Which waffle maker to buy

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Waffles are a breakfast staple, and often the make-your-own indulgent treat to look forward to during a hotel stay—they have become ubiquitous on continental breakfast bars.

From thick, fluffy Belgian-style waffles to thinner, crispier American-style, there is a waffle maker for every palate.

With a waffle maker, you can have homemade warm, golden waffles stippled with butter , and drenched in real maple syrup every day of the week in minutes.

There are a few considerations to take into account like real estate on your kitchen counter, how many waffles you will make at a time, ease of clean-up, and the biggest decision, thick or thin, round or square waffles. To help you make a decision, we put a few of our top choices to the test. We sent them home to put them through their paces.

That included testing them on how fast they warmed up, how brown our waffles were when cooked on medium, and how well the machines clean up after. Of course, we'll keep this updated as we continue to experiment. From a space-saving, mini machine that makes various shapes to a four-slice version with a robust range of settings, here are the best waffle makers.

Yes, the price is steep, but the consistency, capacity, and speed make it worth it, especially if you're feeding a hungry family in the morning. This model is a sturdy beast , as our Editor-in-Chief Emma Christensen can attest, at almost 17 pounds and takes up But, if you are looking for a machine where you can make multiple waffles at once with ease, this is it.

There are built-in readiness indicators to walk you through the process. Pour your batter in, and watch as a timer counts down to let you know when your four square waffles are done. Of course, we had to see for ourselves if this lived up to Emma's hype.

Even though this is larger than most machines, it took less than 5 minutes to heat up. Waffles turned out perfectly golden when set to medium, and the design was easy to understand. During testing, there was a bit of a learning curve to the right amount of batter to put in, but that's an issue with all waffle makers the first one's always the test. Even if you end up with some spillage, all our tester had to do was wipe it down once fully cooled.

The Breville Smart 4-Slice makes perfect golden waffles, but it is also intuitively designed with a built-in overflow moat to keep counters clear of excess batter, a locking lid to aid in storage, and a gorgeous low profile stainless steel exterior.

This waffle maker exceeded my expectations, allowing me to quickly turn out a big batch of beautiful waffles that are extra thick thanks to the deep cooking plates. This Cuisinart waffle maker is the classic workhorse of 0. It is compact, easy to clean, and produces consistent waffles quickly. The five browning settings give some control over doneness, and the weighted lid provides enough pressure to ensure even cooking on both sides, without the added step of flipping them.

We sent this home for testing with one of our small apartment dwellers. While this machine is small, it proved to be mighty when it comes to making waffles on the fly. The nonstick plates heat up quickly, clocking in at 1. When set to medium, pancakes came out fully cooked with light browning after only a minute or two.

Since this is on the small side, you can tell where the heating coil is with heat radiating from the center and some uneven browning. Another downside is that waffles are not crispy, even when placed on a rack to avoid steaming each other.

They do come out fairly cleanly though, with no bits left behind during any of our tests. Once cooled, any spillage is easy enough to wipe down with a damp cloth. Stability is not an issue with this model—the rubber feet keep it from slipping around while baking. Another great feature of the Cuisinart Classic, though, is how the cord wraps around the bottom of the unit for neat storage.

Even though I have to make waffles one by one, a batch is done in about 15 minutes, and clean-up is minimal. I still need to perfect my batter twirl, but the waffles that come out are a decent size and satisfying. And it's perfect for my small apartment with limited storage space. It cannot be denied that flip models provide even distribution of batter ensuring uniformity in waffle size.

The Cuisinart Double Belgian goes one step further with its two-waffles-at-a-time capacity. No waiting for the first one to finish to start the next one. A major 3-in-1 upgrade to an often common single-use appliance. Waffle makers range widely in style and features…not to mention in the type, quality, and number of waffles they produce! From oversized fluffy Belgian waffles to thin and crispy traditional waffles; we evaluated which features are most important to look for in any waffle maker.

From fluffy Belgian waffles to thin and crispy traditional waffles or cute shapes for kids—there are waffle makers designed to cook up any style of waffles you crave!

Belgian waffles are thicker than American waffles, and also have deeper wells for butter, syrup, or whatever else you decide to put on top of your waffle. They take a bit longer to cook as well but can also be made using a variety of batter types from cookie dough to cornbread.

If you have picky little palates to please, heart or other shaped waffles might be your preferred type. Waffle makers typically make anywhere between one and four waffles at a time. Be sure to consider how quickly each waffle maker works to see how long it will take to make the batch size you want. Nonstick surfaces are a must; significantly reducing the amount of hassle involved with taking waffles out of the waffle iron, ensuring that waffles come out unbroken, reducing the amount of oil you need to use, and making it much easier to keep your waffle maker clean.

Note that you should always use plastic tongs or chopsticks to remove your waffles to avoid scratching your nonstick surface—scratches cause batter to stick and make cleanup more difficult. Some models feature removable, dishwasher safe plates to speed cleanup although you really only need to wipe your waffle iron clean with a damp cloth after it has cooled from cooking.

Another useful feature some models have are spillover channels or plates to keep messy batter overflows at bay. Some waffle makers also come with a specific measuring cup to portion batter and help avoid overflows in the first place. Waffle makers vary widely in how quickly they heat up and how quickly they cook waffles. Some models require a significant amount of reheat time between batches while others allow for continuous cooking. We prefer sounds to lights so you can step away instead of being stuck babysitting your waffles!

If you go for a bargain model it may not have all of these features. A good rule of thumb to know when your waffles are done is to monitor steam output. When your waffle maker stops releasing steam it means the batter is nearly cooked through. Once you get used to your model you can also set a separate timer to alert you—but we favor models that do the timing for you.

It goes without saying that everyone prefers his or her own level of crispiness in a perfectly cooked waffle. This is very simple and easy to use, and makes delicious waffles!

This waffle maker makes nice deep waffles that come out uniformly done just about every time. I had them all take waffles home, and I ended up freezing like 10 of them. Though this Bella waffle iron is less expensive than the flippable Hamilton Beach option above, it still gets a lot of praise for its professional-grade quality.

Where has this thing been all my life! Others like that it perfectly cooks the waffle, both inside and out. Easy to clean, warms up fast, and they taste delicious!! And the next morning for breakfast. And then for lunch. And then for dinner. Your neighbors will start washing your cars and doing your lawn maintenance. They are thick and fluffy and quite delicious. Makes perfect grilled cheese sandwiches too, edible even to my picky eater.

Eighty percent of reviewers give this cute waffle-maker five stars. A must have for all Disney lovers! Just to see his face and smile when I served him the Mickey Mouse pancake!!! Reviewers who prefer thin, heart-shaped Norwegian waffles over thick, circular Belgian waffles were delighted to discover this waffle-maker. Love the heart shapes that can be divided to reveal nice little heart snacks.