We tested six waffle makers and have a new top pick: the Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-F30.
Fresh, fluffy waffles may seem like a treat reserved for brunches out, but a good waffle maker can easily produce restaurant-quality waffles at home.
After putting in more than 100 hours of research, talking to six experts, and testing 36 models since 2014, we recommend the Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-F30. In our tests, it consistently delivered lofty, golden waffles that were crispy on the outside and tender within, in about two minutes.
This easy-to-operate flip waffle maker produces thick, evenly browned Belgian waffles worthy of a hotel buffet.
This round model offers good value and produces thin, super-crispy waffles. But it has a flimsier build.
This very modern model makes four waffles at a time and has no shortage of features, and it calculates ideal cooking times for different types of waffles.
This machine cooks four square Belgian waffles at a time at a fraction of the cost of our upgrade pick, though the waffles aren’t as crispy or fluffy. Like our main pick, it lacks an audible doneness cue.
This easy-to-operate flip waffle maker produces thick, evenly browned Belgian waffles worthy of a hotel buffet.
Let’s be real: A flip waffle maker is fun to use. But the real draw of the Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-F30 is the fact that it churns out irresistible waffles and offers excellent value. Its puffy, uniformly golden waffles are the closest we’ve come to the platonic ideal—and we made them in one of the least expensive models we tested.
This machine doesn’t boast a ton of features, but the ones it does have certainly count, including an intuitive interface that makes customization easy whether you’re seeking waffles that are pale or dark, soft or crispy.
The waffles pop out without resistance (whereas it required some prying for us to get them out of our upgrade pick), and the handle remains cool enough to touch while the machine is in use. Though this model is the tallest of our picks, it has a low enough profile to clear the underside of a cabinet while open on the countertop.
The downside: It offers no sounds to indicate when the waffle is cooked, only a green “ready” light that turns on. But since it’s done in about two minutes, hovering is pretty much a requirement anyway.
This round model offers good value and produces thin, super-crispy waffles. But it has a flimsier build.
The Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker WMR-CAP2 makes consistently excellent waffles quickly, and its compact design is perfect for small spaces. It produces just one thin, round American-style waffle at a time (think Eggo), so this model is a good choice only if you like your waffles thin and crispy and don’t need to make many at once. Its hardware also feels cheaper than that of our other picks.
According to Cuisinart representatives, this model is currently being sold under two model numbers, WMR-CAP2 and WMR-CA, but they are identical.
This very modern model makes four waffles at a time and has no shortage of features, and it calculates ideal cooking times for different types of waffles.
If you don’t mind paying a lot for a waffle maker, Breville’s Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice is worth the asking price—in our tests, it scored high marks on consistency, versatility, capacity, and speed.
This Breville model makes four deep-pocketed square specimens in minutes, cooks them unfailingly uniformly, and makes a crispier, more dialed-in waffle than our other four-slice pick, the Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker (it’s also about four times the price). You get a wide range of settings to play with to adjust the texture and brownness levels, and an automatic countdown timer lets you know exactly when the waffles will be ready.
If you need something a bit smaller or want to spend less, Breville also makes the Smart Waffle Pro 2 Slice, which has the same features but makes half the waffles.
A caveat for both models: We sometimes had to pry the cooked waffles out of the machines, which wasn’t true for any of our other picks.
This machine cooks four square Belgian waffles at a time at a fraction of the cost of our upgrade pick, though the waffles aren’t as crispy or fluffy. Like our main pick, it lacks an audible doneness cue.
The no-frills Cuisinart 4 Slice Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-150 is perfect for a full house that needs lots of waffles on the table, fast. This machine cooks a quartet of puffy Belgian-style waffles to a consistent golden brown in about five minutes, and it typically costs the same as our top pick, which makes one waffle at a time.
Its waffles could be lighter and crispier—our main pick and upgrade pick have this model beat on the texture front. But it’s simple to use and to clean, it’s an excellent value, and it makes quick work of a generous breakfast.
Our pick: Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-F30
This easy-to-operate flip waffle maker produces thick, evenly browned Belgian waffles worthy of a hotel buffet.
In our tests, the Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker WAF-F30 reliably made batch after batch of thick, golden waffles that were fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
It’s a flip model that’s as simple as it is fun to use. Though this machine lacks the bells and whistles of our super-customizable upgrade pick, we’ve concluded that for the price and performance, the Cuisinart Round Flip has most everything you need to make excellent waffles at home.
It cooks quickly. In our tests, the Round Flip took about two minutes to make a substantial, 6.5-inch-round, 1-inch-thick waffle on the medium setting. That’s hardly longer than the results from our speediest pick, the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker, which cooked a thinner waffle in about one and a half minutes.
Our top pick preheated quickly, too, as it went from cold to medium in three minutes, just 10 seconds longer than the Cuisinart Round Classic took. Its recovery time—how long a waffle maker takes to adjust to changes in temperature settings—was also minimal at under a minute and sometimes nonexistent.
It makes thick, golden waffles. These waffles made us go ooooh—they were thick and round, with deep wells ideal for cradling syrup or our toppings of choice. The texture was fluffy inside, with just enough crunch when we cooked on medium (level 3 on the dial), and the machine consistently cooked one exemplary waffle after another.
Aside from the slightly crispier waffles made by the significantly more expensive Breville Smart Waffle Pro models, these were the most impressive waffles we tasted when it came to texture and sheer visual appeal, especially for those of us who like ’em tall and airy.
It’s agile. When we toggled the dial from level 5 (the darkest) to level 1 (the lightest), our top pick was responsive, producing a pale waffle right after cooking a deep-brown one in under a minute, with no recovery time in between. This was also true of our other picks, though we were impressed with this level of performance at the Round Flip’s price.
