Oozing Batter Machine

Our old waffle maker must be 40 years old - works fine, nothing snazzy - just your run of the mill 4 waffle waffle-maker.

But our family has grown and 4 waffles is 1 waffle short of a full house. So the 6 waffle maker had a purpose, even if rather pricey.

On the first Saturday after getting it, I poured in the recommended 1 1/2 cups of batter, closed the lid and watched - slightly aghast - as the batter poured, like a little river, right out of the front and down onto the control knob, completely covering it. The next try, I put in a little less and poured it in a long line across the back of the maker and shut the lid. I thought it'd be okay, but then...out came the batter again - this time in two little rivers that straddled the control knob.

Hmmph! One more try - I poured in less this time and was careful to get much better coverage. When I closed the lid, I held it down tight, hoping to stem the flow. I was rewarded with another oozing of batter down the front and a new one down the back.

When all was said and done we had a terrible mess, and most of the waffles were not full waffles.

Back to the store with this one.