Top 10 best Waffle Maker For Kids 2022 Review And Buying Guide

My old Toastmaster Waffle Baker (442A) needed to be replaced. It makes a classic 7 inch round American-style waffle, and had been purchased in 1987. Would have preferred to either fix it (DIY) or buy another one just like it. However, could I could not find any (new electrical) replacement parts, and could not find any new Toastmaster waffle makers like my old one. For over a half century, most small appliance manufacturers have refused to sell any replacement parts to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) handyman types. They want you to ship failed products back to them for service and spend overly priced parts & labor costs. Most manufacturers will not even provide any cost estimate until after you have sent them your failed unit. So in most cases, it is cheaper to throw out the failed product and buy a new one.[All flip style waffle makers were rejected because this is just a bulky and un-useful feature and having no real benefit for home units. The flip design may be of some use/help with some commercial waffle makers having very high temperature heating elements with extremely fast cooking times.]I wanted to get another waffle maker that makes a classic round waffle because I never liked the Belgian-style waffles. The holes in Belgian waffles are too big and too deep. However, there are very few classic round American-style models on the market today to pick from. Cuisinart makes a classic style round waffle maker (Retail Price: $29.99). But its 5-setting browning control felt very cheaply designed having imprecise settings. So after much searching in stores and on-line, decided to buy an All-Clad 99012GT Classic Round Waffle Maker.A January 2012 Good Housekeeping review had given an All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker (model: 99012 costing $200 at the time) their top “A” rating on an A to F grading scale. However, despite this unit having more “bells & whistles” than my old Toastmaster 442A waffle baker, it didn’t quite live up to my old waffle maker – which I rate at 5 stars on a 1 to 5 star scale.Since different Waffle Makers (makes & models) heat up at differing rates and temperatures, I was also hoping that the All-Clad waffle maker would include a basic and simple waffle recipe that was specially developed for it. At my request, All-Clad Representative emailed me a copy of their recipe booklet. First one received was for their square (Belgian?) waffle maker. The rep then sent me a recipe booklet for their round classic waffle maker (which made 7-1/2 inch diameter waffles). All recipes in both booklets were identical except for the amount of batter used per waffle and the recommended baking times. All of their recipes were a bit exotic (e.g. Buttermilk Waffles, Chocolate Waffles, Yeasted Waffles, Waffled French Toast, & Sour Cream-Blueberry Waffles) instead of just a sample basic & simple waffle recipe.Pros:1) Makes classic round American-style waffles (6-1/2 inch diameter).2) Has 7 distinct browning settings for making soft to crispy waffles depending on the setting selected (#7 for highest & #1 for lowest) and time allowed for baking. Control knob can be positioned between clicked settings.3) Setting control is located in the front, and has an off position. (Some manufactures have their setting control located in poor places, or have to be unplugged to turn them off.)4) A light comes on & a beep sound chimes when unit has reached its proper baking temperature.5) Another light comes on & a beep sound chimes again when the waffle is done.6) Unit has a very aesthetic design with its stainless steel body.7) Unit has two safety catches (metal levers) that allow it to be locked closed for being stored in a vertical position. This saves shelf space.8) Non-stick baking plates allow waffles to be removed without sticking, and should not need to be cleaned after every use. Baking plates will become “seasoned” if the waffles come out completely and the plates do not need to be wash frequently.9) Waffles bake fairly evenly, especially on lower settings & after the first waffle during a baking session.10) Waffle maker’s base has a rubber pad that prevents the unit from slipping around while opening & closing it. It also is designed for wrapping the cord around for storage. But the pug end hangs free so a wrapped cord can easily become unwound.Cons:1) High Cost (but you can easily pay double or triple for other waffle makers).2) Has Teflon non-stick coating instead of a ceramic non-stick coating.3) Waffle baking plates open like a clamshell as the waffle expands during baking. My old Toastmaster unit was designed to allow the baking plates to open parallel to each other as the waffle expanded during baking.4) Unit didn’t come with any sample waffle recipes.5) Baking plates cannot be removed for easy cleaning.6) Cannot buy any replacement plates (Teflon coatings always fail eventually) or different types or shaped baking plates (e.g. Pizzelle Baker, Round Heart Waffler, etc.).7) Waffles bake a bit darker in the center than at the outer edges at the higher settings (especially for number 7, 6, & 5 settings). This was more noticeable with the top baking plate. And less noticeable after the first waffle produced since the baking plate temperatures are more uniform for latter waffles during a baking session.8) There are no insulated side-handles (like my old Toastmaster 442A waffle maker has). Pot holders are needed to move a hot maker out of the way after you are finished making waffles.9) Replacement parts are not sold to customers and some assembly screws & fasteners are hidden – Thus, the unit is NOT Do-It-Yourself (DIY) friendly.10) The two safety catches (metal levers) for locking plates closed get too hot to touch during baking – so you need to remember to unlock them before turning the waffle maker on. But unit can be left unlocked if it is stored horizontally, and can still be easily unlocked by using pot holders when theses catches are too hot to touch.

This thing definitely makes something that resembles a pancake significantly more than a waffle, something a bit fluffier and softer rather than having that waffle texture. Fortunately for me, I read the other reviews mentioning this and thought it was more of a selling point, because I love pancakes. If you want *actual waffles*, don’t get a novelty waffle maker. If you want rad Death Star pancakes, this is a winner. It did seem to take a little longer to cook than the instructions said, but the eventual outcome was a soft, lightly fluffy pancake with a nice, clear Death Star impression in it. I used a spritz of Pam to aid the non-stick, so after I was done and the machine cooled it was easy to wipe clean with a sponge. Your experience may vary depending on what batter you use, but if you happen to use the Funfetti pancake and waffle mix in the box, I found that an amount right in between 3/4 cup and 1 cup worked great when spread out evenly.

Got this for my 4 year old nephew’s birthday. He’s crazy about trucks and anything with a motor. He LOVED IT. His mom sent a photo and the little individual shapes really do look exactly like the photo on the box. A big 5 stars!

This is a fun item at our beach house. The kids love making fun shaped waffles. It works really well and the waffles are good. It’s a little tough to clean because of all the crevices. But it’s worth it.

OK, it’s small. Let’s just be absolutely clear. It’s not “tiny”. But it’s like 1/4 of a “mega-waffle” 4-fer of the kind I grew up with. But – that’s why I got it, personally. (Also: meant as “white elephant” gift, too… but I am keeping one for myself.)Con: it’s small.- If you are feeding a teenager, they need to be a bit patient, between waffles.Pro: it’s small.+ Just make what you actually want (e.g., college student wanting one or two, for a midnight snack made in a dorm room).+ Plus, it distributes heat VERY well! (What I mean here is: I have a big Belgian waffle maker – and that one leaves the middle of the 4-waffle circle [a circular waffle, meant to be torn into 4 quarter-circle servings, if desired) of hugeness a bit raw and gooey. You learn to pour the batter only around the edges for that one. But for THIS device, the heat transfers beautifully: evenly tan across the top, even across the bottom, and top and bottom are pretty much done to the same degree.)+ Nice non-stick. 🙂 It stuck a bit (tore first waffle into two thin halves: one stuck to either griddle plate, on my first attempt…), but a small amount of oil brushed onto each half fixed that. Being small helps here, too, if you ask me: really pretty easy to pry each one off, compared with a larger griddle…