It’s intuitive to use. The manual’s instructions made using this model easy. First, pour the batter over the plate and spread it with a heatproof spatula. Then, close the lid, turn the handle 180 degrees, wait until the “ready” light goes on, flip it again, remove the waffle, and repeat. The machine also comes with a ¾-cup measure that doles out the right amount of batter.
Considering that this waffle maker requires the extra step of flipping, we appreciated that it wasn’t more complicated to use than our other picks.
It’s easy to clean. As with most of our picks, all it took to clean the plates after use was a swipe with a damp cloth once they had cooled. That same cloth also wiped away errant batter on the body of the machine, and we hand-washed the stainless steel drip tray, a nice feature that our other picks lack (though our upgrade pick from Breville does have an effective overflow moat).
It stays cool during cooking. The plastic lid handle was cool enough to touch after an hour of use, which was not true of all the waffle makers we tested. Even the metal surfaces didn’t get too hot, though we don’t recommend unnecessary contact; as with all waffle makers, just steer clear of the steam.
This waffle maker comes with a limited three-year warranty.
Upgrade pick: Breville Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice
This very modern model makes four waffles at a time and has no shortage of features, and it calculates ideal cooking times for different types of waffles.
May be out of stock
This is the two-waffle version of Breville’s top-of-the-line waffle maker.
Thanks to a quadrant of deep-pocketed plates, the Breville Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice excels at producing mass quantities of fluffy, 1-inch-tall waffles. Breville also makes a more compact, two-slice Smart Waffle Pro, for fewer waffles at a slightly gentler cost.
It’s the most customizable model, and it made the crispiest waffles. An unprecedented host of options rewards you with dialed-in waffles. Not only can you fiddle with the color and texture, but this machine also gives you ideal cooking settings according to waffle type.
A knob allows you to scroll through an impressive selection of 12 different brownness levels, by far the largest range of the models we tested. They make subtle but discernible differences in shade and texture without the waffles emerging raw or burnt at either extreme. This machine managed to achieve a level of crispiness that our other picks could not.
Cooking times are tailored to waffle styles. Also fun to play with—though less obviously effective—is a dial that automates the cooking time based on the type of waffle you choose. We tested only the Belgian and classic settings, but the idea is that the machine either subtracts or adds minutes to achieve a Belgian waffle’s tender center, for instance, or to create a crispier, drier classic waffle.
And you still have opportunities to make adjustments once the waffles are cooked: Pressing the “A Bit More” button adds a little more cooking time.
It has clear readiness indicators. The Smart Waffle Pro flashes the word “heating” as it preheats, and then, when it’s ready, it beeps loudly while its LCD screen lights up orange. This is also the only waffle maker in our test group to include a timer and progress indicator that count down as your waffles cook, letting you know exactly when they’ll be ready.
It remains secure and cool during cooking. Housed in stainless steel that remains largely cool to the touch, and boasting a locking lid, the Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice is both sturdy and safe.
But it’s also a bit of a beast. This four-slice model weighs a hefty 15.3 pounds and takes up 14.9 by 12.3 by 5.1 inches of counter space. (In contrast, our top pick, the Cuisinart Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker, weighs 7.8 pounds and measures around 12 by 8 by 8 inches.) As long as you have room in your cabinets, you can still store it flat or on its side.
An overflow feature catches errant batter. The built-in overflow moat helps guard against batter leakage, and it’s easy to clean should that occur.
Waffles can get stuck. As adept as the Breville models were at making waffles in our tests, we often had to pry them out once they were cooked. The nonstick coating didn’t seem to be at fault; instead, the likely culprit was the shape of the grids, which are deeper on the bottom plate than the top. As a result, when you open the machine, you don’t have much waffle sticking up above the lip of the grid, so you have nothing to get a grip on. In our tests, this resulted in a few misshapen waffles and crumbs littering the grids due to all the futzing we did to dig the waffles out.
According to a Breville representative, the company doesn’t recommend applying any type of oil, butter, or fat directly to the plates, advice that we heeded during testing.
At this price, though, we expected the Breville waffle makers to turn out waffles with little to no resistance, as we experienced with our less expensive picks.
Breville covers the Smart Waffle Pro 4 Slice with a one-year limited warranty—a not especially generous policy for such a costly machine.
How To Use A Hotel Waffle Maker By Heartland
FAQ
What brand waffle mix do hotels use?
What waffle mix does Hampton Inn use?
What is the difference between a Belgian waffle maker and a waffle maker?
What kind of waffle maker does Waffle House use?
Waffle House uses the Wells series of commercial waffle makers. These machines are heavy-duty and made for large quantities of waffles in a short period. They’re excellent for restaurant settings but not often in the budget of those looking for a quick and easy setup. Here is some basic information about the Wells WB-1E Waffle Maker:
Which waffle maker is best?
The best overall: All-Clad Stainless Steel Belgian Waffle Maker, $220 on Amazon (skip down to read more about it) The best for your budget (and cabinet space): Presto FlipSide Waffle Maker, $60 on Amazon (skip down to read more about it)
What is a waffle maker?
A small appliance that sits on the counter with a lid that opens and closes- simple as that. Using a standard waffle maker is pretty straightforward as well. You heat the waffle maker, lift the top, pour in the batter and close the top. Once the waffles are cooked, you lift the lid and eat your waffles!
Which waffle maker is right for You?
Firstly, if you wish to make round waffles, then most of such waffle makers are rotary. Furthermore, if your workload isn’t that much, then a rotary waffle maker is perfect for you. Waffle makers can range from one waffle at a time, to 10 or even 20 mini waffles at a time.