Waffle Iron Reviews

I already had an electric waffle iron made by Salton that was turning out great looking and delicious tasting *round* waffles. But because of the rave review I read here (plus it was nearing Valentine's day), I gave in and bought this Villaware heart-shaped waffle iron.

And sure it worked - but not as good as I expected for this price. As it has five different temperature settings (supposedly gives you control over how soft/crisp you want it), I tried out three: At "2" the batter was not yet set in the middle when the "waffle tone" sounded. At "4" it was too browned even for my husband's taste. I can only imagine how runny "1" would be and how burnt "5" would be - seriously, why do they give you five settings when only one of them work? At "3" the waffle tasted close to the way I like it, but even then, like all the other settings I tried on this, the color was uneven throughout the surface of the waffle. There were patches that were very pale and spots that were a medium brown.

The other bummer is this: It is impossible to make perfect heart shapes. I tried different consistencies in the batter and really attempted to fill in the scalloped edge, but as it cooks, the batter rises unevenly and when you divide the finished waffle into five little hearts, they're always a little crooked.

So - while this one certainly works and may thrill people who have no prior waffle making experience or are simply less demanding, its relatively high price only brings extra features (heart shape, temp control, "waffle tone" alarm...) that are unnecessary and don't work well. I find my cheaper Salton model... still works much better.

My humble advice: Go for a simpler model without all these bells and whistles, all you need to look for is a good quality non-stick surface. The doness can be easily controlled by how long you cook the waffle (the amount od steam is a good indication). I will stay loyal to my old waffle iron from now on.

great machine, alarm is not to loud, waffels are wonderful. Kids and wife enjoy the heart shaped waffels, well worth the money. I almost rated it 5 stars.......

I was hesitant when I bought this as a gift for my fiancee, since I had never made waffles before. It sounded like too much work to me, to get out the waffle maker and then have to clean it afterwards. But since my fiancee loves waffles so much, I decided to give it a try. I looked for heart shaped waffle makers in many stores and other websites, and this one is the best deal, no question. We use this waffle maker every weekend and it is so simple! We make a big batch of waffles and then freeze the leftovers to eat during the week. There is almost no cleaning neccessary, we just wipe out the griddle with a paper towel when we're done. I also ordered the waffle recipes from Villa Ware... the recipes are great! We especially like the Yogurt Peach Waffles. YUM! If you are hesitating to purchase this waffler, DON'T! We promise you won't regret it!

Admittedly this is a pretty inexpensive machine. Trouble is that the waffles it makes just really aren't.....waffles. I think that this machine is pretty much destined to stay in the cupboard. If you are chasing the taste of real waffles buy a real iron, or go to IHOP.

Picked up one of these, and a conventional wafflemaker, a few months ago when Amazon was blowing out all sorts of small kitchen appliances for cheap. The Toastmaster is easy to use and clean, but the "waffle" it produces is rather nontraditional. It's more like a pancake/waffle hybrid---large and round, somewhat floppy, with only a slightly crispy finish. Tastes good, yes, but if you're looking for the syrup-hoarding nooks and crannies of a Belgian waffle, look elsewhere.

I purchased this waffle iron last week from amazon, due to the amazing price. The waffle maker has exceeded my expectations for the low price!!!! The waffle maker is quick, and easy to use, and clean. The only downfall is that the waffles have a consistency more of a pancake than a waffle, maybe due to the light wave pattern, not the traditional waffle pattern. I don't know if it's because of the batter I used, or if its totally due to the waves. All in all, it is worth every penny! Don't miss out on this great offer!!!! :-)

My son is almost 5 and just loves this in the morning. Fast, fun, & safe. Keep some mix in the frig. & presto. A breakfast that also travels well in the mad morning dash to the car!

I gave the Sylvester Waffle Iron to my son's kindergarten teacher so she could use it every year on "W" week to make waffles. The kids just love it! They loved watching his nose light up. And they get so excited when Tweetie comes out! I couldn't believe how easy it was to use and how much the kids love it. So I bought one for my family too! I'm concerned about the other reviews saying the waffle iron only works for a year. I hope that's not my future!

My two year old can be quite wishy-washy when it comes to eating. However, with the sylvester/tweety maker...she not only has waffles and pancakes, but I make her customized melted cheese sandwiches, potato pancakes, hamburgers (thin) and if I'm really good chicken cutlets shaped like tweety.

