Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker

I've owned three or four waffle makers and none of them compare to the quality of this gem from Cuisinart. If you're picky about waffles--and why shouldn't you be?--then spend a little extra on this model and get effortless results. Here's what makes this a GREAT wafflemaker:

1) An accurate thermostat--no surprises when you open the lid

2) A consistent heating surface--avoid hot spots or undercooked waffles

3) A variable timer--essential if you have more than one waffle color preference in the family

4) Smart design--it stores on its side, taking up a LOT less space in your cupboard

5) Easy to clean exterior--cleans up with a damp paper towel

6) Dependable non-stick finish--unlike cheap waffle makers, the nonstick finish on this model does not wear out

7) Cool-touch lid--never burn your hand on a waffle maker again

I am genuinely thrilled with my Cuisinart waffle maker and I believe it's an absolute bargain. If you're used to spending big bucks on store-bought waffles--or if you have a cheap, junky waffle maker at home--treat yourself to this nice little unit. It's a low-cost luxury. Plus, you'll have a fun time making waffles (and impressing your family and friends!). Bon appetit!

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.

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Why would you want a waffler?

I wanted to start making my own waffles after hearing about how subpar frozen waffles are in comparison to waffles made from scratch. Waffles made from scratch has a lot more versatility, quality, taste, and you can freeze them as well. Make a batch, freeze the extras, and just make more when you run out. I have to agree that these waffles are a lot better than frozen waffles and quality is of importance to me, so I'm sticking to this routine.

What kind of waffler to get?

There are many different kinds and here are some factors to consider:

1. Belgian vs Regular basically the same batter, yet will taste different when made in these two different styles. The Belgian is bigger and the batter rises more when cooked, resulting in a very light and fluffy waffle. The regular waffle is more dense. Which is better? That's personal preference, but I do like the Belgian more.

2. Shape

There are a lot of different shapes: Round, Square, Rectangular sticks, Mickey Mouse, Hearts, etc.... For regular waffles, Round is best because the heat coil in the waffler is able to spread the heat more evenly so all the edges gets cooked more evenly than with other shapes. This is not that big a deal, but it is of importance to consider.

3. One vs Multiple waffles.

For a waffler to make multiple waffles at once, it would take a lot of electricity and time. Considering those two factors, it's better to have a couple of single waffle makers rather than one waffer that makes several waffles. My sister has one that makes 2 square waffles and she loves that one, but beware of those that make more than 2 waffles at a time. I like a single waffler because this is a uni-tasker and so I don't want something so big and hard to store. I'll accept that I need it and want it, but there's no reason for it to take up more precious storage space than necessary.

After doing a lot of research, I bought the Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic Waffle Maker. A waffler is a very basic and simple item, I trusted the Cuisinart brand, and the price was right. I was disappointed by the performance though and replaced that one with this Villaware Waffler. I didn't like this waffler as much as the Villaware V2002 UNO Belgian Waffler -Round because:

1. I discovered that I liked the Belgian style better over the regular waffle.

2. Villaware had a LOT less spillage than the Cuisinart out of 9 waffles, only one had batter spilling over, and that's from me testing out what the proper amount of batter should be. I have full confidence that I can make waffles consistency now with minimal to no spill-over.

3. Villaware unit was heavier duty and seems of better quality. It's heavier, the lid is heavier as well this is a good thing in a waffler because as the batter cooks and expands, it's going to push the top open having a heavier lid prevents this from happening as much. Some other models/brands have a locking lid. The only bad thing from the lid opening up is that your waffer will not be cooked as evenly on top than the bottom. The Cuisinart's lid was also "wiggly" meaning, when you open it, you could wiggle the lid from side to side. The Villaware one was a lot more stable in this respect, therefore, feeling of higher quality.

Overall, this is a good, cheap, basic waffler. If you're not very particular and don't mind cleaning up a lot of spill-over, then this waffler would serve you well. There is no on/off switch, so once you plug it in, it starts preheating. When it's ready for batter, the green light will light up. I tend to do other things in the kitchen while waiting for the waffle to cook, so I can forget about the waffle. So a beep would be nice to notify me that it's ready, with this unit, you have to remember to check the lights to notify you.

The inside is non-stick, this is very nice. You can spray on some oil to help further prevent sticking. I don't think it's necessary to add any additional butter/oil, if you carefully pry an edge up, you can slide a spatula underneath and lift the whole waffle out pretty easily. The entire waffler is easy to clean. I just wipe out the whole thing with a paper towel. It's one solid unit, so you can't submerge it or put it in the dishwasher just a good wipedown is sufficient.

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We have owned two of these. They make perfect waffles, as many of the reviews have said. The problem is that the top handle becomes loose. It is attached by scres that have their heads inside the top of the waffle maker. Once they become loose there is no way to re-tighten the handle. Eventually it just falls off. Our first one died within the warranty period. The second one lasted until just beyond the warranty period. It is a stupid design flaw on an otherwise wonderful product.

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I started waffling with this iron the day I got it. It's very simple to use, and the "done-ness" adjuster is very handy since I like toastier waffles but my family tends to like lighter ones.

I have no complaints about this iron, I haven't had any of the burning or sticking problems other people have mentioned because I read the manual and I always grease the iron a little bit with Pam or some margarine before I use it. I have yet to encounter a truly non-stick surface on any kitchen product, especially a high-temperature surface like a waffle iron, so I always err on the side of caution and whip out the PAM.

The one picky thing I'd recommend is putting a tinfoil lip over the control slider, as batter sometimes oozes over the edge and threatens to get into the groove that houses the lever.

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