Customer Reviews

VillaWare V2001C UNO Classic Waffler 4-Square

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The term "classic" to describe this waffler is absolutely correct. It makes the epitome of an all-American diner waffle with small, shallow indentations that is thinner than the Belgian waffle. When I think of beautiful photographs of waffles in cookbooks and magazines, I think this waffler must be what they used. I received mine and proceeded to make plain waffles within 5 minutes of opening the box. I used Golden Malt flour and their recipe for waffles that included egg, water, and butter (but I used oil) being that this was only a test run. I have yet to try other recipes such as chocolate or gingerbread waffles, but I'm sure they'll be just as wonderful. My waffles were somewhat evenly browned (does ANY waffler manage to brown 100% evenly?) and "golden" although they did look a bit pale and I thought they weren't done until I touched them with a fork and found that they were certainly crispy. I think the crisp-factor is the most important thing here for serious waffle eaters...not so much the color.

The iron itself seems to be of solid construction and the lid doesn't wobble very much like many other waffle irons do. It is large, but that's to be expected since it makes 4 waffles. I'm not sure if they sell a 2-waffle model or not, but it seems like a bit of a waste since standing up, the width would be the same anyway. It's only the height that is affected by adding another row of waffles. If you can fit a 2-waffle iron in your cupboard, you can fit this one. In other waffle irons I've used (and tossed), the steam from the cooking waffles seems to keep them too soggy, but for whatever reason, that doesn't happen with this one. The only reason I gave this product 4 stars is because A. there was no 4.5 star option and B. because I *did* have to turn the dial all the way up to 7 in order to get my waffles to the desired doneness. They were crisp, but not browned at lower settings. Here's a hint: If you like your waffles ultra crisp, instead of hunting around for the perfect waffle iron (there isn't one), just freeze your waffles and toast them a la Eggo waffles...they will surely be crispy then (plus, you'll have waffles on hand at any given time).

As for the "waffle alert" that tells you when the waffles are done... I don't see any negative reviews here, but with other VillaWare products that have this feature, I've seen many negative reviews claiming the beeping sounds more like a fire alarm. I'm not sure what brand of fire alarm *they're* using, but I'd replace it if it's that quiet. The beeping on the waffler isn't even as loud as an alarm clock alarm. It certainly isn't as loud as a fire alarm. No, my hearing isn't bad and I don't wear a hearing aide. I think perhaps the other reviewers were either ultra sensitive to sound (i.e. they had dog-hearing) or perhaps VillaWare replaced the beeping mechanism on the waffler with something softer sounding (although some of the reviews are very recent, so I doubt that's the case). In any event, don't let the negative reviews of the alarm from other VW products keep you from buying this waffler. If you love waffles like I love waffles, you'll be happy with it.

This updates my 'first look' review of this product, which was probably unduly harsh. This flashy looking item is among the more expensive waffle makers on the market. We fired it up for its maiden voyage expecting to be immediately pleased, only to be very disappointed. Using the same waffle recipe we have used with great success for many years, the results were dismal -- undercooked, unevenly cooked, sodden, no matter how we adjusted the waffle iron.

After a few weeks of twiddling and tweaking the batter recipe, we are now able to make good quality waffles. Why all of that trial and error should be required to make this unit work, when we previously were able to make perfectly wonderful waffles with ease, using an old, inexpensive waffle iron, is difficult to understand. From time to time, we still get odd results with the Classic -- portions of the large waffle surface seem to heat unevenly, and we get 'scorch marks' on what is an otherwise perfectly done waffle. All in all, however, performance is satisfactory.

There is also the matter of the 'waffle tone' -- a chirping sound the unit makes when it reaches operating temperature and again when a waffle is supposedly 'done.' My three year old thinks it's great. I find it unobtrusive. Others may find it annoying and perhaps even unendurable before the first coffee of the morning has arrived. Typically the 'chirp' begins well before a waffle is actually finished cooking, so the 'waffle tone' isn't particularly useful; although it could keep you from completely forgetting cooking is in progress and might help to avoid an occasional burnt waffle.

Taking all of this into account, I now give this unit 3 STARS. It is somewhat expensive, but it looks great and is solidly built. It usually works well, but only after much experimentation, and only after one learns to live with its quirky and inconsistent performance.

I always hated making waffles as a kid, you never knew when they were done...and then they stuck! This is a joy to use! Makes the best waffles, crisp on the outside, tender inside...every one done to perfection. Will be making waffles every weekend now!

