This article will tell you how to choose a traditional waffle maker by educating you about all of the features that traditional waffle makers have so that you can make a more informed decision on which one to buy. You will find a lot of helpful information about the top traditional waffle makers for 2024 listed below.
Table of Contents
Most Popular Thin Waffle Makers
Even though the very best extra thick Belgian waffle makers are the most popular waffle makers on the market today, there are still a few traditional non-Belgian waffle makers that you can purchase on retail websites.
The most popular traditional waffle makers include the Cuisinart WMR-CA, CucinaPro, Black and Decker G48TD, Breville BWM520XL No Mess, All Clad 99012GT, and Chef’s Choice.
The best thin non-Belgian waffle maker is the Breville BWM520XL No Mess classic round waffle maker because it has the best heat distribution and build quality and it has the most precise temperature settings.
The easiest to clean traditional waffle maker is the Black and Decker G48TD because it comes with removable plates. This is one of the top waffle irons with removable waffle and griddle plates because it uses reversible plates to make waffles and sandwiches.
What are traditional waffle makers called?
Traditional waffle makers are also called Thin, Eggo style, American, Skinny, or Classic waffle makers. Click on this link to learn more about what skinny waffles are called.
Features to look for in a traditional waffle maker
Waffle thickness for the different types of traditional waffle makers
The thickness of the waffles is determined by how deep the indentations for the waffle plates are. Waffle cone makers are the thinnest waffle makers on the market because the indentations on the cooking plates are only 1/8th of an inch thick. Waffle cones are used to make ice cream cones and they are thinner than pancakes and more pliable.
The second thinnest waffle maker is a Stroopwafel maker. These Stroopwafels are about 3//8 of an inch thick. They are really popular in the Netherlands.
The most common type of traditional waffle maker is a Waffle House-style waffle maker that makes 0.5-inch thick Waffle House-style waffles with a 7-inch diameter. The Cuisinart WMR-CA, CucinaPro, Breville BWM520XL No Mess, and All-Clad 99012GT are Waffle House-style waffle makers.
Easiest to clean
The easiest to clean waffle maker is one that uses removable plates because you can take them out and soak them in a container full of soap and warm water, allowing the solution to slowly dislodge the sticky residue, making it easier to rinse off. If you are lucky and the plates are dishwasher safe, then you can clean them in a dishwasher, making clean-up much quicker.
There is only one traditional waffle maker with removable plates, the Black and Decker G48TD. It can make 4 square-shaped traditional waffles at a time and you can flip the plates over to cook eggs, bacon, sandwiches, or vegetables. The only problem is that the removable plates are not dishwasher safe but you can still let them soak in a container full of soap and warm water which will make scrubbing off the sticky residue much easier.
Another type of easy-to-clean waffle maker is one with an overflow channel. An overflow channel that surrounds the entire circumference of the plate will collect all of the batter that is overflowing from the waffle plates, preventing it from dripping down the sides and causing a big mess on your countertop.
Only one traditional waffle maker comes with an overflow channel, the Breville BWM520XL No Mess classic round waffle maker.
Uniform Heat Distribution
The most important feature to look for in any waffle maker is how it distributes the heat across the waffle plates. If a waffle maker distributes the heat uniformly or evenly across the plates, this means that the entire waffle will be cooked thoroughly so you will not end up with any raw patches or burnt spots.
So what factors determine how the heat is distributed across the waffle plates? The most important factors are the thickness and weight of the cooking plates and the performance of the heating elements.
Thick and Heavy Waffle Plates
A thicker and heavier waffle plate will have a lower heat transfer rate and retain heat a lot better than a thinner and lighter waffle plate. This is because the heat transfer rate is inversely proportional to the thickness of waffle plate. Therefore, a thicker waffle plate will have a lower heat transfer rate because more time will be taken to transfer the same amount of heat.
So which traditional waffle makers have the thickest and heaviest waffle plates? The answer is the Breville BWM520XL No Mess, All-Clad 99012GT, and Chef’s Choice. They are the three most expensive traditional waffle makers and also the three heaviest.
The Breville and All Clad waffle makers cost about $150 while the Chef’s Choice waffle maker cost about $100. All three waffle makers weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.
Power Consumption
Dual heating elements with a higher wattage will transfer more heat to the cooking plates, enabling the plates to cook the batter more thoroughly and evenly.
Chef’s Choice has heating elements with the highest wattage of any traditional square waffle maker at 1600 watts while the Breville No Mess operates at 900 watts and the All Clad 99012GT operates at 850 watts.
Reheating time
Reheating time is the time it takes for the waffle plates to reheat to the proper cooking temperature. The reheating time for the cooking plates is an important consideration because a faster reheating time will enable you to cook another batch of waffles much sooner.
Reheating time is dependent on the thickness and weight of the cooking plates. After the batter is placed on the bottom cooking plate, the temperature of a thicker and heavier cooking plate will drop a lot less than for a thinner and lighter plate because it retains heat a lot better. This means that after the waffle is finished baking and the power to the heating elements is cut off, the temperature for the thicker and heavier cooking plate will take a longer time to cool down so if you want to cook another batch of waffles it will have to rise a fewer number of degrees to reach the desired cooking temperature.
