Other waffle makers we tested
There’s no easy way to say this: The real revelation of this test was just how mediocre most waffle irons are. But at least they were consistent in the ways in which they were mediocre. Far and away, the most common problem was one of uneven cooking, or what we like to call the two-faced effect: waffles that emerged from the iron evenly browned on one side but pale and doughy on the other. It is not a good look.
KRUPS 4-Slice waffle maker
stood out as a possible contender for our budget top pick. The build certainly isn’t as solid as the All-Clad—there’s some plastic, no 18/10 stainless here—but like the All-Clad, it is generously proportioned to yield four tall, deeply grooved Belgian-style waffles per batch and, with an adjustable dial for cook control and an audible chime that signals doneness, it doesn’t skimp on extra features. It also has nonstick and dishwasher-safe removable plates for easy cleaning. But all the features in the world can’t beat consistency, and that’s where the KRUPS 4-Slice didn’t deliver. Some batches turned out strong, but others showed signs of uneven heating or inefficient steam release. Some waffles had over-crisped spots while others were golden on the bottom but soggy and undercooked on top, as though they came from two different irons. Still, the KRUPS was a solid performer, especially given its capacity, reasonable price, and rave reviews online (it has more than 600 five-star reviews on Amazon). We feel confident recommending it as a wallet-friendly alternative to the All-Clad, though its results are not as consistently delicious as our actual budget winner, the Presto Flipside.
Breville No-Mess Waffle Maker
This Breville waffle maker won us over with its solid-feeling body and smartly designed drip-catching moat, but it cost almost as much as the All-Clad and just didn’t produce waffles as crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside as our splurge pick.
Breville Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice
Breville’s Smart Waffle Pro is larger and more luxe than the No-Mess model. It had precise browning controls and a spacious cooking surface, but it was also by far the bulkiest machine we tested. More importantly, our taste-testers found the waffle grid to be too shallow; the All-Clad that we tested produced waffles that offered a superior texture.
Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker
This Hamilton Beach model was very compact and modest in price, but inconsistent in performance, with waffles coming out at different levels of crispness over the same time period.
Chef’s Choice Waffle Maker Pro (Discontinued)
While the Chef’s Choice looked very promising, with a generous size, sturdy build, and dials that adjusted doneness and waffle preference (“crisp and moist” or “uniform texture”), the execution didn’t live up to the appearance and waffles on different settings were quite similar.
Cuisinart WAF-V100P1 Vertical Waffle Maker
The top-loading design of this Cuisinart seemed like a cool riff on a classic waffle maker. It stands vertically like the Presto, but you pour batter into an opening in the top. In practice though, the results were underwhelming and it wasn’t as pleasant to use as the Presto.
Cuisinart Classic Round Waffle Maker
This model produced the floppiest waffles of the bunch regardless of which setting we chose.
Cuisinart Double Belgian Waffle Maker
This Double Belgian Waffle Maker cooks waffles on two levels and you have to flip it over to load each one. The doneness slider doesn’t have any numbers on it and we found the whole operation a little too fussy. The waffles also paled (literally, they were paler) in comparison to other high-end options.
Chefman Anti-Overflow Belgian Waffle Maker
This one overflowed quite a bit and felt flimsily constructed.
Oster Diamond Force Belgian Waffle Maker
While we like simplified functionality for a waffle maker, the Oster Diamond Force was perhaps a bit too simple. It had no alarms, no timers, no browning settings, no safeguards for excess batter, or even an on button for that matter. The removable plates were a huge plus but the cooking surface lacked even heat distribution, and produced inconsistently cooked waffles.
GreenPan Elite Ceramic Nonstick 2-Square Waffle Maker
GreenPan waffle makers are well-made, compact, counter-space-conscious machines. Rare for waffle makers, they have removable ceramic nonstick plates rather than Teflon-coated ones. However, the Elite model was a little over-engineered. The preset functions, which include classic and Belgian modes, did little beyond adjust the cook time and seemed unnecessary, especially when there were adjustable crispness and browning controls as well. If these precise controls produced precise results, that would be one thing, but in testing we found them to be very inconsistent. While the machine is capable of producing great waffles, it took lots of trial and error. Waffle making doesn’t need to be this complicated.
GreenPan Bistro Ceramic Nonstick 2-Square Waffle Maker
Even though the Bistro Waffle Maker is a simpler version of GreenPan’s Elite model, it also suffered from convoluted functionality. However, this model lacked the removable waffle plates and neat storage setup that the Elite offered.
CruxGG Rotating Waffle Maker
This is one of the most inexpensive flip waffle makers on the market. Our testers enjoyed the texture and grid shape this waffle maker offered, but the ready light was glitchy, and the plastic body felt cheap and not long for this world.
BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Waffle Iron
This machine’s design mirrors the briefcase silhouette of the All-Clad, just a little smaller. But the similarities end there. The Black+Decker has a lighter, flimsier build. It has no doneness settings, just a red and green light on top to let you know it’s preheating or ready. The Black+Decker does come with removable plates for waffles, grilling, and to make sandwiches, so in theory it’s versatile. The issue though, was that it took over 10 minutes to make a waffle, far and away the longest of any waffle maker.
NordicWare Stovetop Waffle Maker
We added stovetop waffle makers in our most recent round of testing. Overall they were challenging to use (more on that below) primarily because you have to flip the maker over frequently to ensure even cooking on both sides. That’s a hassle we don’t think anyone should have to endure when making waffles. That said, this was our favorite of the stovetop waffle irons we tested. It’s made of aluminum, so it’s fairly light. It also has a heat resistant handle. Still, stovetop makers require a lot of trial and error. We wound up with plenty of both pale and burnt waffles. Even the best waffle we got out of the NordicWare had flecks of undercooked and overcooked batter speckled throughout. But if you’re dead set on a stovetop maker, this one’s sturdy and easy to handle.
Lehman’s Waffle Maker
We love a good cast iron pan, even a hefty one. Cast iron stove top waffle makers on the other hand? Not so much. While the cast iron means the waffle maker maintains heat well, it also means the thing is heavy, unwieldy and stressful to use. Adding to the stress, the whole waffle maker gets really hot—especially the handle—so you have to be really careful to grip it with a towel or oven mitts.
Should I get a stovetop waffle maker?
We can’t recommend a stovetop waffle maker when you can get a much easier-to-use electric one, which will certainly be easier and safer to use. We asked around and found one staffer, associate director of creative development Adam Moussa, who wanted to stand up for the merits of stovetop models—namely that they can be a lot easier to store than electric ones. But that was not a majority opinion. You just need to pay so much more attention to the process with a stovetop waffle iron. Typically they come as two separate plates that lock together. Each plate needs to get pre-heated separately on its own burner. Once hot, you pour the batter onto one of the plates, pick up the other and lock it on top. Then you need to flip constantly, about every minute or so, to ensure even cooking. Unless you’re camping or short on space, there’s really no reason to go the stovetop route.
How to clean waffle makers
In addition to taking up a lot of counter space, waffle makers are hard to clean. The only ones that offer reprieve are the models with removable plates that can go in the dishwasher. If you are cleaning your waffle maker by hand, we recommend letting the machine cool down completely before cleaning and using a toothbrush (yes, you read that right—it’s the right size) to dislodge any bits from the ridges, so you can sweep them away or dump them out by tilting the machine. If the machine is too big to tip, you can use a canned computer duster or one of these mini USB vacuums that food stylists love. After that, wipe any excess oil away with a paper towel.
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