We Tested Over a Dozen Waffle Makers To Find the Best Ones You'll Love a Waffle Lot (2024)

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The Cuisinart WAF-200 is a classic and reliable waffle maker that rightfully cemented itself as our top pick after testing. Its six separate heat settings are actually all useful: The lowest made soft but fully cooked waffles, and the highest gave us crispy crusted, browned-but-not-burnt ones. It took four minutes to preheat, which is on the longer end compared to other models, but there's an indicator that lights up green and beeps when it's time to start cooking.

The interior surface of this waffle iron is nonstick, which makes for an easy release and simple cleaning. We got excellent results with both yeasted and non-yeasted batters, though they both needed a little bit of extra spreading and swirling to reach all the edges of the iron. The round shape forms a classic Belgian waffle design, with scoring to break the waffle into four even quadrants. (Some waffles actually split along the scores as we removed them from the machine—not the biggest issue, but it's worth noting to be careful if you want perfect circles.)

We were especially impressed at how consistent the results were. Across different batters and at different heat settings, the waffles were always cooked thoroughly and evenly from top to bottom and side to side. The temperature of the cooking plates was quite low compared to other units, but that didn't seem to affect the results very much: The WAF-200 was on the slower end of the machines we tested but still made an excellent waffle in a little over three minutes.

With its reasonable price, we couldn't find much to criticize with this machine. If anything, it's a little bulky for its size and takes up a lot of cabinet or counter space.

Dimensions: 5.6 x 9.3 x 11.5 inches | Weight: 6.2 pounds | Power: 1,250 watts | Browning Settings: 6

With five separate settings for waffle type and 12 for doneness, the Breville Smart Waffle Pro is worth the splurge if you're hardcore about making the perfect waffle with any kind of batter or mix-in. It's the priciest model on this list and one of the largest, but it works very, very well. The "Waffle IQ" system lets you choose from Belgian, classic, chocolate, buttermilk waffles, or a custom setting. Combined with your choice of browning level, this automatically figures out the ideal time and temperature. It shows up on an easy-to-read LCD screen that really does make this look like the waffle iron of the future.

In testing, level 1 made light golden waffles that were soft and springy but not too pale or undercooked, while level 12 waffles showed a deep dark golden color without any burnt areas and a satisfying crunch for all you texture fanatics.We love the "a bit more" button, which cooks the waffles, well...a bit more...for extra browning and crispness without having to start a whole new cooking cycle.

This is a sizable machine that makes four thick square waffles at a time, enough for breakfast for at least two people. It heats extremely evenly, giving consistent color from middle to edge. The Breville also has a clever built-in moat with the same nonstick coating as the rest of the machine that catches any batter overflow and cooks it into bonus waffle bites. That's really helpful, as the recommended half-cup of batter overflowed the iron a bit in our testing.

The major stumbling block with this waffle iron is the price. It's sky-high, even for the smaller two-slice model. If you're going to make waffles all the time, though, it could very well be worth it.

Dimensions: 5.1 x 2.3 x 14.9 inches | Weight: 14.8 pounds | Power: 1,800 watts | Browning Settings: 12

Though its performance wasn't quite as consistent as our best overall pick, this Cuisinart makes good waffles, really fast for a very low price. It was the fastest-cooking unit of all the waffle makers we tested, finishing a waffle in about one minute, and it took only two and a half minutes to preheat. A sliding control lets you select from five different browning settings, and a convenient green light comes on to indicate it's ready to cook and that the waffle is done. (There's no audible signal, however, so you have to keep an eye on the machine.)

This waffle maker's main problem is that it didn't cook evenly in testing. With just 300 watts of power, it left the edges and center of each waffle lighter than the rest of it. (It was consistent, though, as we found that same issue from batch to batch on all the different doneness settings.) The machine also put out a lot more steam than other models, though that was somewhat helpful: We noticed that waffles were done cooking when the steam subsided, often a few seconds after the green indicator light turned on. It's designed to hold half a cup of batter per waffle, and that measurement is very accurate, filling the maker pretty perfectly with very little dripping.

Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.9 x 3.3 inches | Weight: 5 pounds | Power: 300 watts | Browning Settings: 5

Waffle-making can be messy: If you accidentally pour in even a little too much batter, it'll ooze out the sides as it cooks and expands, leaving a big mess on your countertop. This Chefman model is designed to avoid that possibility entirely, with a deep moat around the entire cooking surface that can catch just about any overflow and cook it into a little bit of bonus waffle. (The feature also comes in handy if you plan to use your waffle maker tocook eggs, a fun and useful but often sloppy process.) The moat design is similar to the Breville above, but it's attached to a much less expensive machine. In our testing, we didn't get any countertop spillage whatsoever.

The Chefman does a pretty good job at actually cooking waffles, too. There are seven shade options, and we found clear differences in texture between them, with pale and soft waffles from the lowest setting and crunchy, golden-brown ones on the highest. This model comes with its own measuring cup, which is ironically a little bit too small: We ended up with irregular thickness and some holes on the edge when using it. (Thankfully, you can add a little extra batter and not worry about spills thanks to that moat.) We also found doneness to be a little uneven, with patchy browning on lower settings.

