Sorry this is so long but a lot of people don't know what pizelle are so I'm being really detailed.
Pizelles are thin Italian cookies cooked 1- or 2-at a time in a pizelle iron. A century ago cast iron pizelle irons were held over the stove, but my grandmother gave hers up as soon as the decent electric ones came out in the 1960s.
This pizelle baker is VERY nice. The non-stick coating is easy to clean and the pizelle don't stick (be sure to use wooden utensils and only wipe clean with a paper towel so you don't scratch the coating). The iron heats quickly (maybe 5 minutes) and keeps constant temperature (I've had it about 2 years and have made at least a dozen batches of pizelle and haven't had any problems). Like MANY kitchen appliances, however, the cord is too short, IMHO - they do that so you don't accidentally pull the hot iron off the table, but you really shouldn't use an extension cord. For countertop use the cord length is fine. When I make pizelle, however, I like to sit (it takes about an hour to cook a 12-egg recipe), so I move my kitchen table near an outlet and put the iron on the table.
The baker comes with a recipe book. The first recipe is the traditional anise-flavored pizelle (anise tastes a lot like licorice, but don't let that discourage you if you've never tried it), and it's a good recipe. I skip the anise extract and add a slightly heaping teaspoon (for 6 eggs) of real anise seed that I crush in my palm before adding (anise seed is available in Hispanic markets). If you have an old recipe that calls for oil, you'll have to switch to butter to use the electric irons. Compare you old recipe to the modern ones and use a little experimentation and they'll taste just like your grandma's pizelle.
If you've never made pizelle, don't be afraid. Use a mixer to make the batter, which will be thick (again, if you remember your grandma making these, the old batters are thin and runny - those don't work well in the electric irons). Preheat the iron until the light goes off. Use 1 Tablespoon of batter per pizelle (you cook 2 at a time in this iron). A small cookie scoop works brilliantly. Place the batter a little behind the center of each 'waffle' pattern and a little towards the center of the iron, because closing it spreads the batter forward and out a little. Let the iron close gently (don't push down), and then gently close it all the way - you'll see steam come out and hear hissing. Latch the handle shut and cook the pizelles until the steam mostly stops - open gently so if the pizelle isn't cooked enough you can close the iron again to continue cooking. The lights have nothing to do with the cooking - they just let you know the iron is plugged in or heating. Some people prefer pizelle browned and others like them pale - your choice. When it's cooked, use a wooden spoon or fork to gently move the pizelle to where you can grab it (watch for singed fingers - you can use tongs) and put it on a rack to cool. It will crisp as it cools - don't taste it until it gets a little crisp (so you know what it really tastes like). If you haven't used the iron in a while throw out the first batch. After you've cooked a few pizelle you'll be a pro.
The big problem is using too much batter or placing the batter in the wrong place. Put too little rather than too much. If you put too much some batter will ooze out the sides - scrape it off with a wooden spoon after it cooks and don't worry about it, but be sure to clean the iron carefully (dry paper towel only!) after you've finished and cooled it off. Store it with a clean paper towel folded and placed in it. You don't really wash the iron and you don't have to oil or season it. Cooking the first 2 pizelle each time seasons the iron.
When you're done leave the iron open to cool. You should only have to wipe the cooled iron carefully with a paper towel.
If you want to make ice cream cones or dessert cups, you shape the hot pizelle right as it comes from the iron. Drape over a small Pyrex cup (or place inside) to make a dessert cup. Drape over a rolling pin to make a `dessert taco shell'.
The pizelles made with this iron usually don't `fill out' to the edges of the molds, so you get irregular-shaped edges, but they're still delicious. I think if you really wanted the molds to fill completely the batter would have to be a little thinner than called for in the first recipe in the cookbook (the only one I've tested). Pizelle keep for several days, if they last that long.
