Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker
Customer Review: It makes good waffles
Summary: 5 Stars
I was going to buy that stylish iron that Alton Brown made famous, but Amazon does not carry them at this time. Thought about looking elsewhere, despite having a $25 Amazon gift card, but that model makes Belgium style waffles, while the Cuisinart makes the thinner conventional style.
Hmmm, actually I don't actually like the fluffy soft style in cookies or waffles. Went with the Cuisinart. Only cost me $5 (!) as I have Prime shipping.
I am happy with the results. The thermostat actually works and you get consistent crispiness. Doesn't take too long. Doesn't stick (see below). Easy as possible to clean. The waffles are great. They are now a Sunday tradition and will fuel guests during the holidays. I would rather make waffles than deal with the cook to order holiday breakfast requests.
The quality of your efforts will depend on the actual recipie, rather than the machine, and that is good. I wanted to make that Alton Brown-based mix, but ended up using Bob's Red Mill brand as it has both white and whole wheat flour, baking soda and powder and dried buttermilk. You add oil and eggs and water or liquid buttermilk, which is what I do. This is a good recipie and silmilar to Brown's and several reviewers'. I tried butter instead of oil, but that was not so successful. Now I use canola oil and save the butter for the topping.
Overflow is always an issue with waffle irons as the mix expands when heated. I pour in about 1/4 cup and spread it out with a spatula so that it just fills in the channels, up to the top of the peaks and no more. I tried the 1/2 cup suggestion, but had to clead up a lot of overflow and I do not like the idea of any liquid in the thermostat area for obvious reasons. It is easier to add a little mix than to remove an excess.
The easy way to finish them off is to fill a measuring cup with butter and maple syrup in a ratio and quality of your choice and melt it together.
Sticking is an issure for many with this and all irons. I give a quick spray of Pam to start and spread it around with a paint brush. Don't try to spray the whole thing as everything near and far will be covered with oil. Doing this once seems to work all morning. Staying above 3 on the thermostat and not using butter in the mix is helpful as well. This made all of my waffles pop out easily.
Cleaning is done with a towel and because nothing sticks, that isn't so hard.
Storing it on end is great, although I haven't figured out how to plug it into itself to stow the cord. I think the cord is an inch too short for that feature to work.
I can recommend the Cuisinart based on its performance so far. Only time will tell if it will last. All product forums are filled with complaints about things that break and that always makes me paranoid when I read those reviews.
Customer Review: Really simple, effective waffler -- needs to be "seasoned" in
Summary: 5 Stars
This waffle maker works like a breeze once you've "broken in" the appliance (ie, make a few batches).
I admit I was frustrated when I first tried it. I tried a few different recipes, per others' reviews, and I was spraying the grids and all sorts of things. In the end I had some lack-luster waffles for the first batch or two.
Then I used the "basic" recipe in the instructions and actually followed some of the booklet suggestions (and didn't spray anything on the grids). Voila! Perfect waffles! No sticking!!
Suggestions:
1) Basic recipe is great (can even sub some whole wheat flour if you like). It is VERY similar to a pancake recipe I have, with the difference being less baking powder and more oil. I make from scratch and is pretty simple (tip: make yours in a pourable measuring bowl-- ie. 8 c. Pyrex-- then you can pour directly into the maker.) You can mix up the dry ingredients and save as a "mix", then just add milk, eggs, oil when you want to make waffles.
2) let the batter rest 5 minutes (as recommended).
3) once your grids are "seasoned" in, don't use any spray... it just gooks up the grids and adds more oil than necessary-- mine were turning out to crispy on the outside, but soggy/uncooked inside, or splotchy colored.
4) once the waffle maker is up to temp, the light turns green. Make a waffle, then remove, per the green light! Then close the maker to let it HEAT UP AGAIN! (green light) Now you're ready for another waffle.
5) pour in batter, then spread with a scraper ("spatula") to distribute (it's not that hard, and I need to dirty a spatula anyway to catch drips from the bowl, scrape the last batter out, etc). This is AS RECOMMENDED by the instructions. YES it does take some practice to get the knack of how much is the right amount of batter.
6) I followed some other reviewer's suggestion and put a paper towel over the adjustment lever (wrap under the bottom to hold) while I make waffles. Sometimes the batter DOES overflow, and then you don't have to clean it out of the crack for the lever. (you can still see the green light through a paper towel)
7) let the waffle maker cool when finished, and then any batter that overflowed just pops right off the metal finish (you may have to wipe any off the plastic)
You can't beat the price for this compact little waffler!! I paid a fraction of the recommended price, buying it on sale at a major mall department store (close to the price I see on Amazon today). Well worth it for a product I use maybe twice a month. I'm sure I'll use it more in a couple of years with more kids. Looking forward to a long and happy relationship with this appliance.
Customer Review: Consistent waffling
Summary: 5 Stars
Update: Daily use, keeps going and turns out excellent waffles.
I mentioned below that waffle batter can be stored in the fridge. Try leaving it out overnight. The batter turns slightly sour, and still makes great waffles, but with a sourdoughish flavor that is pure heaven with maple syrup. And you can make some and leave it next to the waffle iron the previous night so all you have to wait for in the morning is for this waffle maker to heat up.
Interesting that this product is getting polarized reviews. Either very good or terrible. Here's my experience and then comments others might find useful.
- I made a batch of chocolate waffles to freeze (to reheat and serve with ice-cream). All 14 turned out perfect. Before that, I made 7 regular waffles that came out GBD - Golden Brown and Delicious. All I did was follow the light and use settings from 3 to 4.