For as low of a price as the Chefman carries, it also has an impressively sleek look. The red exterior is eye-catching, with a smudge-free finish. It's also fairly compact and can tuck away horizontally or vertically in a cabinet or drawer.

Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 4 inches | Weight: 3.4 pounds | Power: 700 watts | Browning Settings: 7

It cooks just a single 4-inch waffle at a time, but the Dash Mini does a great job at it, looks adorable doing it, and costs next to nothing. The compact design is ideal for dorms, small apartments, or camping, and in testing, we got impressively even cooking results. It has a preheating indicator light but no timer or doneness settings, which means you have to keep a constant eye on it and open the door to check browning—it took three to four minutes to cook a waffle to proper golden, fluffy crispness.

Arguably more importantly than anything else, the Dash is fun. It comes in colors including white, red, aqua, and leopard print, and there are also models that make adorable waffle shapes including bunnies, hearts, pumpkins, and skulls. The small size and low price make it a good candidate for experimenting with cooking things like hash browns, eggs, and other non-waffle items, too.

Dimensions: 5 x 6.4 x 2.8 inches | Weight: 1.5 pounds | Power: 350 watts | Browning Settings: 1

If you're setting up a waffle bar with all the fixings for brunch or have a large family to feed, a waffle maker that can cook more than one waffle at a time helps you get breakfast on the table faster. This Cuisinart model is a classic rotating Belgian-style waffle maker, like the professional ones you find in restaurants. You fill the top chamber with batter, then flip it over and fill the other chamber while the first waffle cooks. Flip it back, remove the finished waffle, and repeat for endless breakfast.

This is a sizable model that requires some dedicated counter space, but it's got impressive functionality, with 1,400 watts of cooking power, six levels of browning control, stay-cool handles, and an audible beep to signal that your waffle is done. We did, however, get some splotchy and uneven doneness, especially on lower settings. We'd suggest going for browner waffles—at the highest heat setting, we got more even doneness and a nice crisp exterior.

Rotating waffle irons like this one tend to have issues with batter spilling or dripping out, but the Cuisinart has a clever feature to keep your counters clean: A drip tray beneath the iron that's removable and can go straight into the dishwasher. The cooking surfaces themselves have a very effective nonstick coating that's easy to clean up, too.

Dimensions: 8.4 x 15.1 x 19.8 inches | Weight: 13 pounds | Power: 1,400 watts | Browning Settings: 6

Bring Disneyland (or Disney World) home with this fun waffle maker for kids of all ages. The rotating model makes three Mickey Mouse-shaped mini-waffles per side in about three minutes. One of the 3-inch mini waffles is perfect for a child's breakfast, or a child at heart could have all three.

It’s simple and intuitive to use, with a power indicator light that beeps six times when preheated and ready for batter and three times when the waffle is done cooking. It flips easily and releases perfectly shaped Mickey waffles. This all ensures a smooth process in the kitchen that produces multiple batches quickly. It earned bonus points in testing for how the handle stayed cool throughout the cooking process, essential for safety with little ones running around the kitchen. (This machine is not made for kids to use themselves, however—it's a high-powered waffle iron that gets very hot, so there should always be adult supervision.)

Unfortunately, the cooking was pretty inconsistent. We got different levels of browning, with one pale Mickey and another deep-brown one in the same batch, and even more variability between batches. There's a dial to select the browning level, which in theory gives you more pinpoint control than machines with set levels, but it makes for a learning curve to figure out exactly where you need to set the dial.

Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 14 inches | Weight: 7.8 pounds | Power: 1,400 watts | Browning Settings: Dial

You don't need a plug-in machine to make waffles: Before the invention of electric power, the tasty treat still existed and was cooked on devices like this one. The NordicWare stovetop waffle iron will work on a gas or electric stove, or even a campfire. You simply preheat the pan, open and fill with batter, close, and cook for two to three minutes per side. The large-capacity iron (it holds about a cup of batter, compared to half a cup for most of the electric models we tested) makes one really large or four smaller waffle squares at once. We did have to up the amount of yeasted batter to 1.25 cups so the waffle reached the edges, notably.

This iron is made from PFOA-free nonstick-coated aluminum and has stay-cool handles, so you won't need mitts to flip it. We had no trouble at all removing the finished waffles in testing; they slipped right out onto the plate without even a spatula required. (The only downside of the aluminum is that it won't work on an induction cooktop, unlike cast iron.)

It takes some practice to master stovetop waffle-making. It's on you to adjust the heat and figure out the proper flip timing. We got better, more even results flipping the NordicWare back and forth every 30 seconds instead of trying to cook one side completely before a single flip. But there was still inconsistent performance, as it's nearly impossible to get the exact same temperature and timing with every manual cook. It's fairly expensive for a waffle iron that doesn't supply its own heat, but it's durable and long-lasting. This could be the choice for a DIY waffle enthusiast or frequent camper.

Dimensions: 1.4 x 8.5 x 14.1 inches | Weight: 3.2 pounds

Final Verdict

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