Customer Reviews

Cuisinart WAF-4B 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Iron, Brushed Stainless Steel

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Update: Please read review below. I returned the iron I reviewed below and got a replacement sent. It has been 1 1/2 years with the replacement and All the issues I had with the first iron I have with this one, knob falls off, and coating starts to peel. This is a bad product. Read the details below:

I am a true believer in reading reviews done by people who have owned the product for a significant amount of time. Most products seem great when you first purchase them and the same rings true for this. When I purchased this waffle iron I loved it. It has been about a year and a half since the initial purchase. I make my kids waffles several times a week. So I really use it.

Here is the good stuff: The waffles do cook great and I love the timer. I get great waffles all the time thanks to the beep.

Now the issues:
1. The cost is high considering the low quality of the iron. I have cheaper irons that are built way better.

2. The temperture control handle broke within 60 days. I can use it but if falls off all the time.

3. It is a pain in the butt to clean. The grids do not come out and it's pretty heavy so it is difficult to wash.

4. The sides of the handle get really hot and the handle is not sturdy. They may have addressed this with the new model.

5. My newest issue, the non-stick coating is coming off. YUCK! I had my previous waffle maker for 10 years and the coating is still in-tact. Since non-stick coating is so dangerous for your health I am going to be throwing this out. Every time I use it there are more areas where the coating is chipping off. It has never been washed with anything more than a wash cloth, and no metal utensils are used.

I do not think this is a very good purchase. I hope my review is helpful.

We absolutely love this Belgian Waffle Iron. It browns uniformly, and you can make them as light or as dark as you wish. The audible "done signal" is a major plus. The waffles have deep nooks and crannies to hold all the melted butter or ice cream you want to put on them. My daughter asked for them instead of cake for her birthday party. The recipe in the book is really the best one to use for this iron. Enjoy! We do.

I purchased this Belgian Waffle Iron because I have a bed & breakfast and thought it would be perfect because of the speed of cooking as well as the size and the fact that it had a "beeper" on it to remind you that it was ready to cook and then again that the waffle was cooked. It even has variable temperatures. Well, I find that I want my waffles browned, so it's turned up, but the beeper goes off way before the waffle is ready. And it's really loud! So we have all been laughing at this little machine that keeps beeping me!

I had planned on buying a second waffle iron like this because I'm feeding lots of people, but I can't even imagine dueling beepers! It will drive us nuts. The clean up is fine, the storage is fine, the handle stays cool. Everything is great, except that darn beeper!

Pros:
- Good size waffles
- Not too big
- Works well after break-in period

Cons:
- Beep is super annoying (sounds like a smoke detector)
- Break-in period required (the first 6-8 rounds of waffles stuck to the surface badly)
- Beep/Green Light really has no bearing on when the waffle is done
- No way to latch the lid shut
- Doesn't store well on it's side at all
- Pain to clean

We are a twice-weekly waffle family and have been for years. We are using this maker effectively now that we've gotten the hang of it. Here's our advice:

- Step 1: remove the beeper (flip over the device, unscrew one of the pieces of plastic, de-solder and remove the piezo).
- Step 2: plan to throw away your first 6-8 rounds of waffles since they just stick to the surface.
- Step 3: hold down the handle for the first half or so of the total cooking time or the lid will rise too much, the waffle will get too airy, and the top and bottom halves of the waffles will split apart.
- Step 4: wipe the overflowed batter away with a sponge while the waffles are still cooking and the batter hasn't yet baked onto the sides.
- Step 5: experiment with temps (we use ~2.75) and timing (you'll want to go well past the light turning green). Once you get the a good pairing, keep your own timer.

Cuisinart really got it right with this 4-slice Belgian waffle iron. Its stainless "retro" styling is truely handsome, and it makes perfect waffles every time with heat variable by you to suit any individual's wish for degree of doneness. But you better get one while there are any left because I've been told that Cuisinart is discontinuing this retro styled model. DON'T DO IT, CUISINART !

This is a great kitchen tool. It's easy to clean, waffles don't stick, good temperature regulation and I like the light and sound indicators for notifying you when the waffle is done.

After reading the reviews on Amazon about this product, decided to purchase for family at christmas. My family went crazy about this waffle maker. It is easy to use but you must follow directions. The timer is good so you know when it is heated and also when waffles are ready. Caution for filling the iron with batter. This will take practice so keep the dish rag handy to clean the edges. The dial for browness of waffle is exact so don't use past 4 or waffles will burn. I use about number 3 for golden brown with a little crunch. This is a GREAT buy for the price.

After two cheap waffle irons then an expensive one from a well known cooking store that still didn't work correctly, I broke down and bought this one. And I am so glad I did because it is a dream to use. Each time, I use a cooking spray and we like a browner waffle so I use the #4 setting and it comes out perfectly. I love the audible alarm. My sister used it for guests and is now buying her own because she also loved it.

I just got this waffle iron for Christmas. Excellent, waffles are evenly baked and just a pleasure to use. I put blueberries and sour cherries in the waffle batter and the waffles still come out perfect every time. I also have a Waring Pro waffle maker and this waffle iron is as good as the Waring Pro, and as a bonus the waffle size is much larger that the Waring Pro. The only negative I have is that at the bottom edge of the waffle iron there is an open seam that waffle mix can drip into, and then I have to use a tooth pick to clean out the waffle mix that ran into the open seam. In this regard, the upper metal side should have been run down to over lap the base so that there wouldn't be a place to allow waffle mix to drip down into the seam. But this is just a minor issue.

I have owned mine for about a year now. On the up side, it does generally make good waffles, evenly cooked (though the top not quite as much as the bottom). My biggest issues with this model are:

1) Messy. There is not much overflow so we either end up with a mess, or waffles that are not whole because we didn't put in enough batter (to avoid overflow). Also, when there is overflow (and believe me there will be) the edge on the bottom is poorly designed in that it catches the batter. So you will end up small amounts of batter hardened along the bottom edge.

2) Control knob broke. The knob on the front broke off shortly after getting the unit. When this happens, *DON'T* try to adjust the temperature dial with your fingers or you will get burned!

At this point, I am wishing I had a different waffle maker. Sorry Cuisinart; but this needed to be designed a little better for this amount of dough.