...Now, I don't know, maybe it was just the particular one that I bought but the waffles were coming out perfect on the bottom but on the top, it was as if the iron wasn't even on. When I went to return it at the store, I saw another 3 people in line to do the same thing, so I'm thinking someone forgot to plug something into the right spot on this waffle maker while it was going through the assembly line.

Hope you all have better luck than me with this!

Afraid of getting another small appliance that you never use? If so, this waffle baker is for you! The waffle baker stores easily (either flat or on its side), sets up in seconds, and takes only a brief wipe with a paper towel to clean. When you plug it in, it takes several minutes to heat up, with an indicator light that goes out when the unit is ready. The light comes back on when you pour in the batter and similarly goes out when the waffle is done, making for perfect waffles that are completely non-stick every time. It takes a bit of practice to learn exactly how much batter to pour in, but once you figure it out, you'll never have any leakage and all of your waffles will be uniform. I've used the iron with both homemade batter and batter from a mix, and it works very well with either type. The only downside I've found is that once the waffles are made, it's best to eat them immediately, as the bottoms start to get soggy the longer they sit. Luckily, this is rarely a problem, because we always DO eat them right away! This is a great, inexpensive, easy-to-use product that I recommend highly.

This Waffle Maker is WONDERFUL. Makes large Belgian Waffles that hold lots of any kind of topping even fruit like strawberries, because they are nice and deep. It has a light is great so you don't have to guess if it is hot enough. Easy to clean and wipe up because of it being non stick it is hassel free. One of my favorite and most used small appliances. Experiment with many toppings and waffle recipes...my family loves them for even dinner!

We have had this waffle maker for about a month and we love it! It heats fast than I can make the batter! Makes waffles quickly, which is perfect for a family of four. YES it is pricey but well worth it.

This product makes four belgian waffle at once, is nonstick. You should wipe the inside with oil before each use to make sure nothing sticks. It is 1500 watts and gets very hot. Word of warning if you have an older electrical system make sure you dont have to much plugged in at the same time. I have blown the fuse a couple of times. There are two lights one(red) that shows it is on and a second(green) when hot. The green light goes off when you add batter and comes back on when done.

Just one note: this was the first time I made waffles and it took a little time to learn the timeing and such.

I LOVE THIS WAFFLE IRON, IT PERFORMED WELL, CLEANED UP EASLIY.
MY FAMILY WAS IMPRESSED WITH MY SKILL.....LITTLE DID THEY KNOW.

Except for NOT having an adjustable temperature control, a feature I was counting on, this waffle iron works well. The only other waffle iron I have bought in the past, that I liked, had this feature and I could make crisp waffles on a regular basis. Using the Villaware, and my standard recipe, my first waffle comes out limp. I will have to learn how to add more time for warmup and for cooking. The handy warning beep comes too early. The technical specifications listing clearly states 'adjustable temperature control' and should be corrected, so others are not misled.

Overall, this product is a great and consistent waffle maker. Recipes are simple, clear and easy to follow. The end result is my kids making waffles for breakfast every Saturday and Sunday morning.

Some features that allow this to be a great product. 1) An audible alarm that lets everyone know the waffle is done, without having to open/close the lid to check. 2) The non-stick surface is exactly that, a non-stick surface!! 3) Easy clean up, nothing sticks, nothing to scrub. 4) Easy to follow recipes, that don't call for weird or un-common items. 5) Great, consistent waffles that the cook is proud to serve to a hungry family!

A great product, would recommend this to all.

Works well, even with Gluten-free waffle mix. The chimes are quite loud - Good for someone like me who is easily distracted while making breakfast. Maybe not a fit for a quiet kitchen and dilegent cook.

The cord wraps around some nifty cord hooks for storage, but the edges of the cord hooks are sharp are my iron. I fear this could wear out the cord pre-maturely. Folks not comfortable with changing the power cord may choose not to use this feature.

Overall, very easy to use and good quality.

I would have preferred a waffle/toaster that could also grill meat. It takes too long to heat up and cool down to facilitate cleaning.
The cost is a little high for what you get and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I recall having a toaster similar to that in my youth and it recieved a lot of use, this item won't.

I have two of the Hamilton Beach 26290 Waffle Baker/Sandwich Griddles and use one of them very frequently. It is perfect for one or two people but when the kids are here (they love grilled cheese sandwiches) it is not really big enough. I have no trouble making two sandwiches at a time on each unit and the cleanup is a breeze. The concept of two appliances in one is great for it saves storage space.

