Customer Reviews

VillaWare V3100 Classic Waffler Heart Shaped

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

 

 

i have this waffle iron and love it. i'd always been a bit intimidated by the thought of making my own waffles, but this waffle iron is extremely easy to use and the tone that sounds when the waffles are done is great. perfect waffles every time. and the nonstick surfaces make it really easy to clean.

I already had an electric waffle iron made by Salton that was turning out great looking and delicious tasting *round* waffles. But because of the rave review I read here (plus it was nearing Valentine's day), I gave in and bought this Villaware heart-shaped waffle iron.

And sure it worked - but not as good as I expected for this price. As it has five different temperature settings (supposedly gives you control over how soft/crisp you want it), I tried out three: At "2" the batter was not yet set in the middle when the "waffle tone" sounded. At "4" it was too browned even for my husband's taste. I can only imagine how runny "1" would be and how burnt "5" would be - seriously, why do they give you five settings when only one of them work? At "3" the waffle tasted close to the way I like it, but even then, like all the other settings I tried on this, the color was uneven throughout the surface of the waffle. There were patches that were very pale and spots that were a medium brown.

The other bummer is this: It is impossible to make perfect heart shapes. I tried different consistencies in the batter and really attempted to fill in the scalloped edge, but as it cooks, the batter rises unevenly and when you divide the finished waffle into five little hearts, they're always a little crooked.

So - while this one certainly works and may thrill people who have no prior waffle making experience or are simply less demanding, its relatively high price only brings extra features (heart shape, temp control, "waffle tone" alarm...) that are unnecessary and don't work well. I find my cheaper Salton model... still works much better.

My humble advice: Go for a simpler model without all these bells and whistles, all you need to look for is a good quality non-stick surface. The doness can be easily controlled by how long you cook the waffle (the amount od steam is a good indication). I will stay loyal to my old waffle iron from now on.

We bought this waffler as a replacement for an antique one passed down to me by my parents. Literally; it had cloth insulation over the cord and wires inside. Anyway, it started shocking us, so we looked here, and after looking all the reviews, we decided on the Villaware. The round waffler everyone seemed happy with, and we figured the only difference between it and the heart-shaped one was the plates. Unfortunately, it doesn't cook the waffle evenly, which is an irritation. It's not horrible, but I'd prefer perfection. I'm just that way. Maybe I'll fix our old one...

Overall, it's a good waffler, really makes noise when it's ready/done (I've generally burned the last waffle I made to a crisp, because I'm eating and forget. Not with this one.), but it could be better. I'd recommend trying the simple round one, since everyone liked it pretty well, and leave the heart one alone.

I chose this waffler largely because of the convenience features: adjustable doneness settings and the "WaffleTone" alert that tells you when baking time's up. Unfortunately, reading lots of online reviews about this model did not tell me two important things that an in-store demo might have:

1. Even the highest setting makes for a too-light waffle--not raw, but not crisp and browned, either. To get appetizing results, I have to leave each waffle cooking for about two minutes after the "WaffleTone" goes off.

2. "WaffleTone"? This well-intentioned feature would more aptly have been called "WaffleShriek." The piercing chirp resembles nothing so closely as a smoke detector's alarm. I try to get as far away as possible around the time it's due to go off. And since the self-timing feature is useless anyway, the nasty chirp serves only to annoy.

Heart-shaped waffles are cute, and it is possible to get good ones out of this machine. But unless you're deaf, I recommend looking for a more adjustable, quieter model. Probably cheaper, too.

It is a wonderful machine, and it's here at a great price. I found the recipe booklet useful. I prefer using butermilk in place of regular milk. (Make your own by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar to two cups of milk and let it rest for 5 min. or so) The weight of the metal cover of the machine keeps it closed during cooking, and it's just gorgeous to look at. A well made machine, and I'm purchasing one for a friend...it's so gifty.

