Waffle Maker 101: Tips, Tricks and Recipes

Waffle Maker Tips, Tricks & Recipes

Whether we’re talking about a quick bite before school or an extravagant Sunday spread, breakfast is better with waffles. But how do you get that perfect golden outside and soft middle like the ones from your local diner? We’re going over the best waffle makers, how to use your iron and how to clean it so you can enjoy these fluffy treats every morning.

Types of Waffle Makers

Which do you prefer, Belgian or standard? Round or square? When it comes to your waffle maker (or waffle iron), what you see is what you get. A simple waffle iron keeps food prep uncomplicated, but a flip maker will ensure your waffle is perfectly browned on both sides every time. For those feeding the whole family, consider a double waffle maker, which can easily cut cooking time in half. You can even get an iron that’ll create waffles with shapes and characters.

How to Use a Waffle Maker

Don’t worry, we don’t know where the instruction manual to our waffle maker is either. Thankfully, most waffle irons are simple to use and follow the same basic directions.

Here’s a quick guide to using your waffle maker:

1. Clear off enough counter space to fit the waffle maker, batter and plate for finished waffles.
2. Plug the waffle maker in and turn it on. Most waffle makers have an indicator light to signal when it’s fully heated.
3. Spray the inside of your waffle maker with a nonstick cooking spray.
4. Pour in enough batter to fill the inside of the mold without overflowing, typically 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 cups. Use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to evenly spread the batter.
5. If you have a flip waffle maker, you may need to rotate the waffle plate 180° to begin cooking. Waffle makers typically take 4-6 minutes to fully cook a waffle, but keep an eye out for an indicator light signaling it’s done (if your waffle maker has one) or remove the waffle when you no longer see steam coming from the iron.
6. Using a fork, transfer the waffle to a plate.

How to Clean a Waffle Maker

All those crevices can be daunting, but cleanup doesn’t have to be a chore! The trick here is to catch it while it’s cool enough to handle, but still warm to the touch. Using a dry or damp cloth, wipe away any loose crumbs and excess oil, then use a damp cloth to wipe down the exterior. To remove any stubborn spots, simply pour on a little cooking oil, let it sit, then wipe again.

Waffle Mix and Recipes

Though you can buy it prepackaged, making waffle mix from scratch is quick, easy and fun. If you want to whip up simple homemade waffles, you’ll need a few staples (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and milk), but there are a great number of other varieties to try as well. Waffles can be frozen to make for a quick breakfast on busy mornings, perfect for back to school. Simply let your fresh-made waffles cool on a baking rack, and once cooled, stack flat and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the frozen waffles in the toaster and top with your favorite toppings. Make the morning sweet with Chocolate Belgian Waffles, get colorful with Tie-Dye Waffles or sneak in some extra nutrients with delicious Spinach Waffles. Check out our full collection of waffle recipes for more inspiration.

If you don’t have a waffle iron yet, don’t worry! You can easily shop waffle makers and other household essentials and have your order shipped right to your door – it doesn’t get any butter than that!