I Got a $200 Waffle Maker and Have Zero Regrets

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the…read more
updated Jun 23, 2020
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Credit: Meghan Splawn

Waffles are one of my favorite at-home luxuries. While pancakes are a weekday affair, waffles are reserved for slow weekend and holiday mornings in our home. And yet, even with this deep love of waffles, I have lived with a cheap waffle iron for about 12 years. It did the job well enough and met all my minimalist requirements, but it definitely held me back from making waffles more often.

A few years ago a friend of mine sung the praises of a high-end waffler maker. She’d tried every brand of waffle maker with everything from light-as-air batters to store-bought mixes, and one electric waffle iron came out on top. I coveted that waffle iron for two years, searching for a used one or a discount one, until my cheap waffle iron finally bit the dust. With no hope for even occasional waffles, I obviously had to splurge on that $200 waffle maker that I had been coveting. I’m here to tell you it was worth every single penny.

Why All-Clad’s Belgian Waffle Maker Is Worth the Hype (and the $200 Price Tag)

Credit: Meghan Splawn

A good waffle is equal parts crisp, golden-brown, tender, and fluffy — it is also hard to find, even at diners and waffle restaurants. These fantasy waffles require a heavy-duty iron that heats evenly, and the All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker does just that, while creating deep wells (for butter and syrup to sink into). It also makes four very thick waffles at once, which means no fighting over who gets the first waffle.

After years of a cheap waffle maker, the All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker literally feels like a Rolls Royce — heavy in weight, beautifully designed, and easy to clean. I gasped with excitement upon opening the box. Bonus: It’s not even all that hard to store, even in my small kitchen.

The nonstick coating means the waffles pop right out when they are ready. The six heat settings are my favorite feature for getting that tender-to-crisp ratio just right on different waffle batters — overnight waffle batter is best at a 6, while waffle mix is just right at a 4. The heavy-duty handle doesn’t get hot, either (like the plastic handle on my old machine did), which means that my two young kids can help with waffle duties as well.

Admittedly, I’m a little embarrassed to tell you how much I love this small appliance — it isn’t like a blender that can help you make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It makes one thing really (really) well: waffles (although you could eat them for all three meals, the waffles are that good). But investing in a real-deal waffle iron means I’m actually excited to cook my favorite breakfast food on the weekends and I find myself excited to wake up on a Saturday and make waffles from scratch. If I’m doing my math right on how long my $30 waffle iron lasted, I’m expecting the All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker will be handed down to my children.