Waring WMK300A Pro Professional Stainless-Steel Belgian Waffle Maker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Waring WMK300A Pro Professional Stainless-Steel Belgian Waffle Maker
Customer Review: Amazing Waffles! Give this waffle maker a chance...
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
After I ordered this waffle maker, I went back and reviewed all the advice previous purchasers gave about it. I was shocked by all the disappointment people had with it, but it made me even more curious about what it would be like. I have to say that even after only one use, I completely disagree with the bad reviews this waffle maker had received!
I understand that it would be frustrating if it dies after only a few months or even a year. We all desire for small appliances to last a long time. And since I just received it this week, I cannot speak to how it will fare for me, BUT, it's performance and the pleasure of my family at breakfast this morning far outweighs my concerns about a short life span of this waffle maker.
It makes amazing !!! waffles. My mom always gave me the advice that before you start trying your own recipes, use the ones that come with the machine. So, I started out with the overnight waffle recipe from the manual. I made it last night and then added the eggs, vanilla, and baking soda this morning per the recipe. I followed the directions (which were wonderfully detailed) and made a batch of delicious waffles. I started with the setting on #4 as the manual recommended and actually preferred them a little darker (in between the 4 and 5). My husband was blown away by how light and airy the waffles were. We (my husband, mother, and I) all agreed that we have never had a lighter, airier waffle!
So, I am truly excited about this waffle maker. There are a few other reasons (besides the waffles themselves) why I love this waffle maker. #1: There is an audible beep when it is ready to be used and it beeps when the waffle is done. This is great for a mom like me (of 3 little ones) who is always on the go and not always within eyeshot of the waffle maker.
#2: There is an on/off switch. Every other waffle maker I've ever seen only turns on and off with the plug in of the cord.
#3: The cord neatly wraps around the inside of the bottom.
#4: The measuring cup is the perfect guide of how much to put in for each waffle.
#5: The nonstick grid works great. I sprayed it each time with cooking spray (and the directions note not to spray it until it is heated and ready for use). I used regular cooking spray from BJ's. I didn't need to pay for the expensive high heat spray and it still worked great. I noticed another reviewer preferred that and I'm sure it works great, but if you don't have it, your regular spray will work fine.
#6: The removable tray that goes under the waffle maker makes clean up a snap!
I did carefully read and follow the directions which made it easy to use. Use the enclosed measuring cup (which is packed in the carboard around the waffle maker), pour in the batter, and then turn 180 degrees, and cook. At first, my batter oozed out along the edge. The main reason for that is that our kitchen is a tiny bit slanted. But, I think all houses are like that. So, make sure you pick the counter in your kitchen that is most level.
As for the cost versus the life of this appliance, I have one thought to share--For my family, it would cost $45 for us to go out to breakfast and have Belgian waffles in a restaurant. After only 2 breakfasts, this waffle maker will have paid for itself!
Happy Waffling!
Customer Review: Lots and lots of problems with this waffler
Summary: 1 Stars
UPDATE Jan 21, 2010:
We just bought another one of these wafflers from Costco a few weeks, after trying 2 others that we really didn't like either like one by Oster. They've made some improvements - like a larger drip tray. Both top and bottom or browning, and so far the handle hasn't broken. We're giving it another try and this time we're not getting the holes in the waffles either, and the batter is filling better - use a spoon to spread it some before closing the top. Looks like a few improvements may have been made.
Previous review from last year:
Got this waffler at Costco for only 39.95 just a few months back! It looks impressive, and guests always comment on it. I make waffles for my family EVERY day because my son has a limited autism diet, and waffles are on the list, so I am thrilled to cook anything he'll eat. I had a Villaware waffler for 15 years until the hinge and browning dial finally broke. The Waring Pro has an on/off switch, browning setting, audible beeps when ready to pour and another beep to indicate when ready to remove, non-stick surface, and a stainless look, but...
1. Top plate of waffler stopped browning the top of waffles so was manually flipping the waffles by opening the iron to flip the waffle so one side would not be soft. For some reason, one day the heating element started working on top again.
