A shaker bottle is a good choice for a small summer holiday gift for a few people, but check whether your chosen variety needs water or milk. For a group baking session, a 400 g packet makes more batter, and a complete mix needs fewer extra ingredients than a classic mix. Before giving it, also check the allergens, best-before date and that the packaging is intact.
The size of your travel group and the ingredients available at your holiday accommodation will help determine which format is most practical.
A shaker bottle can make a handy little gift for a caravan, holiday cottage or short stay. Koopmans says its shaker bottles make around five pancakes. Check which variety you’re buying: the complete bottle needs water, while the original needs milk.
A 400 g packet is a better fit for a baking session with several people. Depending on the variety, Koopmans says it makes 8 to 13 pancakes. As well as checking the yield, find out which ingredients and cooking equipment you’ll need at your destination.
Don’t choose based on the brand name or a claim on the front of the pack alone. Ingredients and allergen warnings vary between varieties. Read the current label on the pack you’re giving; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be listed on labels.
First decide whether you want a small gift, one that needs few extra ingredients, or enough batter for a group. Then check the preparation instructions for the specific pack: a bottle doesn’t automatically mean you only need to add water.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Compact size | Check the contents and stated yield; also see what you need to add to the bottle. | For a small welcome gift, I don’t want to give someone a large packet that will be left over after one baking session. A compact size is the deciding factor for around 42% of consumers. |
| Few extra ingredients | Check whether the mix needs water or milk and eggs; also find out separately what you’ll need for cooking. | I don’t want to have to organise several ingredients at the holiday accommodation before anyone can make pancakes. Simple preparation matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Enough for a group | Compare the number of pancakes stated on the pack with the number of people eating, rather than looking only at the packet’s weight. | When we’re making pancakes with family or friends, I want enough batter for everyone to enjoy that baking session. Yield comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
The bottle format doesn’t tell you which liquid to add. Koopmans says its original shaker bottle needs milk, while its complete shaker bottle only needs water.
Read the preparation instructions for your chosen variety before buying. If it needs milk, check whether it will be available at the holiday accommodation.
Koopmans says its shaker bottles make around five pancakes. That’s less than the 8 to 13 pancakes the brand says its 400 g packets make.
Match the yield to the number of people eating. A larger packet or several bottles may be better for a group baking session.
That label doesn’t answer every question about allergens. For example, PLUS says that a Koopmans mix sold as gluten-free may contain egg and milk.
If the recipient has an allergy or medical dietary requirement, ask them or their carer to check the current label on that exact pack. Don’t assume another variety from the same brand will be suitable.
If you buy the gift well before you leave, make sure it will still be in date for your planned baking session. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says the best-before date applies to an unopened pack.
Check the date and choose an intact pack. Follow the storage instructions on the label until it’s time to make the pancakes.
These brands give you an idea of the bottle and packet sizes you can compare. Preparation instructions and allergens still depend on the variety you choose.
Koopmans sells classic packets, complete mixes and shaker bottles for making pancakes.
The supermarket’s own-brand range includes a plain pancake mix in a 400 g packet.
Jumbo’s category page includes complete and plain pancake mixes in 200 g and 400 g sizes.
PLUS sells, among other options, a complete mix in a 400 g box and a plain mix in a 200 g bottle.
This selection includes two compact bottles for a small baking session and two 400 g packets for more people. Pay particular attention to the difference between a variety that only needs water and those that require extra ingredients.
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A shaker bottle for a small baking session, so you won’t need to bring milk. Joybuy’s product information says to add 350 ml of water and gives a yield of four to six pancakes.
Before giving it, check the current label for allergens, full cooking instructions and the best-before date.
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The bottle makes a suitable small gift, as long as the recipient can use milk at their destination. Check how much you need to add to the bottle you choose; don’t treat this as a variety that only needs water.
If the recipient has an allergy or dietary requirement, read the current label. Check the best-before date before you set off, too.
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A larger packet to consider for a group baking session. Before giving it, check whether milk, eggs and cooking fat or oil will be available at the holiday accommodation, and compare the yield on this pack with the number of people eating.
Check the pack you’re actually giving for allergen information and the best-before date.
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This packet is a good choice for a baking session with several people if milk, eggs and butter or oil are available at your destination. It’s a different gift option from a complete mix, which only needs water added to the batter.
Check the yield and allergens on the current label, and make sure the best-before date works with your travel plans.
A shaker bottle is a compact choice for a small baking session. Koopmans says its shaker bottles make around five pancakes; before buying, check whether your chosen variety needs water or milk.
No. For the mixes in question, ‘complete’ means you don’t need to add milk or eggs to the batter. You’ll still need a suitable pan and, according to the preparation instructions, cooking fat. Check the amount of water stated on the pack, too.
It’s best to give the bottle dry and unopened. PLUS says the batter from its plain mix bottle should be used straight after mixing with milk and must not be stored.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current label of the exact pack you want to give. A claim such as ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t mean that other allergens are absent. For example, a gluten-free Koopmans mix sold by PLUS may contain egg and milk.
Choose an intact, unopened pack that will be in date for your planned baking session. Follow the storage instructions on the label; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the stated best-before date applies while the pack remains unopened.