Baking Time
The baking time for your waffles depends on the thickness and weight of the cooking plates and the wattage that it operates at. The Chef’s Choice 840 has the highest operating wattage at 1600 watts so it has the fastest baking time. It can cook your waffle in less than 2 minutes.
The cheaper waffle makers, such as the Cuisinart WMR-CA, have a longer baking time, ranging from 4 and 5 minutes, because their cooking plates are thinner and lighter and they operate at a lower operating wattage.
The Breville and All Clad waffle makers have thicker cooking plates than the cheaper waffle makers, enabling them to heat up faster and retain heat better, resulting in faster baking times.
Temperature Levels
Nearly every classic waffle maker has a knob or slider that adjusts the temperature level according to how light or dark you want your waffle to turn out.
The more expensive American-style waffle makers, including the Chef’s Choice, All-Clad, and Breville models, come with about 7 different temperature settings while the more affordable models come with fewer settings.
Also, for the more expensive models, the highest temperature settings are more precise in comparison to the cheaper models. For the affordable Cuisinart WMR-CA, this means that there is not a big difference between the two highest temperature settings in terms of texture and taste.
Audio beeping notifications
Many people want an appliance with an audio alert because they can walk into another room to take care of other matters and walk back into the kitchen after hearing the audio alert to take their waffles out before they get overcooked.
An audio alert is typically a ‘luxury’ feature only found in high-end waffle makers such as the All Clad and Breville waffle makers.
The more affordable waffle makers only use a ready indicator light to notify you when your waffles are ready while high-end waffle makers will use both a ready indicator light and audio alert to indicate that your waffles are done baking.
Sturdy housing and high-quality parts
The main reason why high-end waffle makers cost more is that they are constructed from higher-quality materials and parts. The housing is built from thick stainless steel. They are very sturdy and built to last for many years of use in your kitchen.
The lower-priced waffle irons have a thinner housing and cheaper parts which means they are more likely to fall apart or break down.
Ceramic and Cast Iron (Teflon Free) cooking plates
Most traditional waffle makers have Teflon-coated cooking plates including the ones from Breville and All Clad. Many overly cautious people want to avoid Teflon-coating because they think they contain dangerous chemicals. However, according to the FDA, the small amounts of Teflon you ingest will not cause any long-term health problems.
The safest American-style waffle makers are the ones with ceramic-coated or cast iron waffle plates. This is because they do not contain any PTFE or PFOA, which has been linked to cancer.
The only ceramic-coated traditional waffle maker is the heart-shaped waffle maker from Euro Cuisine. It is fairly affordable with a price of $40. It can make 5 small heart-shaped waffles at a time and it comes with a 5-setting temperature control knob. Each heart shape waffle is about 3.5-inches wide so if you place the mini waffles together they will form a whole waffle that is about the same size as a standard traditional round waffle with a 7-inch diameter.
There are many cast iron waffle makers that make waffles that are thinner than the typical Belgian waffle. They cost about $40 each. They contain no lead or any other toxic chemicals so they are completely safe to use. None of them are powered by electricity. You will have to cook both sides of the waffle maker on top of the burner on your stovetop. It will take about 10 minutes to finish cooking both sides which is about twice as long as an electric waffle maker.
Flip rotating feature
Unfortunately, there are no American-style flip waffle makers that can rotate the cooking plates 180 degrees. The only flip waffle makers that are available are ones that make Belgian waffles that are about twice as thick as a typical American waffle.
Waffle Shapes
Most traditional waffle makers will make either round or square-shaped waffles. The high-end classic-style waffle makers from All-Clad and Breville only make round-shaped thin waffles. The only square-shaped waffle makers they sell make 1-inch thick Belgian-style waffles.
If you want a traditional waffle maker that a woman would love, then you should buy her a heart-shaped waffle maker. The Euro Cuisine and Mueller heart shape waffle makers because it makes heart-shaped waffles.
There are a lot of traditional waffle makers that can make waffle shapes besides square and circular. They are known as novelty waffle makers. These types of waffle makers are inspired by the entertainment industry. You can find a lot of Star Wars- and Super Hero-inspired waffle makers for sale.
There are traditional waffle makers with waffle shapes inspired by the incredible spaceships and characters of the iconic Star Wars franchise. You can find waffle makers that can make waffles in the shape of the Deathstar, Imperial fleet’s Tiefighter, Rebel Alliance’s X-wing Starfighter, and Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon.
Cost
You get what you pay for when it comes to waffle makers. If you are willing to pay more than $100, you will get a waffle maker that is constructed from sturdier materials and comes with thicker cooking plates and more precise temperature settings than a cheaper model.
The Breville and All Clad classic-style waffle makers are the most expensive models with a price of approximately $150 but they come with everything that you are looking for in a waffle maker including the most number of browning levels and audio beeping notifications.
The best affordable classic-style waffle maker is the Cuisinart WMR-CA. You should be able to buy it online for around $30. It does not have the sturdy stainless steel housing and hinges, thick cooking plates, or precise temperature settings of the more expensive models but it stills cooks pretty evenly and reheats quickly.
