How to find the right waffle iron for your kitchen
27.11.2019
Translation: machine translated
The aroma of fresh waffles always goes down well. The sweet or savoury snack is a great alternative to cake, especially if you have spontaneous visitors at the weekend. Provided you have a waffle iron at home.
If this is not the case, I will help you find the right waffle iron for you and your budget. The waffle batter can also be prepared quickly after the visitor arrives. The few ingredients are part of most people's basic kitchen equipment.
Belgian, heart-shaped or completely different waffles?
The first thing you should ask yourself is which type of waffle appeals to you the most. The thick Belgian ones with the deep square pattern? Or would you prefer the heart-shaped thin waffles that are baked as a big flower and then shared with your loved ones?
Alternatively, there are also combination appliances on the market that not only bake waffles, but also donuts and cake pops. If you mainly want to make waffles for ice cream, you need a cone waffle maker.
An absolute all-rounder is the Tefal Snack Collection appliance. The baking plates inside can be changed as required, making everything from waffles, sandwiches, paninis and dumplings to donuts and other snacks possible.
Depending on your choice, this will also affect the form factor of your new appliance. Belgian waffles are larger and thicker, so this waffle iron is also slightly wider and taller than the round models of the heart version. Professional appliances also have a turning mechanism. This is called a 'reversible waffle iron' and takes up even more space. With these appliances, you will need a little practice when dosing the batter, as the turning mechanism allows excess batter to run out of the sides, but they automatically bake the waffles evenly. These premium models are mainly used by professional waffle bakers, but also look great in a modern and large kitchen.
It's the quantity that counts
Most appliances for Belgian waffles produce two waffles at once. Appliances for heart-shaped waffles usually only bake one flower, consisting of six hearts. If you have a large family at home or are just a big eater, you will probably want to bake two sets of waffles at the same time. Then the double waffle makers for heart shapes or larger waffle irons for four Belgian waffles are suitable for you. However, these appliances also require more storage space.
Conclusion - general buying tips
When buying, you should make sure that you have enough space for the new kitchen appliance. Remember that you probably won't use it every day and therefore have somewhere in the cupboard to store it. Personally, I think it's important that it's easy to clean. Nowadays, nobody wants to unscrew appliances and scrape the batter out of all the cracks. A waffle iron with removable plates, which in the best case can also be put in the dishwasher, is very convenient.
At the end of the day, it's all about the best flavour and optimal browning. The perfect waffle - at least for me - is crispy on the outside, lightly brown and fluffy on the inside. However, as tastes vary greatly, your new waffle iron should have several temperature settings so that you can bake the perfect browned waffle for you. And to prevent the sticky batter from sticking and the waffle from tearing when you take it out, the waffle iron needs a non-stick coating.
If you like experimenting with different ingredients, a rather simple waffle iron may not react optimally. Meaning: If your batter consistency is more liquid than the "standard" waffle batter, for example, it may stick or leak after all. In this case, a more complex waffle iron such as the Sage "The Smart Waffle" is recommended. Here you can set the degree of browning and the type of waffle. A channel also catches the leaked batter.
A little side note: If you have children at home who would like to bake waffles "like the grown-ups" but are still too small to handle the hot waffle irons, you can make them happy with the children's waffle iron from Play-Doh. Then the little ones can serve their dolls modelling waffles.
You can do more than just make waffles with your new waffle iron,
Stefanie Enge
Autorin
Most of the time I'm living between bits and bytes, testing alternative Android operating systems and trying to make my life smarter with Open Source technology - always with a focus on privacy and data protection. When I'm not testing cool gadgets, I'm developing video games, writing stories and playing the accordion.