Choose a plain mix if you want to add the milk and eggs yourself, or check which flours are used if you’re looking for a wholemeal mix. For a coffee break with minimal preparation, you could consider a complete mix or a shaker bottle: PLUS Complete is made with water, while Koopmans Schudfles Origineel requires milk and, according to Albert Heijn, makes 4 to 6 pancakes. Always check the preparation instructions and allergen information on the packaging.
If you want to make a small amount of batter without using a separate mixing bowl, a shaker bottle is worth considering. According to Albert Heijn, Koopmans Schudfles Origineel requires 400 ml of milk and makes 4 to 6 pancakes.
If you’re looking for a mix with wholegrain cereals and want to add milk and eggs, compare the ingredients in wholemeal varieties. Albert Heijn lists wholemeal oat and wheat flour in Koopmans Volkoren, while PLUS lists wholemeal wheat and oat flour in its wholemeal mix.
If you’re buying a packet mix for a future coffee break, it’s worth remembering which fresh ingredients you’ll need too. The preparation instructions for PLUS Naturel list milk, eggs and butter or oil in addition to the mix.
First, decide which preparation method suits your coffee break. Then consider the types of flour, how many pancakes you want to make and which ingredients you’ll need to add.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Grains and fibre | Check which types of flour are in the mix and compare the nutritional information per 100 g on a like-for-like basis. | If I want to use wholegrain cereals, I want to know what actually goes into the batter. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this choice of grain. |
| Versatile base | Check the pack size and preparation instructions to see whether the quantity suits the occasion. | For an impromptu coffee break, I want a standard mix I can use without being limited to just one preparation method. Around 31% of consumers say versatility is their top priority. |
| Minimal preparation | Check whether you’ll need water, milk, eggs and cooking fat, and how many pancakes the supplier says the pack will make. | When I’m short on time, I want as few extra ingredients and as little mixing as possible. Convenience is the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen information for the specific variety, even if it’s labelled ‘wholemeal’ or ‘complete’. | If I need to avoid a particular allergen, I want to check that this specific mix meets my requirements first. Around 15% of consumers give this check top priority. |
According to PLUS, PLUS Complete is made with water, but the mix contains wheat, milk and egg. The preparation method doesn’t tell you which allergens are in the dry mix.
Read both the preparation instructions and the ingredients and allergen information before choosing a variety.
A plain packet mix, a complete mix and a shaker bottle don’t all require the same ingredients. PLUS Naturel requires milk and eggs, PLUS Complete is made with water, and Koopmans Schudfles Origineel requires milk.
Choose your pack only after checking what you’ll need for the batter and cooking.
If you need to avoid an allergen, the ingredients on the specific pack are what matter. Lidl directs customers to the packaging for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for its food products.
Check the label on the variety you’re actually using, even if you’ve looked up the product information beforehand.
The preparation instructions for Koopmans Volkoren state that the batter should not be eaten raw.
Follow the instructions on the packaging and cook the pancakes all the way through.
Compare specific varieties within each brand: a packet mix, a complete mix and a shaker bottle may have different ingredients and preparation steps.
Koopmans offers, among other products, a wholemeal packet mix and an original shaker bottle.
The range includes plain, wholemeal, complete and bottle mixes, each with a different preparation method.
ALDI offers both a 400 g plain baking mix and a multigrain pancake mix under the Albona brand.
Lidl lists a 400 g Belbake Original Pancake Mix.
The Consenza Pancake Mix reviewed here is a specific complete mix that Albert Heijn describes as gluten-free and wheat-free.
No. According to their product information, the Koopmans and PLUS wholemeal mixes contain wheat and oats. ‘Wholemeal’ describes the grain used; always check the label of the specific mix for allergen information.
PLUS says to use water for the PLUS Complete batter, but you’ll also need butter or oil for cooking. The mix itself also contains wheat, milk and egg; ‘complete’ doesn’t mean allergen-free here.
Not with the PLUS Naturel bottle mix: according to PLUS, once you’ve added milk, the batter should be used straight away and not stored. For other bottle mixes, follow the instructions on the packaging.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that, for prepacked foods, any allergens that must be declared have to be listed in the ingredients.
