Battered foods are popular due to their crispy texture, more desirable color, and flavour. The quality of batter coated products is influenced by the rheological properties of the batter materials and by changes in their properties associated with their transition from liquid to solid states. The rheological properties of combinations of rice and wheat, rice and corn, and wheat and corn flour based batters at different combination ratios were studied. The batters were formulated using different flour combinations and 2.5% (w/w) salt. The rheological properties varied with different types of flours and their combination ratios. The replacement of corn flour greatly altered the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of wheat based and rice based batter systems. Salt significantly lowered the viscosity and decreased G'(max), and G'(max) of batter. Higher temperatures and longer times were required to gelatinize starch at the higher levels of rice flour for each batter system flour mix combination. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.