Customer Reviews

Chefmate 2 Slice Waffle Maker

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I was also tricked by the $7 price at Target. This waffle maker may be worth around $2-3.
Pros: Clean design, effective non-stick interior.
Cons: Low-heat, uneven heating, and fixed hinge.
The quick summary, if you don't have one, DO NOT buy one. If you have one already, keep reading.

Let me go into more details for those who want to make this thing work. Honestly, I would throw it away if I did not feel bad for contributing to waste. Summarizing the internet and my experiments:
1) This thing is not hot enough to make waffles, as a result people end up with gummy waffles. Also why it is more similar to "steaming" the waffles, because browning won't happen until the water slowly evaporates out of the waffle. The solution is to make a waffle batter that does not rely on instant heat to create the rise and light texture, and has limited water content. The second stage of baking powder requires heat, so try adding the following extra steps: a) whip the egg whites to stiff peaks before folding in, b) add buttermilk or lemon juice plus baking soda, c) add yeast to the batter and let sit overnight, or d) cut some of the milk and replace with about half that amount of yogurt or whipped heavy cream.
2) The low temperature also requires much longer cooking time than the manual's 3-6 minutes. Instead aim for 8-10 minutes, or wait a minute or two after steam stops spewing out the sides. Avoid the temptation of "locking" the handle, because to get more even heating you will want to ever slightly overfill and locking the handle will prevent the waffle from rising.
3) The lid is a fixed hinge, as opposed to the fancier loose ones that sit flat no matter how high the waffle rises. As a result, if your waffle rises too much, the back lifts up, causing the front to lose contact. Also the heating is uneven top vs bottom, and corners vs center. Some have recommended opening and rotating/flipping but the temperature is low enough as it is without opening half-way through. My solution has been to not oil the top and after 1-2 minutes of cooking, flip the entire contraption over, cook another minute, flip back over. The uncooked top batter sticks to the lid for an even coating on top and gravity keeps the bottom in contact. A minute after steam stops, I open and flip the entire waffle over for another minute or two of cooking. Still a bit uneven but within acceptable standards.
The result, an edible and decent waffle. I still don't know why I waste so much time on this cheap contraption. The cast-iron solution is actually faster...

This is a very simple waffle maker. You plug it in and it warms up--when the green light comes on it is ready. The design is nice and the non-skid feet are handy in that the waffle maker doesn't skid on the counter. Clean up of the unit is also easy.

However, after using it twice with two different waffle recipes, the heating or browning of the waffle is very uneven. They don't brown evenly and they don't seem to cook evenly either. I must throw a caveat in here in that I'm not a big waffle eater, but got this to make waffles for the grand children. I don't think they are going to care that their waffles are unevenly browned or even cooked--but if you are a waffle connoisseur this will most likely bother you big time!

I purchased my unit at Target for $9.99. The unit was listed at 600 watts as most of these models have been listed. The results were excellent but I have a few tips for prospective buyers.

1. Read directions carefully before using.

2. Allow the unit to thoroughly warm up a good 15 minutes. Please note that the green light isn't very bright and you may have to hold you hand over it and\or dim the lights in the room to see it. You will also hear a distinctive click when it comes on. Keep the lid closed because the heating unit turns off whenever the lid is open. If your unit fails to turn on the green light, take your unit back to the store because it is obviously defective. The green light does not stay on but indicates when the thermostat has turned off the heating unit because the required temperature is reached. It will turn on and off during normal use.

3. Use a good batter mixture or follow a recipe and measure ingredients exactly. Avoid substituting melted butter for vegetable oil because it will make the batter thick and affect browning results. A good recipe can be found at this link [...]

4. Good results were achieved at exactly five minutes. The manual recommends 3 to 6 minutes depending on your tastes.

5. Close the cover for a couple of minutes after removing a waffle prior to pouring batter for another batch. Remember the heating element turns off when the cover is lifted.

This is an excellent low cost waffle maker for those on a budget. (Who isn't these days?) I froze most of my waffles to toast in the morning for a fast breakfast with excellent results. If you prefer darker browning, purchase a higher power waffle maker and use a batter recipe which browns differently. You may get the darker browning if you just increase the waffle cooking time.

There was no uneven cooking as others have reported.

Good luck to all weekend chefs and I hope this info helps.

I have had old fashioned waffle irons (died) and newer ones, stopped working over time. But this one doesn't take the waffle, bad pun. WORST ever. Hands down.

Piece of Junk. Wait for it to heat up, pour in the batter, then wait 15 minutes at still, a limp, uncooked slap of goop. I don't know how long it would take to fully cook one waffle, but you'd never keep up with a family with this piece of junk.

The green light to signal "Ready" never comes on, therefore it never gets hot enough to make a proper waffle. I decided to go ahead & make a waffle after I let it warm-up for 15 minutes any way. Bad decision. It took 15 minutes for the batter to cook enough for removal from the machine & it was still unevenly cooked partial dough. UTTER disappointment.

This is a horrible waffle maker. It takes FOREVER to make the waffles and when they are ready, they are limp and not browned evenly. They are only crispy on one side. I would NOT buy this waffle maker

Got mine at a thrift store for $4.50.

As others have said, uneven browning and some portions seemed only partially cooked.

Did cook the waffles pretty fast, about 5 minutes. The green light was worthless, I just peaked now and then until they were browned enough to my liking.

I make some, then freeze them and pop them in the toaster as needed so any of the partially cooked waffle should finish off in the toasting process. In that regard I'll keep it instead of sending it back to the thrift store for some other poor unsuspecting soul to buy it.

I bought this waffle iron yesterday for $7 at Target. I just used it this morning and I can tell you first hand that it is an absolute piece of junk! It said to cook the waffles for 3-5 minutes. Well after 15 minutes the waffles were still raw! Do not waste your money on this..for $7 go to IHOP and get a decent waffle!

Like some of the other reviewers here, I got this from Target for around $10-11 and I'll also add that I'm a pretty big fan of waffles.

The waffle maker I had before this was another cheapo purchase from probably the same store but it was called a Maxi-Matic EWM-9008K. We had problems with it since it's recesses weren't deep enough for batter, thus causing really thin and gross waffles. In the end, (3-4 months after purchase mind you) it got to a point where it wouldn't cook the batter at all.

Fast forward to this waffle maker. I liked how it had nonstick pads and a indicator that the waffles were done like the last one we had. In addition, it appeared to give us really good quality waffles the first time we cooked with it.

There was just one problem though.

EVERYTIME after the FIRST time this thing cooked the waffles terribly. Like others have noted, the maker cooks your waffles unevenly and nothing seems to make it cook right. It's also true that you could leave this thing on for half an hour and it still wouldn't cook your waffles enough. I even went as far as opening the waffle maker and trying to rotate my waffles around to get an even cook and the thing STILL wouldn't cook the undercooked areas of my waffles.

After this expierience, I'll be avoiding this brand at all costs in the future.