Author Topic: recommend a waffle maker for me (Read 10466 times)

caribougrrl · « **on:** September 16, 2018, 02:22:37 PM »

I am looking for a reliable waffle maker... reading a bazillion reviews has not really helped me distinguish between good and bad waffle makers, so I need personal stories for help.

I want to be able to use if for stuff that is not strictly a waffle (e.g. macaroni and cheese), so the ones where you pour batter into a spout are no use.

I cannot figure out if the highly rated ones where you have to flip the waffle iron part over part way through cooking have some crazy advantage to them or if it's just more work. I can't tell if the non-stick plates that people complain are not non-stick are really not non-stick or if people just aren't using enough fat in their batter.

Help me, please.

witchypoo · « **Reply #1 on:** September 16, 2018, 07:06:48 PM »

I have a $25 plain old bottom of the barrel Cuisinart waffle maker and it works just fine.

BonitaApplebum · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2018, 08:24:32 AM »

I'm no help. I got an $8 little waffle maker at target for eliza and she loves it.

Tell me more about mac and cheese waffles, though...

caribougrrl · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2018, 09:42:42 AM »

Quote from: BonitaApplebum on September 17, 2018, 08:24:32 AM

I'm no help. I got an $8 little waffle maker at target for eliza and she loves it.

Tell me more about mac and cheese waffles, though...

it's an idea in my head right now... I'm not a fan of mac and cheese, but I am a fan of the crispy cheesy edges of home made baked mac and cheese and it occurred to me that a waffle iron could maybe create a whole lot of crispy cheesy edges... I'm not a big fan of waffles either, but I feel like I could get into waffled mac and cheese.

I also think I would like waffles if I had control over them... by not a big fan, I mean I have never really had a restaurant waffle I liked... and the number of those I've eaten have been very limited because I don't tend to order them.

caribougrrl · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2018, 10:00:23 AM »

Quote from: witchypoo on September 16, 2018, 07:06:48 PM

I have a $25 plain old bottom of the barrel Cuisinart waffle maker and it works just fine.

excellent

that one goes on sale fairly frequently

Magic Microbe · « **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2018, 11:10:31 AM »

My experience with nonstick is that they lose the nonstick aspect over time. I had a waffle iron that was fine for maybe 10 years and then one day I tried to make the same batter I always used and they stuck and it was a giant mess. I threw it in the trash in frustration and bought a new one.

diablita · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2018, 11:16:43 AM »

I have a waffle maker from Villaware that I've had forever. Not sure why I put their farmyard waffle maker on our wedding registry long before our child was born -- I don't even actually like waffles all that much. But I did. So thanks to my foresight, DD often requests that I pull it out and make her chicken, cow and pig waffles. Although the shapes are beloved (and she's a tween now), the horrid barnyard shrieking "done" noise (I think it's a chicken squawk) is not quite as great. Eddie Woofer, especially, is not a fan.

I wish I could find it online at a reasonable price for you because piggy mac n cheese waffles need to happen. But I will say that while it's non-stick and the waffles release easily (and I only allow plastic things on my non-stick surfaces, so it's going strong), it's a little tough to clean the leftover grime we sometimes get. The irons don't come out of the waffler to go in the dishwasher. Still, it's all worth it to see DD happily chowing down on a chocolate chip chicken now and then.

radial · « **Reply #7 on:** September 17, 2018, 11:59:22 AM »

I don't care much for regular waffles, but mac and cheese waffles might be another story. Following...

rocketgirl · « **Reply #8 on:** September 17, 2018, 12:50:34 PM »

Quote from: caribougrrl on September 17, 2018, 09:42:42 AM

it's an idea in my head right now... I'm not a fan of mac and cheese, but I am a fan of the crispy cheesy edges of home made baked mac and cheese and it occurred to me that a waffle iron could maybe create a whole lot of crispy cheesy edges... I'm not a big fan of waffles either, but I feel like I could get into waffled mac and cheese.

I also think I would like waffles if I had control over them... by not a big fan, I mean I have never really had a restaurant waffle I liked... and the number of those I've eaten have been very limited because I don't tend to order them.

A local restaurant does waffled mac and cheese. It took some doing to get it right from what I understand. And they are not revealing their secrets.