2. Design of iron makes crevices too thin, paper thin, and other belgium wafflers I've used had better shape of waffles produced. Often it produces holes instead of recessed areas.
3. Batter spills like crazy from this waffler even when allowing 1/2" of no batter coverage on edge - there's no extra seam around the edge allowing for the overflow, just a pan underneath to catch the spilled batter - adding more to the dishes in sink. My Villaware never had this problem, and I make batter both from scratch, and from Bisquick. Hundreds of waffles were made with my Villaware without batter leaking all over. About 200+ waffles have been made with this Waring Pro, and batter always spills over edges. I tried everything, increasing the thickness consistency of the batter, but nothing ever worked to stop the guaranteed spillover.
4. Now after about three months of use, the handle just broke and won't stabilize in a level position anymore, it just spins making it dangerous to use.
I'm so disappointed. I had to run over to Target last night in an emergency effort to get a new waffle maker as knew my son would have a meltdown if no waffles for breakfast (he won't eat waffles at restaurants or diners, only ones I personally make). At Target, I bought their most expensive one - an Oster flipping model that makes far better shaped waffles but has no audible beeps which I really need when busy in the kitchen. I am looking into commercial restaurant wafflers next.
I'm sure Waring would probably replace for me - I know they have great reputation, but the job of preparing it to mail back, making phone calls, finding the original receipt, etc would waste a day of my time, so it's just going straight out to trash can. It's too bad as I thought I made a good purchase based on all the great Amazon reviews. It lasted us only about 3 months of daily use. I suspect most users only use on weekends for a few people. This one is not durable enough for daily use for more than a few people.
Customer Review: Restaurant Style Waffles At Home
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is the waffle-maker I've been waiting for!
It is large, but the handle folds down for easy storage and the cord winds up on the bottom. That squares the unit up enough to be stored easily in a cabinet between uses.
I was surprised at how easy clean up was. I pulled out the drip tray to wash in the sink. Then it only took a paper towel to wipe the rest of the unit off. The inside is extremely non-stick, batter and oil slide off. The steel on the outside is very smooth, making outside clean up simple. Although, if you are the type of OCD person that must clean everything immediately, this is not for you. The unit took about 20 minutes to cool down after I turned it off and unplugged it. I did not try to clean it hot.
I tried the waffle recipe in the book. Next time I will use my own recipe. The books recipe used 3 eggs + 1 white, milk and butter. Fortunately, none of the family vegans were around or I could not have gotten away with that. Since I wasn't going waste a yolk, I just put the extra yolk in the batter. It was a yeast batter. After I finally got done mixing it (lots of dishes, big pain), the instructions said to let it sit for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Uh-huh. Like my hungry family is going to patiently wait that long. I made the waffles. The recipe only made 7 instead of the promised 10, but that was probably my fault for not waiting. They still came out very good though.
Also, after the 3rd waffle, the cooking time seemed to get slightly shorter and the waffles were not coming out as dark. I just turned the timer up a half a point.
Even though the surface is non-stick, it still must be oiled. I used a silicone brush with olive oil. This worked ok, but splashed some oil on the outside. I'm going to get an oil spritzer before I make these again.
The unit seals well. I used the measuring cup and none of the batter spilled out while turning. The waffles are huge. About the same size they would be if you went to a restaurant and ordered one. So, if you use your own waffle recipe, keep in mind that you will need more batter.
The instructions said it would take 4 minutes to heat up, it took mine about 2.5. The unit beeps when it is heated up and when each waffle is ready. Very nice not to have to watch it. Each waffle takes about 2 minuts to cook. The waffles can be frozen and toasted later. However, to fit in a toaster, you would have to break them in half. A toaster oven also reheats them nicely.
Another thing I really liked was the variable settings. You can decide exactly how brown or cooked you want your waffles. I cooked the ones I was going to freeze on a lower setting. That way they don't dry out when reheated.