My wife likes Belgian waffles and I like the ordinary kind. We had been using a sunbeam waffle maker that we got for a wedding present and a Black and Decker Belgian waffle maker that we'd picked up in the Eighties. Both of these were getting pretty ratty. I replaced them for our 30th anniversary with a Hoffritz HZBW4 4-Slice Belgian waffler and a Villaware 2001C classic waffler. I liked the looks of the Hoffritz, but couldn't find it in a regular waffle. Anyway, we've been using them for a couple of months now, and here's the take on them:
They're both great, but I like the Hoffritz better. I like the digital controls. It takes a little longer to cook a waffle than the Villaware, but just long enough to take care of the waffle from the Villaware before the Hoffritz signals it's done. They both have audible "ready" signals and lights. The Hoffritz is quite a bit larger than the Villaware. They both look good. They both cook great waffles. The Villaware has kind of a tacky mechanical lever for setting how "done" you want your waffle; this lever does not ratchet, so it is easy to accidentally change the setting. This is the main reason I don't give this product a "5". The Hoffritz has a button for a "crispy" waffle; I haven't noticed that it does anything different when set; set at "3" it makes the waffles crispy like my wife prefers. I like my waffles less crispy; I've been using the Villaware set at "5," but I think I'm going to try jacking it up a little, as the waffles are pretty pale, although "done". The outside of the Villaware seems to get hotter than the Hoffritz; and stays hot a lot longer; maybe because it's made of cast aluminum rather than the Hoffritz's stainless steel. I read a review of a waffler where the person was complaining about the outside getting dangerously hot. As far as I know that's true of all wafflers, and neither of these are an exception. Bottom line, they're both imminently satisfying, if I had to choose between the two, I'd want them to make a Hoffritz that cooks "regular" waffles.

It appears as though they put a round heating element in this square waffler. The corners are always white. Not much use for the temp sensor as I have to set it all way to the max to get golden brown waffles--Far below expectations for a unit of this price. I guess I'll go back to my 30 year old Made in the USA unit; its a little slower but the waffles come out great. I want to send this one back to China. The last complaint is more of a nuisance than a problem - It will stand on end but is rather unsafe as there is no latch and the lid crashes down if not secured.

This is a sturdy waffle maker that makes really good waffles with little effort. I am giving 4 instead of 5 stars because I have experienced a little unevenness in temperature (the center seems to get cooked a little faster than the ends...other reviewers have discussed this), but it is very negligible.

I replaced a cheaper waffle maker from Phillips that was impossible to clean up and the batter always overflowed over the back. I never have a problem with this one, since it has large overflow reservoirs.

The recipes that come with this one for American Waffles and Belgian Waffles are superb.

So, I have absolutely NO experience with waffle irons. I received this as a wedding gift and we used it to make a Christmas brunch this year. My mother, who remembers using older fashioned waffle irons, was just a-twitter with praise for this iron. It didn't split them in half, it cooked the waffles nicely (don't know if I like them crispy or not yet) and it DIDN'T STICK. I think that has got to be the most important feature of a waffle iron. We liked the "ready" indicator, both for temperature and done. The alarm was a tad shrill but would definitely alert you to attend to your waffles especially if you tend to multitask in the kitchen. This was very user-friendly. Overall 4 stars. Can't go five since I haven't experienced anything better or worse to compare it to. I like this iron very much.

My wife bought this for me on Fathers Day and we have used it at least three to four times a month since we got it.
This is one nice Waffle maker, built very sturdy. I've never had a waffle stick, just set the automatic timer that lets you know when the waffles are done, reach in with a plastic fork (don't want to scratch the non-stick surface) then pop them loose and they come right out. Not like my old waffle maker where I had to spray it every time I used it.
Just be sure to follow instructions when you first get it about how to treat the surface.
I would definitely recommend this product 5 stars + + + + +.

For the last 12 years I was happily using a cheapie waffle maker purchased at a garage sale by my grandmother. When my beloved cheapie gave up the ghost, I decided to upgrade to what seemed like a fancy model. Alas...my usual waffle recipe didn't fare well in the hands of this iron. Waffles stuck, they deflated, they peeled apart, they had mushy corners, they failed to turn brown even on the highest setting. The iron doesn't seem to get hot enough. As an extra bonus, the "chime" that alerts you that the waffle is (supposedly) ready sounds like the electronic rendition of a dying bird's plea for help....and it goes off frequently, even though your waffle is still in batter form.

We make waffles just about every weekend. I tried to ignore the dying bird sound. I changed recipes. I made the batter thinner, then thicker. I filled the iron more, and I filled it less. I changed the amount of oil. I resorted to putting all my waffles in the toaster post-cooking. Nothing worked. I am getting rid of this thing!

The waffle iron is heavy - just like the one my Mother had when I was a kid. The heavy lid is great at preventing overcooking the middle and undercooking the edges. However, you should really follow the directions included in the instruction booklet for pouring the batter onto the iron, as that helps the waffles cook evenly.

The key is to use a spatula to spread the batter evenly around to the edges before closing the lid. Come to think of it, that's what my Mom used to do with her iron. As some reviewers said, the center does cook a bit more than the edges, but if you use the spatula, that problem is virtually eliminated.

If others are getting poor results, I suggest using the spatula method, or send it back for repair or replacement. I only wish I could duplicate the batter recipe found at Waffle House or those other roadside diners - now that would make it perfect!