Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 26680 Belgian Waffle Iron

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have used my Waffle Iron three times now and love it. The waffles are cooked perfectly, come out with ease and best of all, they are voted by my family as the best waffles we have ever eaten. The waffle iron is so easy to clean, use and store. It is always nice to buy somthing, and be happier then you expect when you use it. When I make waffles I always make a couple extras and put them in a ziplock, and throw them in the freezer. My son puts them in the toaster oven, for a before school breakfast

We really like this waffle iron compared to other models that we have tried. It never burned them. With it's stylish design, we have nothing to complain about. I must first say that we didn't expect too much as it was a gift to us from people who knew nothing about cooking anything. My wife is a culinary genius in the kitchen so we were all awaiting her approval. Her exact comments were, "I want to buy another one so that we can have two". We have 6 children and the only complaint from the house was that they weren't coming fast enough! We are very pleased.

If you have the counter space, you'll probably want to leave the Hamilton Beach Belgian Variable Heat Waffle Baker on display where it can be seen all the time, even if you use it only once a week. If not, the iron tips upright for space-saving storage.

Either way, you get a waffle baker that turns out consistently tall, consistently baked waffles with 5 minutes of cooking time. The variable darkness control lets you lighten or darken the waffle to your family's preference, from light blond to dark mahogany, with the outer crispness following the darkness. It's also handy for compensating for different batter recipes without having to calculate a new baking time.

The circular grid bakes a plate-filling 4-section waffle that can be enjoyed whole by hearty eaters or broken into quarters for those with smaller appetites, as the base of a waffle sundae dessert or even as the foundation for an out-of-the-ordinary strawberry shortcake. Serve 'em in half to leave room on the plate when you're having oven-fried chicken and waffles for dinner (try it some time!).

The lower grid is surrounded by a black plastic outer case that stays relatively cool, so overflows won't bake onto the outside of the iron. The upper grid, however, is sheathed in chromed stainless steel that gets very hot to the touch, so be sure to exercise due caution when young children are present. On the plus side, a squirt of Windex and a wipe with a paper towel (when the iron is cool and unplugged, of course) are all that's needed to make the outside case shine like new. Go ahead and use Windex on the plastic parts, too. Just remember to never, never, never, EVER wash the grids. The nonstick surface makes the Hamilton Beach Belgian Variable Heat Waffle Baker perform like a family heirloom that's been seasoned with generations of use, even when it's brand new, but washing the grids will only mean having to re-season the grids when it's not necessary. Just allow it to cool, brush out any crumbs and wrap the cord around the storage reel in the bottom of the iron.

One minor design aspect that only poses a problem if your waffle batter tends to be too squirty is the channel in which the darkness control rides. A cascade of batter over the front will get inside the channel. Once the iron is cool, you can easily remove 2 screws on the underside of the iron and take off the bottom cover of the control channel to clean out the gunk. Adequate practice in pouring the right amount of batter will overcome this.

Aside from that, the Hamilton Beach Belgian Variable Heat Waffle Baker comes close in performance to a professional Belgian waffler. And it looks great, too.

We love the waffle maker. Reasonable price and it makes good waffles. Stores nicely too.

If Amazon ever offers this waffle iron again, it would be an addition to anyone's kitchen, and it would make a great gift. Back in 2003, I purchased this for an unbelievable $10, and it has been so worth it. I cannot make pancakes; that is a skill I can't master. But I can work this waffle iron. It will do either soft, pancake-like waffles, or you can get them crisper. We traditionally have them on New Year's day, and I never have to worry about whether they are going to turn out right. I have even put things in the waffle mix, like raisins and cinnamon, and they are terrific. There's even a cookbook included.

Making a perfect waffle should not require Betty Crocker, or Martha Stewart. This product is designed with simplicity and practicallity in mind. Even though it has the good looks of a fashion model, it is as easy to use as the girl that you wouldn't take home to Mom. If you want flawless waffels at an economical price, and without much thought, this is the one for you.

I had high hopes when I purchased this waffle iron. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. The iron made an annoying rattling sound every time I closed it. I also had great difficulty cleaning it (though I do have arthritis). Finally, the waffles had an unusual odor. I will not use this product again.