The Seattle Times' food blogger (and former food critic) Nancy Leson wrote about Batter Blaster Pancakes (warning: site plays jingle when you first go there). What's different about them? You spray batter from a can onto your griddle! Nancy agrees with Consumer Reports that they're actually pretty good, especially compared to other mixes you can get.
So call me skeptical - we tend to make our pancakes with a white/whole wheat mixture, and often put fruit in them. While they're fluffy, they're definitely more…substantial than the typical mix. When you're trying to feed a couple hungry teens, it helps fill them up sooner! Kellen uses the same recipe I do (based on one by Mark Bittman) and has also had great success with it.
However, even with whole wheat, sometimes we do make the pancakes a bit lighter, such as when we make buttermilk pancakes. One time we made buttermilk ones and put fresh rhubarb sauce on top - very tasty.
We haven't done waffles in a while, but that's because I need to fix the waffle iron. It's the one that my parents used when I was growing up, so it's definitely not high-tech. The iron is large enough to fit full-sized strips of bacon in it, something I first saw done by my friend Stan, but haven't been able to reproduce as well as he does it.
So while I probably won't be buying Batter Blaster, I'd probably mention it to others to try since Nancy thinks so highly of them. She has a good sense of what not only tastes good, but is also practical to make on an everyday basis. I also enjoy reading her blog because she has many contacts in the Seattle food scene and is good at reporting the comings and goings of restaurants and their chefs. She's also written about the beginnings of her kitchen remodel, how she fears the food at her mother-in-law's place, and the same "No-Knead" bread I often make (by Bittman via Cook's Illustrated, except again, I add whole wheat flour). She's entertaining, and is good at soliciting feedback from readers.