Last night we tried out a new waffle iron, the WafflePro from Chef’s Choice. After many years of using a very old iron that finally had worn itself out, this was a distinct pleasure. I only wish we had replaced the old one sooner! The design is sleek and small, the cord can be wrapped around the base, and it stands on one end so it takes up very little storage space. It requires little or no clean up or maintenance. As a matter of fact, after oiling it the first time, you never have to oil it again! This is helpful for those who have to watch their fat consumption.
There are two settings for texture, “Crisp Exterior with Moist Interior” which cooks very quickly (perfect when you have hungry kids yelling for breakfast!), and “Uniform Texture” which takes a bit longer but gives a crisper overall waffle. You can also determine the degree of color with a dial (the higher the number, the darker the waffle is cooked) to suit your personal preference. When the waffles are done the light turns from red to green and an alarm goes off – which is loud enough to hear from another room – you won’t over cook these! Short of walking away and completely forgetting you are cooking something, it would be extremely difficult to burn the waffles in this iron.
In my opinion, there are three minor drawbacks: the bottom of the waffle is more evenly cooked, the color dial only goes up to “6” and the grid doesn’t create very deep pockets. For those who want a really dark waffle, you will have to leave it in for probably two or three cooking cycles (open the lid in-between to reset the timer). And while they market this as a “Belgian” waffle maker, it doesn’t make a waffle with really deep dimples – like the ones in Brussels. Because the waffle cooks more evenly on the bottom, make sure that side is up when you plate them! But aside from these very minor details this is a wonderful appliance.
I heartily recommend this waffle iron and for the price, consider it a great deal. I thought you might enjoy a homemade waffle recipe to celebrate my review … enjoy!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sliced fresh strawberries or syrup
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder.
- In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
- Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. Serve with strawberries or syrup.
