What To Look For In A Good Waffle Maker

With the best waffle maker, you don’t have to visit a restaurant to enjoy tasty, delicious and mouth-watering waffles. But the market is full of top quality waffle makers at affordable prices with options for every taste. To pick a good one, you’ll have to go through a dizzying selection of styles, designs & features. Sorting through all these waffle makers can be tricky and time-consuming, but this detailed buying guide can help.

3 Things To Look For In A Good Waffle Maker

1. How Many Waffles Does it Make At a Time And In Which Shape?

Modern waffle makers provide you with a large variety of choices. Most models available on the market make one waffle (with either 2 or 4 slices) at a time, but you can also get advanced models with rotators that can cook two waffles at a time. Being able to prepare two waffles at once helps cut the total time you spend in your kitchen, especially if you always serve the whole family with fresh & delicious waffles. When it comes to shape, you should note that there are waffle makers that cook circular, rectangular, square, heart shaped and even cartoon shaped waffles.

2. Time Taken to Bake One Waffle

Most waffle makers are designed to take only 3-4 minutes to make a tasty waffle, but there are other models that take too long. If you pick a waffle maker that takes say 10 minutes and you have a family of 4 or 5, it will definitely take a lot of time to prepare enough waffle for your loved ones. Before you can place your order on a good waffle maker, we recommend that you double check the specification sheet to verify or confirm the time it takes to bake one waffle.

3. Easy Cleanup

Generally, waffle makers that come with nonstick plates or removable plates are easy to clean. Almost every manufacturer claims to use non-stick plates, but some fail to deliver on that promise. Nonstick interior means that the batter will not stick and have to be scraped out later. On the other hand, removable plates can be submerged in water for a thorough cleaning.

Other Special Features of A Good Waffle Maker

i. Makes delicious waffles which are either thick and fluffy inside, but still crispy outside and with deep pockets that can hold toppings like syrup or fruit ( Belgian style) or thin & crispy with shallow pockets (American style).

ii. Provides consistent & even heat and allows you to control heat: A maker with flip styled, rotary or rotate-and-cook system

iii. Indicator functions: Should come with “ready to bake” and “ready to eat indicator” lights.

iv. Comes with well-designed rotation feature for even cooking (for models that make 2-waffles at once)

v. Release waffles easily.

vi. Feature built-in drip trays.

vii. Browning/ Heat Control: Feature adjustable browning & temperature settings.

viii. Compact and easy to handle/ store.

ix. Safety features; Cool to touch handles, a weighted/ locking lid, insulation and automatic shut off.

x. Includes a detailed recipe book.

Different Types Of Waffle Makers

1. Stove-Top Waffle Irons

Stove-Top Waffle Iron allows you to make waffles the old-fashioned way. It doesn’t require electricity, meaning that if you are a camping enthusiast, you can always bring your waffle iron along and use it around the camp fire. However, stove top waffle irons have many drawbacks compared to other types of waffle makers. They usually don’t come with non-stick surfaces, which makes them difficult to clean. Also, it takes a long time for one to get used to using a stove-top waffle iron and most of the times, you’ll be under cooking your waffles or burning them.

Key Features

• Powered by an external heating source such as a stove top element or campfire.

• Since the waffle iron doesn’t use electricity, it gives your waffles a unique taste & texture.

• Can be used anywhere, as long as there’s a source of heat.

Pros

• Cordless, meaning that it’s easy to store in a cupboard or underneath a stove.

• Portable & perfect for weekend camping trips.

• You can spray the waffle iron with a non-stick coating before use for easy cleaning.

Cons

• It’s easy to spill batter all over the stove top while preparing waffles.

2. Classic Round Waffle Makers

Most major brands offer round waffle makers with prices ranging from very affordable to very expensive. Waffles prepared using this type of waffle maker are usually on the thin side and tend to be crispier.

Key Features

• Most of Classic Round Waffle Makers are powered by electricity.

• The market is full of different makes & models

• It produces restaurant-quality waffles.

Pros

• The waffle maker doesn’t need any extra cleaning in between uses.

• Most models come with a wide range of baking-controls.

• Generally lightweight and easy to handle

Cons

• Some models make small sized waffles.

3. Belgian Waffle Makers

Belgian waffles are categorized as Square Belgian Waffle Makers and Round Belgian Waffle Makers for square or round waffles. But when it comes to making Belgian waffles, very few people are concerned with the shape of their waffles. The main difference between a square Belgian waffle maker and a round one is primarily aesthetic. Generally, round Belgian waffle makers are considered to be more popular than the squared ones. However, both are readily available on the market.

Key Features

• Great for making tender & fresh waffles that can be added with toppings such as fruits and syrup.

• Several models make single or multiple waffles at a time.

• Customers are free to select the ones with the non-stick surface or stainless steel plate.

Pros

• You are free to choose the one with square or round shaped plate.

• Perfect for those who like to experiment with their food presentation.

• Generally easy to clean.

Cons

• Can’t be used in areas without electricity or when there’s power outage.

Best Brands To Look For When Buying Product Name

1. Waring

For over the past 75 years, Waring has been.

The company has been in operation for the past 75 years, manufacturing griddles, food processors, toasters, waffle makers, deep fryers and more. It’s famous for creating the first blender in the US. In fact, it’s the blender brand that Jonas Salk used to make the polio vaccine. After the success of the blender, the company started to manufacture other kitchen tools such as hand mixers, ice cream, and citrus juice makers- 1970’s.

In the year 2003, they introduced a rotating Belgian waffle maker, and before 2013, they had already sold over 1 million waffle makers. Their waffles are of high quality and make delicious waffles like the ones you find in restaurants- moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.

2. Black & Decker

Black & Decker is a huge brand, but it’s just the “Small Appliances” section that deals with the manufacturing of waffle makers. The company has been in operation since 1917 and originally focused on the production of drills and other power tools. Black & Decker bought a small appliance company from General Electric in 1984 and since then, they have expanded into waffle makers, toasters, coffee makers and juicers.

3. Oster

Oster was originally a hair clipper company- way back in 1920’s. They later started to branch out, and by 1960, they joined forces with Sunbeam Products, a company that made coffee makers and electric toasters. Oster’s image was boosted by this unity and currently its one of the most reputable kitchen appliance company. In addition to waffle makers, they also produce toasters, electric knives, pizza ovens, blenders and electric knives.

Where To Buy Your Waffle Maker

Waffle makers are available on many brick & mortar and online retail stores, but we recommend buying from Amazon.com. This leading online retail store offers all types of waffle makers at great prices. Moreover, Amazon customer service agents are very friendly and always ready to help. Also, they provide FREE shipping and fast delivery compared to other online retail stores.

A very good waffle maker that you might want to consider, is the BLACK+DECKER WMB500 Belgian Waffle Maker which has excellent customer reviews and is available at Amazon.com at the moment for a great price of just $21.99.