Pancakes go wrong long before the flip. You ladle the batter in, it runs off the spoon in a long tail, one pancake ends up twice the size of the next, and by the third batch there’s a trail of drips across the hob and down the side of the bowl. A batter dispenser fixes the pouring part, and the OXO Good Grips Precision Batter Dispenser is the one I’d point most people to.

How it works

It’s basically a clear jug with a valve in the bottom instead of a spout. You fill it from the top through a wide opening, hold it over the pan, and squeeze the handle. Batter comes out of the bottom. Let go and the valve shuts, so there’s no slow drip while you move to the next spot in the pan.

That shut-off is the whole point. A ladle can’t stop mid-pour, and a squeezy bottle tends to keep oozing. With this one you decide how much goes in and when it stops, so you can make four matching pancakes in a row, or tiny ones for the kids.

The bits I like

  • The wide top. You can pour batter straight in from a mixing bowl without a funnel, which matters more than it sounds when the batter is thick.
  • Measurement markings up to 4 cups. They’re printed on the side in cups and ounces, so you can mix a simple batter right in the jug if you want one less bowl to wash.
  • The lid doubles as a drip tray. Pop the dispenser on it between squeezes and the worktop stays clean.
  • The valve comes out. Dried batter in a fixed valve would be miserable to clean, so this is a big plus.

Handy for cupcakes too

If anything, it’s even more useful for cupcakes and muffins than pancakes. Filling a 12-hole tray with two spoons is fiddly and you always end up with a couple of cases half empty and one overflowing. Squeezing a measured amount into each case is quicker and neater. It’s good for crêpes as well, since you can pour a thin, controlled stream and swirl the pan as you go, and for waffle irons, where an overfilled plate means batter leaking out the sides.

Anything to watch out for?

Very lumpy batter can catch in the valve, so give it a proper whisk first, or let it rest a few minutes so the flour hydrates. Thick mixtures like a stiff muffin batter with chunks of fruit won’t flow well through any dispenser, so this is best for pourable batters. And it’s a one-job gadget. If you make pancakes twice a year, a jug and a spoon will do. If Saturday pancakes are a fixture in your house, or you bake cupcakes often, you’ll use it every week.

You can check the OXO Good Grips Precision Batter Dispenser on Amazon.