This is an awesome waffle maker. Well worth making room in the cabinet for. I hope it lasts longer than other reviewers have said, but if it does not, I will post another comment.
Customer Review: Easy waffles!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker will look familiar to most people who have stayed at a hotel that offers a complimentary continental breakfast. The waffle maker is usually located next to the toaster, with cups of batter nearby. Those continental breakfasts are a huge reason why I now own this waffle maker: my husband fell in love with the idea of owning one ourselves. Note that this waffle maker is essentially the same as Waring Pro WMK300 Belgian Waffle Maker, Brushed Stainless. The only difference is a handle that folds down for easier storage -- and even that may have changed since I bought my first 300 model. Everything else is the same. Although the product description calls this "stainless steel," only the exterior of the waffle iron itself is stainless steel; the base is a gray plastic.
The operation is simple. Plug it in and wait for the iron to preheat. Brush or spray a little oil on the surface. Pour batter on the nonstick grid, close the top, rotate the handle, and wait for the machine to beep when the waffle is done. Rotate the iron back to the original position, lift the lid, and remove the waffle. The whole cooking process takes about five minutes. The only real trick to operating this waffle maker is finding a good recipe. I didn't bother trying Waring's selections and instead found my favorite recipe online.
If you use a cooking spray instead of brushing on oil, make sure that you use the kind for grilling and high heat cooking. The original Pam leaves a sticky residue since it is not meant for such temperatures. A good, flavorless oil works best.
The whole thing cleans up in minutes, if not seconds. The nonstick grids release the waffles so cleanly that I never have to clean it. Too much batter poured onto the surface might require some exterior clean-up, but the removable metal pan underneath the waffle iron can be easily hand-washed. A temperature control allows you to control the darkness/crispness of your waffles. The manufacturer suggests a setting of 4; I found that I had to set it to 5 before I got an adequately crisp result. (This may have to do with the recipe I use as well as my personal preference for a crisp exterior.)
For recipes, I suggest that cooks use those that require stiff egg white folded into the batter for the classic Belgian waffle. These recipes usually only take ten minutes or so to whip up, and are not as time-consuming as those that require yeast.
All in all, I like this waffle maker. Now, if only my husband would make waffles at home as he does in hotels, instead of waiting for me to do it.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Customer Review: Wonderful Belgian Waffle Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I just got this waffle maker and love it. It makes large Belgian waffles that you can top off with fresh fruit such as blueberries. The nooks and crannies of the waffle keep the fruit in place.
I also froze one waffle for the next morning and toasted it in a toaster. I had to cut the waffle into four sections, and because it was so fat it barely fit in the wide-slot toaster I have. The waffle was also dry after toasting. Therefore, my recommendation is to make all your waffles fresh.
Although the waffle maker comes with a plastic measuring cup, I find that it's easier just to pour the batter directly onto the center of the waffle plate to about 3/4 full and then spread the batter out to the edge with a spatula, close the waffle unit, and flip it.
The waffle iron takes about 4 minutes to warm up for the first waffle of the batch and takes about 20 minutes to cool down before you can wipe it down.
I recommend using the recipes provided in the instruction book because the recipes you'll find on a box of waffle ingredients are for small waffles. For instance, I only got 1-1/2 waffles out of a recipe designed for 6 waffles. Unless the recipe is specifically for Belgian waffles, you'll find yourself short batter.
I read the other reviews and noticed about 40% of users complain the waffle maker fails to heat up or fails after a few uses. My boyfriend hasn't had that experience yet. He has this same waffle maker for over one year and has used it around six times without fail.
Since I just got this unit I cannot attest to it's longevity; however, if I should encounter a problem in the future, I will update my review. Therefore, be sure to check this post again if you are concerned. If all remains well, you will not see any updates.
As long as this waffle iron continues to work, this is a five start product that makes large delicious nicely tanned Belgian waffles fast!
4/13/09 Update - I've had this waffle maker for several months now and it's still going strong. I've used it over 14 times and the waffle recipe that comes with the product is as delicious as always!
1/22/10 Update - This waffle maker is still working!