perfect waffles every time!

My one year old daughter has become a very picky eater. She will, however, always take a waffle! Rather than spend a small fortune on frozen waffles of questionable quality, I decided to purchase a waffle maker and give it a try myself! This actually wasn't the maker I was looking for when I went to the store, but it was the only one they had. I'm so glad the others were out of stock because I love my Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker!

How does it work?
After an initial wipe down to remove all fragments of packaging, simply plug in the waffle maker and you are ready to go! It has red and green indicator lights to tell you when it has reached cooking temperature. It also has a browning scale on the front that they suggest keeping on 3, but it can be adjusted to make your waffles more or less done. We keep ours on three and they come out great every time! Spray a little cooking spray on the iron and pour in the suggested amount of batter. The indicator light will turn to red while cooking and turn to green when the waffle is done. If you are really listening, you can hear it click as it changes.

Does it give good, consistent results?
Absolutely! We have made waffles with this product several times now with three different recipes and have always had perfect results! Well, there was the very first waffle when I forgot to use the cooking spray... I had to scrape that one off and start over but to the credit of this machine, it wasn't too hard to scrape off, just a little messy and definitely not appetizing! As long as we remember to use the spray, we have had great results. You simply need to pour the batter directly in the middle of the waffle maker and close the lid. The batter spreads out on its own to fill up the iron. Assuming that you use the appropriate amount of batter, a different is amount is suggested in some recipes, the results are very even.

Does it come with recipes?
It does and they are pretty good, too! We usually make the classic buttermilk waffle recipe, but I substitute one cup of one cup of whole wheat flour for one cup of all-purpose flour. The results are tasty and the health benefits are great! Another recipe suggests adding 1/2 cup of fruit puree for a bit of flavor and nutritional boost. I like anything that gets a few more fruits and veggies into my daughter's diet and this one does the trick! Another recipe is for banana chocolate chip waffles. Each recipe makes approximately 8 waffles.

What do you do with all those waffles?
We are just a family of three, so we rarely ever finish a batch of waffles in the first sitting. I have found that these waffles freeze very well and reheat great. At first I wasn't sure how we were going to do it as this waffle maker makes a large size waffle that doesn't fit in our toaster. However, I have found that if you break the frozen waffle in half, you can put one half in each side of the toaster and it works great! Now, we have our own very convenient, but much healthier, frozen waffles!

But, it's messy, right?
Actually, it isn't that bad. Ordinarily, I don't bring anything into my house that can't survive the dishwasher or washing machine. This product is an exception though. It has a great non-stick surface that wipes clean easily. It is a bit of a challenge to get all the leftover oil out of all the crevices, but it can be done with just a little bit of patience. That's all there is to it.

It's not a passing phase!
When we bought the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker, I considered the fact that making waffles might just be a phase. After a while, I figured I would get sick of the work and the mess and this appliance would join the stash of nifty, but never used gadgets that we have collected. Surprisingly, this waffle maker is keeping a place of honor on the most accessible shelf in the closet! We use it at least once a week and have no plans to quit. The fact that it is so easy to clean up, the waffles turn out great, and I know it's healthier for my family keep me motivated. (Mostly, it's the easy to clean up part that does it.)

If you are interested in homemade waffles, I recommend the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle maker for good, consistent results every time!