Waffles are a great breakfast treat, but sometimes more work than they’re worth to make at home.
Maybe it all comes down to the maker — or maybe just the waffle iron? I tried four popular models to see how easily they made waffles, and was pleasantly surprised at the results. The models — three electric and one stovetop — turned out delicate, crispy-yet-soft waffles in under three minutes for some irons. The electric versions had several heat settings to allow you to vary how dark you want the waffles. These irons had even heat, so I never had spots that were overcooked or raw. The metal plates on these irons have a nonstick coating which makes removal simple — no torn waffles. Cleanup is easy: Wipe down the electric models with a damp cloth, or hand wash the stovetop version.
Chef’s Choice Classic WafflePro
$99.95, cooking.com
In addition to different heat settings, this machine also had a setting for waffles with a crisp exterior, soft interior and another setting for uniform texture. Of the four tested, Chef’s Choice made the biggest, prettiest waffles, with the loudest crunch, and were about an inch high. On the crisp setting, waffles came out just under three minutes. Good balance between crispy outside, soft inside. Waffles made on the uniform texture setting took about eight minutes each and were crispy throughout without being burned. These waffles were closer to a half-inch high. The iron must be unplugged to turn it off.
Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker
$29.95, cuisinart.com
Good for smaller appetites or smaller households. Waffles are just under a half-inch high with a smaller diameter than others tested. They cook in just under three minutes. Texture-wise the waffles tilted more to a slightly crunchy exterior than softer interior, probably due to their shorter height. Iron must be unplugged to turn off. One note of caution: Be careful lifting the lid to avoid the steam release.
Nordic Ware Original Stove Belgian Waffle Maker
$36.63, amazon.com
This stovetop model can be used at home, or take it camping — cast aluminum makes it lightweight, and makes the plates easy to submerge in soapy water to clean. Waffles are about one-inch high, with a softer, but still noticeable crunch. These took just under four minutes to cook for my preferred texture and were most like the softer Brussels-type waffles you can buy on the street from vendors in Belgium. Like any stovetop cookware, you have to keep an eye on it while cooking. Because it’s not electric you need to heat plates separately on stove burners and hinge together the two plates while their hot, but this is easy to do. Being a stovetop iron, it takes a little more finesse in cooking since there’s no signal to tell you when it’s done. It only took me a few tries to develop a technique.
Waring Professional Belgian Waffle Maker
$79.99, amazon.com
Great for big appetites and big families, this model allows you to cook two waffles at once. Waffles are one-inch tall and the two finished cooking in just over three minutes. Nice crunch, pretty color, good balance between crispy exterior, soft interior, without the interior being too doughy, despite the height. Comes with measuring cup and has on-off switch. This style requires you to flip the iron halfway through, but the machine beeps to tell you when they are ready to turn.
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