The way it cooks, ease of use, and quick cleanup is the reason I give this Hamilton Beach Waffle Maker a five star rating. I've been having waffles for breakfast every morning since the first time I decided to give it a try. I use it for waffles and grilled cheese sandwiches, and I am very pleased with the results. Cleanup is a breeze because the plates pop out for washing. It is especially ideal for a single person on the go.

Boy was I delighted for a couple of months with this waffle iron. But as time passed, the temperature knob fell off. I was able to push it back in place and it worked for a while, but then the indicator light no longer worked and now I can't even get the iron to heat up. What a really big disappointment and it sure ain't inexpensive. I am about to buy a new iron for 19.99. This is what I should have done in the first place.

Overall I like the construction and ease of use of this maker, and the fact that it doesn't have the loud alarm people complain about on other models. Seems to be made okay (the plastic shell is a little thin, predictably, since it's made in China--I wish Amazon[.com] showed country of manufacture!). My first response, though, when I made the heart-shaped waffles, is that they're too thin. The Belgian waffle side is nice and deep, but I'm more a standard waffle pattern fan, and maybe because of the depth on the Belgian side, the heart-shaped ones don't have very deep holss. They seem about the thickness of a pancake with pyramid-shaped grooves instead of real square holes. The flavor isn't bad and I think I'll keep the thing (maybe I'll learn to like Belgian) but the texture also suffers a little, and if you have strong memories of standard waffles from an old iron or a restaurant, these don't really look like them. Also, they brown a little unevenly. Good points: waffles released easily, assembly and switching to the other waffle pattern is easy, the plates seem heavy duty. It will remain to be seen if they non-stick surface and the plastic shell's metalic finish hold up. I'd be dissatisfied except I also browsed stores and didn't see anything I thought was a lot better.

Good things about this waffle-maker:
Super-easy to clean
Waffles don't stick at all
the Belgian waffle side makes perfect waffles -- just the right thickness, cooked evenly
Nice-looking

Could use improvement:
the regular waffle plates produce a very thin waffle, not quite the same thing as I got from my old wafflemaker.

If I were going to buy again, I might go for a regular wafflemaker AND a Belgian wafflemaker (I'm not sure about price, but this was a pricey appliance), but then again, there's two appliances you have to store.... So I'm not sure, but on balance I'd have to say I don't regret this purchase.

This waffle iron should be renamed "waffle stickys." I have this for a few months. At first, it worked great---no problems. Then, like another review stated, it did nothing but made a big sticky or burnt mess!! I really liked this just fine during the first few months of use (I make waffles about 6+ times a week). However, the "stix" are not so easily broken apart---they are rather necessarily cut apart. All of the sudden, one day, my waffles did nothing but stick. Part of the waffles would be stuck to the top part of the iron, and the other part would be stuck to the bottom part of the iron. I tried to clean it (as stated in the manual), re-season it, and (when this failed) spray or oil it each time I made waffles, all to no avail. I would NOT purchase this waffle iron if I had known this would happen---it's quite frustrating!

Whenever I make waffles with my traditional iron, it takes forever to make enough to serve a family of 4. So, I decided to look for a second waffle iron. After seeing commercials for frozen waffle sticks, I decided to look for a waffle iron to make these. I have been searching in many stores and on many web sites for the past few months. Finally, I found this item on Target's web site. Of course, I ordered it without hesitation. It arrived yesterday and I made up the first batch this morning. My kids loved them! My daughter who "doesn't like waffles" ate them and enjoyed them. They were really fun, easy and cooked up nicely. Since two waffles (or 6 sticks) cook up on this iron, it is easy for me to feed both of my children quickly. I cooked up the rest of the batter and stuck the "sticks" in the freezer. The kids really liked being able to dip their waffles in syrup. Next time, they would like to try icing as a dip. I think I will throw some cinnamin in that batch. All in all, a very fun but useful gadget.

I could not wait to buy this after I first heard of it and I have not been disappointed. It works exactly as stated in the instructions and my kids love the waffle sticks! I make a large batch and freeze them so that they can have waffles anytime. I've also found that the stick form is better to use even when the kids want to cut them and eat them like normal. Most of them time when I'd make them a whole waffle, I'd be throwing away a few bites and wasting food. Now I can just heat up the perfect number of sticks and we hardly waste anything now. It's just great and I couldn't be happier with this product!