- Going back and forth to get my preferred color was easy because 3 was still 3 after going to 4 (and a bit more). The initial and subsequent uses didn't cause variations in the color. Good design.
- Wiped all of it clean with a wet kitchen napkin. Easy.
- Miles ahead of my last waffle iron, which required a lot of guessing and waffle rejection.
- DON'T open the lid until you see the ready light. Or bye bye waffles. They do not like to be disturbed until ready.
- A good recipe is important. Don't use pancake mix, which is simply a combination of the dry ingredients formulated for pancakes and not waffles. Besides it's a rip-off, like selling $1 unglazed tile as a $20 pizza stone.
- Here's my adaptation of a Good Eats recipe: 2 cups all purpose flour, tsp baking powder, half tsp baking soda, tsp salt, 3 tablespoons sugar. Whisk together thoroughly. Combine 1/2 qt whole buttermilk or pint full fat yogurt + pint milk and 2/3 stick melted butter and pour into dry stuff. Mix with rubber spatula for ten seconds (don't overmix, small lumps will be ok). Leave for about 5-10 min. Turn on waffle iron, spray plates with pam or similar spray. Drop two ice-cream scoop-sized blobs slightly behind the middle and let the lid down. Setting: 3-4. Remove when green light comes back on. Easy. Excess can be stored overnight in an airtight box in the fridge.
If I could wish for anything more, it would be for a ready light that was visible from the far end of my long kitchen. The light is designed to be in sight of a normal height person doing other stuff nearby. I have a long kitchen so the light is barely visible from my sink on the other side. Since then I've been listening for the "click" that flips the red light to the green.
Customer Review: Good iron -- but only purchase on sale
Summary: 4 Stars
This is about as bare-bones as you can get for an electric waffle iron. What you're paying for is the Cuisinart name and some excellent compact heating plates. As the item was offered at a hefty discount and I only make waffles occasionally, I'm satisfied with my purchase, but in the future I think I'd shop around and invest a bit more for sturdier construction. I'm quite confident the heating plates will last for years -- I just hope the rest of it does, as well!
Details...
The size and quality of the waffles are very good, the indicator lights are useful, and the device is compact and easy to wipe down. I always use cooking spray and sticking is minimal and remedied with the nudge of a spatula or butter knife. On the other hand, there *are* some sketchy design/construction elements. My primary gripe has to do with the generic sliding temperature adjuster. There's far too much play in the slider, and the knob is very cheap plastic. It reminds me of a child's toy or those fake appliances you might find in model rooms. Quite a shocker coming from Cuisinart, considering that their brushed steel casing is beautiful, as usual. The product loses one star for this alone.
Lesser issues (which are offset by the nice waffles!): the hinge is somewhat narrow and wobbly because of the simple circular design (a square-back or extended hinge would have allowed for something wider/sturdier), there's no on/off switch (just plug and use), and no locking mechanism to the lids or sufficient weight to keep the top lid from rising during cooking (however, I always under-fill the plates with batter to leave room for spread/expansion and I haven't had any spillover [I can only imagine the horrible mess of batter spilling forward into the open crevice of the temperature adjuster -- some kind of safety guard or ledge to redirect spills would have been great]). Contrary to some other reviews, the iron lid is *not* cool to the touch. Although I was careful not to put my hands all over the thing while cooking, I did otherwise burn myself on my first batch due to the steam escaping from between the plates around the lid handle -- use pot holders or oven mitts if you like to take a peek before fully lifting the lid. :p I really would have preferred a raised handle to give my fingers some distance...
Bottom line: despite design flaws in the device, the finished waffles are consistently good. If you're interested in this item, wait for a super sale price.
Customer Review: Solid Basic Construction With A Serious Weakness
Summary: 3 Stars
I read most of the earlier reviews before purchasing this product - and almost didn't. I wrote this review to address some of the issues raised by earlier reviews. At the Suggested Retail Price I would give it a 3 Star rating. At the price I paid (56% off) I would give it a 4 Star rating.
The basic waffler appears to be well made with heavy guage grills - important for even, consistent baking. The light that turns on when the waffle is done, is also a nice feature. The negative aspects are; first, the linkage to the thermostat is sloppy and the handle and lever are made of flimsy plactic that is prone to breaking. It would have been much better to have a metal lever with nylon bushings, or, better yet, have a metal browning lever that connects directly to the thermostat's rotary switch - a very simple thing to do. To obtain the correct temperature setting, set the adjustment lever so that there is equal play on either side of the desired browning level.
The second negative feature is that the waffler, although nicely compact, can not be stored vertically unless the front handles are bound together to prevent them from sliding apart - a heavy robber band will do. I list this as a negative because in this price range, Cuisinart would be expected to address this simple problem.
The waffler appears to make good waffles although a little on the thin side. I said "appears" because I'm a vegan and cook without dairy or eggs. I use whole grain flower, fruits and fruit concentrates; so, I can not say for sure how will it would make a standard waffle. I would, however recommend that a stiff batter be used. Since I do not us dairy or eggs, a batch of batter can keep for a week or more in the refrigerator. However if you like thick waffles, I would suggest a different waffler.
A word about Cuisinart and the Warranty. I own a number of Cuisinart products and have found that the products of 25+ years ago were higher quality. The 3 year warranty which accompanies this product is more for creating the perception of quality rather and offering a real warranty. I say this because the warranty requires that the consumer pay for the cost of shipping both ways, and, new wafflers can be purchased for less than the shipping costs.