Best Waffle Makers: 10 Easy Pieces

I had put off buying a waffle maker for over a decade (“how often do we really make waffles anyway?”) until my three-year-old daughter showed a real interest in waffles, and I realized I could sneak in wholesome ingredients in lieu of the usual buttermilk recipe. We bought an All-Clad Belgian waffle maker and now start every Monday with a waffle breakfast. How did I ever live without it? Here are our favorite options in various shapes, styles of waffle, electric, and hand-held versions.

N.B.: See our post Flight of the Bumblebee, a Parisian Celebration for one of our favorite entertaining ideas from artist Cecile Daladier featuring a hearty stack of Belgian waffles.Above: The waffle maker I chose (thanks to the rec via Heidi Swanson) is the All-Clad 2-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker; $199.95 at Everything Kitchens. The larger model for making 4 waffles at a time is the All-Clad 4-Square Digital Gourmet Waffle Maker with Removable Plates. Note that removable plates is a real advantage; cleaning the crevices of plates by hand with a paper towel or sponge is not a glamorous task.Above: For those interested in the circular-shaped waffle, the All-Clad Waffle Maker divides a circle into four triangle waffles; $149.95 at Crate & Barrel.Above: The traditional Scandi Skeppshult Waffle Iron is an 8.25-inch cast iron waffle maker making the traditional Norwegian-style heart-shaped waffle. This sort of iron is placed on a burner, filled with batter, then closed and held with an oven mitt as the waffle cooks with the advantage being that the iron is portable and great for camping; $175 at Skeppshult.