I have a Cuisinart countertop grill that has waffle plates I can use. You do have to be careful not to overflow the batter because it gets on parts that are not easy to clean. (It's also not as good for grilling as the George Foreman because it is not at an angle so doesn't drain as well. However, it is a single appliance and I get all the worlds.)

BonitaApplebum · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2018, 02:15:37 PM »

I wonder if a cast iron version for the oven might be the way to go? Instead of an appliance? Something like this?

http://www.pieiron.com/1100big.htm

ihop · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2018, 04:59:10 PM »

DH is the waffle maker in our house. We have an All-Clad - it was on huge discount at Williams Sonoma. I had cheap one for every that we rarely used - it was hard the clean and the batter (regardless of how much was put in) ran and made a mess. The All-Clad is great and gets used at least once a week.

hally · « **Reply #11 on:** September 26, 2018, 03:22:04 PM »

I have this Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker for under $30 from Amazon
Works fine.
You can cook lots of stuff in a waffle maker. I regularly do shredded hash browns in there.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/purewow/22-things-you-can-make-in_b_7843432.html

https://greatist.com/eat/waffle-maker-recipes

Run Amok · « **Reply #12 on:** September 26, 2018, 03:26:06 PM »

I can't find it now but I saw an article the otherday that suggested the allclad waffle maker for $200 blew everything else out of the water. And, even though they wished they would have found a cheaper model that performed even close, they came to the conclusion that the $200 version was actually worth the price. For whatever that is worth.

caribougrrl · « **Reply #13 on:** September 27, 2018, 07:30:08 AM »

Quote from: hally on September 26, 2018, 03:22:04 PM

I have this Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker for under $30 from Amazon
Works fine.
You can cook lots of stuff in a waffle maker. I regularly do shredded hash browns in there.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/purewow/22-things-you-can-make-in_b_7843432.html

https://greatist.com/eat/waffle-maker-recipes

Some of those recipes are ridiculous (the eggplant parm waffles just look sad... and who wants only the crispy edge of brownies when the best part is the fudgey center piece from the pan) but I think I can get behind waffled cornbread!

caribougrrl · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2018, 07:32:54 AM »

Quote from: Run Amok on September 26, 2018, 03:26:06 PM

I can't find it now but I saw an article the otherday that suggested the allclad waffle maker for $200 blew everything else out of the water. And, even though they wished they would have found a cheaper model that performed even close, they came to the conclusion that the $200 version was actually worth the price. For whatever that is worth.

I keep reading that the allclad is the way to go... I'm thinking I'll buy something relatively inexpensive and gauge how much I'm likely to really use it before plunging into the hundreds-of-dollars range...

hally · « **Reply #15 on:** September 27, 2018, 09:36:08 AM »

I personally like the crunchy edges of the brownies. The gooey part is good too though.

I am with Bou, I don't use mine all THAT much so the $29 Cuisinart is good.

merigayle · « **Reply #16 on:** September 27, 2018, 01:16:21 PM »

shredded hashbrowns are awesome in the waffle maker! I have had cheap ones and they were totally ok.

picote · « **Reply #17 on:** November 18, 2018, 01:57:00 PM »

Quote from: caribougrrl on September 27, 2018, 07:32:54 AM

I keep reading that the allclad is the way to go... I'm thinking I'll buy something relatively inexpensive and gauge how much I'm likely to really use it before plunging into the hundreds-of-dollars range...

FWIW, the allclad waffle maker is on sale for 130 from Williams Sonoma. I caved and bought it for Sunday breakfast!

ihop · « **Reply #18 on:** November 29, 2018, 11:29:22 AM »

Quote from: picote on November 18, 2018, 01:57:00 PM

FWIW, the allclad waffle maker is on sale for 130 from Williams Sonoma. I caved and bought it for Sunday breakfast!

Oh! We love ours!

CheryG · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2019, 07:37:38 AM »

Revisiting this... our old and cheap waffle iron broke so qe replaced it with the the newest version of itself. It's now horible! I think I'll return it as it's still under warranty. It overcooks the outside of the waffles and leaves the insides mush.

Is everyone still loving the All Clad?

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Author Topic: recommend a waffle maker for me (Read 10466 times)