I was hesitant when I bought this as a gift for my fiancee, since I had never made waffles before. It sounded like too much work to me, to get out the waffle maker and then have to clean it afterwards. But since my fiancee loves waffles so much, I decided to give it a try. I looked for heart shaped waffle makers in many stores and other websites, and this one is the best deal, no question. We use this waffle maker every weekend and it is so simple! We make a big batch of waffles and then freeze the leftovers to eat during the week. There is almost no cleaning neccessary, we just wipe out the griddle with a paper towel when we're done. I also ordered the waffle recipes from Villa Ware... the recipes are great! We especially like the Yogurt Peach Waffles. YUM! If you are hesitating to purchase this waffler, DON'T! We promise you won't regret it!

I'd loved my grandmother's homeade waffles as a kid, but I was scared of making them on my own. I've little cooking experience but even I can handle this appliance. It's auto light and auto temperature control make it easy to turn out perfect waffles every time. The nonstick grids also help them to come out perfectly and also make it a breeze to clean. Overall, it's a wonderful product. The waffles you make turn out delicious everytime and are so simple to make and clean up next to nothing. I've already purchased several as wedding gifts, and all who have recieved them have been pleased.

This is the first waffle maker that I have purchased, and it has worked very well for me. The "annoying bird noise" alarm really got on my nerves the first few times that I used it, but now we are used to it. I like the loud noise, because I get easily distracted, and I do not forget about waffles cooking when I am washing dishes or paying bills next to the counter.
It took a few tries to figure out how thick the batter should be for even cooking, and now we have a nice consistency that doesn't end up a little underdone in the middle. (It rises up more in front, but that doesn't bother us. The waffles get eaten too fast to worry about one side being slightly higher than the other.)
I tell my girls that the heart shaped design shows them that I love them every day, and they love it because they think it looks like a flower. They find it easy to pull the pieces apart and dip.
I like the adjustable setting which allows for lighter waffles on a lower setting, regular waffles on a 4-5 setting, and really crisp waffles for me on the 6 setting. I don't have to keep lifting the lid to guess when the waffle will be done.
The waffle maker is extremely easy to wipe clean, even when you spill batter on the front. We haven't had any problems with the waffles sticking unless the maker wasn't hot enough and needed a little more time to warm up.
The only "problem" I have had with the maker is when I accidentally dropped it into my dish bucket of water and the alarm didn't work the next time I used it. After one use, though, it is working fine.
We really enjoy being able to make large batches of waffles for a lot less money than buying frozen waffles in the store. We also like being able to easily add different ingredients to the waffles, such as melted chocolate or chopped pecans. As a first time user of a waffle maker, I am very glad that I purchased this product.

The waffle recipe I have found to be a good consistency:

2 large eggs
2c all purpose flour
2c milk
1/2c vegetable oil
1T light brown sugar
4t baking powder
1/4t salt

1. Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl until fluffy. Sift flour into bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
2. Using "ice cream scoop", scoop one portion scoop of batter in a circle close to the edges and one scoop into the middle. (this distributes the batter a little more evenly to fill out the heart.) Close lid and cook until done.
3. Use tongs to remove the waffle, placing on a plate bottom side up.

I have to agree with a previous reviewer who compared the shrieking tone of the Villaware's "Done Alarm" to a smoke detector. The waffle seemed good enough, but my heart was racing and adrenaline flowing from the alarm. I'd recommend this product if you tend to wander outside or to a neighbor's house while you're baking your waffle (not a recommended practice, in any case).

I've owned this waffle iron for a few years. My only complaint is that the cooking range is on the light side. The middle of the range delivers a waffle that is quite light and not crispy. I find that if I use a more done setting and then put the waffles in an oven to finish and to keep warm, then it's better.

I've used the waffle iron to make corn meal waffles and then served the sections with guacamole as an hor-d'ouvre. Because of the shape it is great for lots of things. Using the sections for ice cream or fruit is also good.

So I recommend it although getting it to make the perfect waffle takes practice.