Belgian waffle maker showdown: Presto FlipSide versus Waring PRO

[joeekaitis]

After 3 years of wonderful weekly waffles, our Waring PRO Belgian waffle maker went to pieces. Seems the entire weight of the baking platform is supported by two not-so-substantial screws driven into a pair of pencil-thin plastic shafts. Repeated heating and cooling hardens the plastic, making it brittle and eventually, this happens:

The grid breaks away from the hinge when you rotate the baking platform. One would think the heft, the hefty price tag of $80 and the word "PRO" in the brand name would add up to an heirloom-grade appliance your relatives will fight over when you're called to The Big Kitchen In The Sky. Sadly, not so.

For half the price, we replaced it with the Presto FlipSide, which by its simplicity appears to be a more sturdy design.

The entire weight of the iron rests on the countertop, not hanging from screws driven into failure-prone plastic. It doesn't have a browning control and bakes hotter than the Waring, but you compensate by shortening the baking time. If you turn a browning control too low, the exterior won't "fry" and you end up with a textured pancake, not a real waffle. If I want pancakes, I'll fire up the griddle, not the waffle iron.

The first batch turned out restaurant-good or even better. Time will tell if Presto has nailed it. Stay tuned!

 

[sudsmaster]

I've seen those Waring rotating waffle makers at Costco, and wondered if they are worth it. It did seem a bit flimsy. Thanks for the info.

I got a Villaware "Waffletone" non-flipping waffle maker a couple years ago. It does ok without having to rotate the batter. I like that it has an audible bleep that sounds when it thinks the waffles are done.

Good luck with the Presto version. It does look like a simpler and hence more reliable design.

 

[mattl]

What is the concept of rotating the waffle? Is it to ensure even coverage of the batter? I generally just pour the batter in and smooth it out with a spoon, don't get too many imperfections. I'm using an old Oster waffle maker no controls just a heating light. I usually let it cycle once and then wait about another 330-60 seconds for the steam to stop before opening it up.

Maybe I'm not that much of a waffle affectionado. Pancakes are another story. Have to be done on an oiled griddle, heated to just below the smoke point. The batter has to be poured from at least 18" above the griddle and needs to flow out smoothly. The pancakes have to be lacy looking, crisp on the edges and little ridges and valleys -not even golden brown coasters. I got a Cuisinart contact grill/panini maker for Christmas and it has a set of flat griddle plates. I tried making pancakes on the other day and they were terrible - tough, evenly brown and inedible.

 

[joeekaitis]

For the traditional thinner "American" waffle, the flip doesn't matter, but for an inch-thick Belgian waffle, it really does make a difference. The batter doesn't have enough oomph to push itself into the upper grid and some will squirt out the sides instead of filling the grids. When gravity helps, the waffle is uniform in size, top and bottom, and the interior bakes to a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

And now, some history:

In Belgium, a Belgian waffle is still called a Brussels waffle, but right before the 1964 New York World's Fair, a marketing consultant pointed out to Belgium's World's Fair delegation that most Americans will see the word "Brussels" and immediately think "Brussels sprouts," so the Brussels waffle that was sold at the Belgium pavilion was called a Bel-Gem waffle and, generically, a Belgian waffle.

Now I'm hungry.