've tipped the oil into (so just a very small amount of oil -- as opposed to pouring in a drip of oil) and now the first pancake comes out perfectly.
  - harryvederci 5y ago
    Thay may also work, I personally tend to use a lot of oil to get crustier pancakes :) To keep up with the analogy, you're doing more preparation before attempting to make the first pancake. Still counts?
  - jjeaff 5y ago
    I avoid my first pancake being a throwaway by using a gun thermometer. Just check the pan temp and pour the batter when it hits 350.
    - perl4ever 5y ago
      The traditional method that costs zero is just to pour the batter after a drop of water shows the Leidenfrost effect and before the pan starts to smoke. Laser thermometers are fun though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect
TurkishPoptart 5y ago
Curious if the author here was subtly referring to the Russian proverb "Первый блин - комом" which is the title of this post verbatim.
- gk1 5y ago
  I just learned about that phrase today, after posting this. Nothing new under the sun.

13 points by gk1 5y ago

Slightly disappointed that this was not an explanation about why the first pancake always sucks. Agree with the sentiment of the article though. Getting hands dirty and having some small success can make a big difference for newcomers.

gk1 5y ago
Here you go: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/feb/04/flip-flop-why-is-the-first-pancake-always-a-dud-kitchen-aide https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/f... That’s where I got the chef’s quote from.
- dusted 5y ago
  Well, that was an interesting read too! :)

eesmith 5y ago

I don't get the metaphor. Does it mean the first pancake in the batch? I haven't ever noticed a problem. (Sometimes I do a full-pan mega-pancake where I only make one pancake.) Or the first time someone tries making pancakes? But isn't that true of a lot of things you make the first time? I assume the first, as in "Gotta get your sea legs" or Brooks' "Build one to throw away" (with the followup "second-system effect".) ... Oh, I'm an old fart. It's a phrase, like https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=first%20pancake https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=first%20panc... from 10 years ago. FWIW, follow the advice at https://www.quora.com/Why-do-you-have-to-throw-out-the-first-pancake?share=1 https://www.quora.com/Why-do-you-have-to-throw-out-the-first... - make sure the pan is up to temp, don't use much grease (I use butter), and give the leavening time to act.

couchand 5y ago
In my experience, getting the griddle to the perfect temperature requies overheating initially and the cooking a crappy pancake. No matter how many times I make pancakes (contribut to a new project) the first one always sucks. Also, don't butter the pan. Put the butter in the batter.
- chopin 5y ago
  > Also, don't butter the pan. Put the butter in the batter. Does it emulgate properly? The batter I use is pretty liquid. What's the advantage over buttering the pan?
  - couchand 5y ago
    Ive found that a buttered pan produces dark brown crispy splotches. An unbuttered pan makes a nice, consistently amber and fluffy cake.
    - eesmith 5y ago
      I like the dark brown crispy splotches.
      - couchand 5y ago
        Ha! Then butter your pan! Best of luck to you.

mooreds 5y ago

"Normalize failing the first time you do something." - love it, but like most good advice it is easier to say than to live. As an adult, I am pretty competent. I am used to doing things well. But this is due to the fact that the things I do well are often something I've done many times. Or if not that thing, adjacent or similar to it. I remember talking to a child in my 20s. I was crushing aluminum cans and he was mystified by how good I was at it. He asked how I had gotten good and I had no explanation. Age has some virtues. But this strength (that I'm good at many things) is a weakness when I encounter something outside of my wheelhouse. Because I'm relatively good at things, when I come upon something that I'm not good at, the first couple of times I do it I really suck. I have to commit to push through, and that takes effort and willpower that I could put toward something else. For example, I have a guitar in my room right now that I played some last year. Never got to the point of chords, just single string picks. Could do a couple of songs and read simple music, but right now staring at that fills me with a bit of dread. Because I'm so bad at it (relative to other things). Is it better to spend time honing skills you are already good at or exploring skills you aren't? (The old exploit or explore problem rears its head again.)

couchand 5y ago
I have this pattern. I play ukulele now, but I could only break over that hump because I first started when I was travelling for three months. Maybe take your guitar on vacation?
gk1 5y ago
> like most good advice it is easier to say than to live. Tell me about it... I've been sitting on this blog post for several months! "Do as I say, not as I do." :)

hermitsings 5y ago

Preach

harryvederci 5y ago

The first pancake doesn't always suck, you're just not patient enough to let the pan heat up enough. Maybe it's the same with your team members? Let them soak up the project a bit, and maybe their first contribution sucks a little less than if you didn't let them "heat up the pan"?

fayten 5y ago
I second this. A good onboarding process is a patient one. It should involve lots of mentorship and paired programming. Agile shops can easily onboard people during an active sprint. Then they pair with others, QA other tickets, and sit in on some code reviews. After all that they know what the expectations are and can join in on the next sprint.
piinbinary 5y ago
I think it can also be due to having too much oil in the pan. I've started wiping the pan with a paper towel that I've tipped the oil into (so just a very small amount of oil -- as opposed to pouring in a drip of oil) and now the first pancake comes out perfectly.
- harryvederci 5y ago
  Thay may also work, I personally tend to use a lot of oil to get crustier pancakes :) To keep up with the analogy, you're doing more preparation before attempting to make the first pancake. Still counts?
- jjeaff 5y ago
  I avoid my first pancake being a throwaway by using a gun thermometer. Just check the pan temp and pour the batter when it hits 350.
  - perl4ever 5y ago
    The traditional method that costs zero is just to pour the batter after a drop of water shows the Leidenfrost effect and before the pan starts to smoke. Laser thermometers are fun though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect

TurkishPoptart 5y ago

Curious if the author here was subtly referring to the Russian proverb "Первый блин - комом" which is the title of this post verbatim.

gk1 5y ago
I just learned about that phrase today, after posting this. Nothing new under the sun.