What could be better than a delicious, sweet, crispy waffle in the morning? Make breakfast that much more delectable with the best waffle makers.
Unfortunately, waffles aren't possible without a good piece of sturdy equipment like other kitchen appliances such as egg cookers, food fryers and toasters, but luckily for you, waffle makers are easily accessible and an affordable buy.
If you spend wisely and choose a quality model, your waffle maker will churn out perfect waffles every morning for a while, giving you scrumptious breakfasts for years to come.
Below are our top 5 picks for the best models, paired with a description of key features and functions, all of which will produce the most heavenly fresh-made waffles for you to gobble up!
1. Breville Smart Waffle
If you love waffles but really want the best that can be created – crispy, golden and to your exact preference – The Smart Waffle from Breville may be the choice for you. This is a truly intelligent kitchen appliance with all the bells and whistles.
Using automation dials it will automatically work out the time to cook waffles for the style and colour you’ve chosen.
Try Belgium, Chocolate, Buttermilk or the old favourite the Classic waffle. Settings available are for the waffle type and the colour from Light to Dark in a 12-setting continuum, all in easy to use dials with an easy to see LCD display.
You can also customise your settings for the future, so you can avoid having to manually dial in the settings each time. The display tells you the progress of cooking. A “Bit More” button allows you to give your waffles a bit more browning without the need to restart the cooking process – a feature common to Breville appliances.
The design also includes a non-stick surface and a no-mess all-round easy to clean moat for catching any batter overflow. This non-stick moat cooks the batter so that it’s easier to clean up.
Heat is evenly distributed across the cooking plates to ensure that the waffles are cooked right through – no more crisp edges or raw centres.
2. Cuisinart WAF-150A
A budget-friendly waffle cooker from Cuisinart, the WAF-150A is a 4-slice Belgian waffle maker which will give you perfect 1-inch deep waffles browned to your preferred level every time. The waffles themselves are nice and deep for accommodating plenty of your favourite fillings.
It features five browning settings on a slide-bar control, enough to suit all preferences. A red light shows that the unit is powered on and a green light alerts you to when the cooker is ready to start cooking as well as when the cooking is finished.
Deep pocket cooking plates are non-stick for easy removal of cooked waffles and quick clean up. It’s a good idea to ‘season’ your appliance with a brushing of oil before using it to enhance the non-stick feature.
The appliance is a stylish black with a stainless steel top and chrome-plated handle and embossed Cuisinart logo on the top. For storage, the unit stands upright on its end with the cord wrapped neatly around its base. The unit comes with an Instruction Manual which includes quite a few handy recipes for Belgian waffles.
Creativity is the name of the game when it comes to baking interesting and delicious waffles.
3. Cuisinart WAF-V100A
With a highly unusual upright design, the WAF-V100A Waffle maker from Cuisinart is a Belgian waffle cooker which takes up minimal space on your kitchen workbench.
Simply fill it with batter through the spout at the top and it’s ready to go. It will bake one round waffle at a time. This machine doesn’t spill and it doesn’t stick.
You can choose from five browning settings according to your preference. The unit has indicator lights for power and ready to bake/ready to eat alerts. A ‘beep’ also alerts you to the points when the cooker is ready to cook and when the waffle is cooked.
The heat-resistant handles ensure that you won’t burn your hands. The non-stick interior surface makes removal of the cooked waffle quick, easy and mess-free.
When cooked to the required browning setting one half of the appliance folds down to release the cooked waffle.
A pair of tongs and a measuring cup are included. The cup is the exact amount to fill the well of the waffle maker to the correct level.
It comes in stylish and ubiquitous steel, a colour which will fit into any kitchen design. The waffles that come out of this appliance are soft and spongy inside and light and crispy on the outside: simply perfect!
4. Breville No Mess Waffle Maker
The No Mess Waffle Maker from Breville is a no-fuss stylish appliance which cooks perfect waffles for even the fussiest of eaters. This machine features 7 colour settings for cooking waffles from the lightest and fluffiest to the crispy golden-brown variety.
A wide moat which is wrapped around the entire base catches all spills and overflow of the batter and cooks it as well for the easiest of clean up.
Even heat distribution is ensured with the Thermal Pro-Optimiser function to avoid too crisp edges or uncooked centres.
A bell will ring to alert you to when the waffle iron is ready for cooking and again when the waffles are cooked. This appliance does not contain any PFOA’s, a known carcinogen, so is completely safe to use.
This is a well-designed appliance to look at (stainless steel and silver) and also structurally. It produces reliable results on all the temperature settings. It’s also a very competitive price for those on a budget.
The unit stands upright for storage with the cord wrapped neatly around its base. A Users' Manual includes some handy waffle recipes for those who are new to them.
5. Davis & Waddell Waffle Maker
Wanting a waffle iron but not wanting to spend a fortune? The Davis & Waddell Electric Non-Stick Waffle Maker, priced under $50, is well worth a look. This is a nice-looking appliance in sturdy and durable grey and black stainless steel and aluminium, with easy to use controls and easy to clean non-stick Teflon-coated interior surfaces.
Everyone has their own favourite level of brown-ness in waffles – lighter and fluffier as opposed to deep brown and very crisp. This appliance has a handy dial which allows you to set the temperature/cooking time for your preferred waffle type.
There are four deep waffle trays which are non-stick for easy lifting out of cooked waffles and easy wipe over cleaning. The deep trays (an 18cm plate divided into four wedges) give you generous waffles for holding your favourite fillings and toppings.
A handy cord storage space at the base and locking lid allow you to conveniently store the appliance upright. The unit measures a compact 13*21*27mm.
With the appliance, you receive a recipe book with plenty of recipes for both sweet and savoury Belgian-style waffles. Make up your own recipes as well – waffles are no longer just a breakfast dish!
How much do waffle makers cost?
You can spend as little as $30-$50 for the cheapest waffle makers available in Australia. For this you'll get a portable design, similar to a sandwich press with a few browning settings. Our top pick for the cheapest goes to the Davis & Waddell maker that offers a lot of change for $50.
Generally, you get what you pay for when it comes to these makers. You can easily spend upwards of $150-$200 for a full bells and whistle device, that offers up to 12 different browning settings, as well as additional browning buttons.
If money isn't an option and you want something of a more commercial grade then you should consider the Breville No Mess, which is our top pick.
What types of waffles can I make?
You will find most modern day waffle makers are capable of making several different types. The most common is definitely Brussels or American waffles.
Brussels are the world famous delicious ones that offers batter that comprises of beaten egg whites and yeast for leavening. This is what makes them fluffy!
You can serve Brussels waffles with whipped cream, fresh fruit, powdered sugar or even ice cream. When combined with a more expensive waffle maker that offers enhanced browning, you'll have crisp, deep pockets perfect for your favourite sauce, honey?
You can also make Liege and Belgian waffles which despite their name was actually invented in the United States (doh!). For more receipes be sure to checkout Tablespoon.
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Last Updated: December 2, 2021 by Rhys