Skinny waffles are popular amongst people who are nostalgic for the old-fashioned non-Belgian waffles that their mothers made for them when they were kids. Belgian waffles have overtaken skinny waffles as the most popular waffles in the United States because they have deeper pockets and larger squares which means they can have more toppings on them. So it shouldn’t surprise you if you found out that most online articles about waffle makers are about Belgian waffle makers.
If you are a fan of skinny non-Belgian waffles and skinny waffle makers, then you probably want to learn a little more about them. This article will help you find out what are skinny waffles called and educate you about the origins of skinny waffles and waffle makers so that you can figure out which are the top skinny classic waffle makers, which will make choosing a traditional waffle maker much easier. Unfortunately, many of the top skinny classic waffle makers don’t have changeable plates, making them more difficult to clean.
What are the different types of skinny waffles?
The best skinny waffle makers make thinner waffles than extra thick Belgian waffle makers do – a thin waffle maker makes waffles with a thickness ranging from 0.5 inches to 1/8th of an inch while the highest rated extra thick Belgian waffle irons make waffles with a thickness ranging from 0.75 inches to 2 inches. The thickness of the waffles is determined by how deep the indentations for the waffle plates are. There are several different types of thin waffles including waffle cones, pizzelles, and stroopwafels.
Waffle Cones
The thinnest type of skinny waffles is made by a waffle cone maker because the waffle cones have a thickness of only 1/8th of an inch, making them thinner than pancakes and more pliable since the indentations on the waffle cone are really shallow.
Pizzelles
Another type of skinny waffle is a pizzelle. Normal-sized pizzelles have a 4.75-inch diameter and 0.18-inch thickness. Pizzelles are often referred to as thin crispy Italian waffle cookies.
Stroopwafels
A Stroopwafel is another type of skinny waffle. Both Stroopwafels and Pizzelles have the same 4.75 inch diameter but Stroopwafels have a 0.25 inch thickness while Pizzelles have a slightly thinner 0.125 inch thickness. Stroopwafels are a really popular street food in the Netherlands because of the cookie-like structure and layer of sweet dark syrup in the middle. They are often referred to as Dutch waffle cookies. You can even find grab-and-go packaged Stroopwafels on US-based retail websites such as Amazon and Walmart.
Thin or Classic Waffles
If you conduct research about skinny waffle makers on any retail website, you will probably notice that most of the product names for these types of waffle makers have the phrase ‘Classic Waffle Maker’ or ‘Thin Waffle Maker’ in them. This is because they resemble the first commercial electric waffle iron that was created in 1911 by Thomas J. Stackbeck for General Electric, which came with a circular design and built-in thermostat for preventing the appliance from overheating and burning your waffle. However, it was missing the nonstick Teflon coating and removable plates that are found on the majority of today’s waffle makers; other modern waffle makers use an eco-friendly ceramic coating instead.
What are the different names for Classic or Thin Waffles?
Traditional or Old-fashioned Waffles
Many older waffle lovers refer to modern-day classic or thin waffles as traditional or old-fashioned waffles because they look like the waffles their mothers or grandmothers used to make between the 1960s and 80s.
Non-Belgian Waffles
Belgian waffle makers did not start popping up on retail websites until the early 2000s. People who really love Belgian waffles often call classic waffles ‘non-Belgian waffles’ because they are the complete opposite of Belgian waffles – classic waffles are thin, crispy, and dense while Belgian waffles are thick, moist, and fluffy.
Regular Waffles
Skinny waffles are also known as regulars by many people because they do not have the oversized squares and extra deep pockets of Belgian waffles. Skinny waffles with small squares and shallow pockets were the most popular type of waffle in America and the standard waffle that was found in everyone’s kitchen up till the early 2000s when Belgian waffles overtook them in popularity.
Waffle House-style Waffles
Another commonly used name is Waffle House-style waffle because there are many classic-style waffle makers that can make waffles with the same dimensions as the waffles sold at Waffle House – 0.5-inch thickness and 7-inch diameter. The Cuisinart WMR-CA, CucinaPro, Breville BWM520XL No Mess classic round waffle maker, and All Clad 99012GT classic round waffle maker are all Waffle House-style waffle makers that can make waffles with a 0.5-inch thickness and 7-inch diameter that will cover your entire plate.
American-style Waffles
Many people also call them American-style waffles because the first commercial electric waffle maker invented in the United States by Thomas J. Stackbeck in 1911 for General Electric had a similar design and, besides Americans, no one else around the world made these types of waffles, which were really popular in the U.S. up until the 2000s when the popularity of Belgian waffles really took off. Classic waffle makers have never been called European waffle makers because skinny waffles were never popular in Europe.
Eggo-style Waffles
Most frozen Eggo waffles that you can find in any American supermarket frozen food aisle have a circular shape with a 5-inch diameter and a 0.5-inch thickness, which are somewhat similar to the dimensions of a round skinny waffle (0.5-inch thickness and 7-inch diameter) that a typical classic or Waffle House-style waffle maker would make. This is why some people call these waffles ‘Eggo-style waffles’.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, skinny waffles go by many names because there are various skinny waffle makers with different cooking plate designs. Skinny waffles are also known as Thin, Classic, American, Eggo, Waffle House, Non-Belgian, Traditional, Old-Fashioned, and Regular waffles, and a few people also call them Waffle Cones, Stroopwafels, and Pizzelles.
