Oster Belgian Waffle Maker, Non-Stick Waffle Iron for Thick, Fluffy Waffles, Easy to Clean

I’m the type of person who always reads reviews before buying something. I saw a mix of negative and positive reviews for this waffle maker, so I was a bit hesitant. The waffle maker I had before this was the Bella — the one where you pour the waffle mix in and then rotate it to distribute the batter. I ended up returning that one because it never sat evenly while cooking; it always tilted, and I didn’t like that.I decided to try the Oster waffle maker and write my own review. I received it today and tried it out, and I’m very impressed. It cooks extremely evenly and quickly. Some reviews mentioned the cord being too short, but in my opinion, the cord length is just fine. The machine is very easy to use, and the waffles come out tasting great. The overall durability of the product also feels solid, so I definitely give this waffle maker a 10 out of 10.If you want perfectly cooked waffles, I’ve found that setting the dial slightly past the middle between “minimum” and “max” gives the best results (at least for my preference).Overall, this is a great waffle maker for anyone looking for something affordable and reliable. It’s well worth the price and pays for itself. I made chicken and waffles the first time I used it, and they turned out fantastic. Highly recommend!

As I write this review, I just received my third Oster waffle maker. #2 is still working but it's well used and they were on Lightning sales today for $14.This is a very basic unit with a bit of a learning curve. There is no ON/OFF button, no timer, it's somewhat shallow and doesn't flip. The lightweight material used for the plates (guessing aluminum and Teflon) doesn't make the greatest waffles as compared to cast iron plates. The thermostat is cheap with proximal sensors only.However, it is cheap, can be stored vertically and does a decent job (if you learn how to work it).---------There are a few tricks that will lead to better waffles:1. Ignore the READY light. Preheat this Oster so that the plates get fully hot before using it. I usually turn mine on HIGH, wait a while, test the distal edge with a small drop of water and watch for a sizzle. No sizzle, wait some more. When those plates are fully hot, pour the batter (edges first, middle last) then reduce the temp to your desired setting. I can't stress -GET IT HOT- enough.2. I oil the plates just once before pouring the first batter (not before preheat or oil may burn). Just before I pour the batter, I give both plates a good quick spray of non-stick. The waffles will be less likely to stick and it helps gives the outsides a much better crisp. I treat my Oster like it has cast iron plates -- but that's just my preference because I like very crispy outsides and soft insides.3. Use a real waffle mix or make your own. Waffle mixes have a higher fat and sugar content which makes better waffle texture. Combo pancake/waffle mixes or just plain pancake mixes are going to be more like waffle shaped pancakes.4. Cold batter cooks differently than room temp batter. Cold takes longer for the fats to break down and for the sugars to caramelize. So, you will need to adjust your times and heat.5. Don't put the top plate down immediately. I let a little steam escape then lower the top. If your oiled plates trap steam, your middles will be a different texture than the edges. Because the batter lowers the temp of the bottom plate and not the top plate, the top plate will be hotter and hit hotter batter. So, the waffles will still cook evenly. I never time how long I wait but it's maybe 10 or so seconds.6. If your first couple of batches aren't great,be patient. You will need to experiment and practice. It took me a while before my waffle and cornbread results were perfected for my preference. For example, when my waffles weren't fully cooked in the middle and the outsides weren't crisping, I changed from 2% cold milk to 4% room temp milk, decreased milk content and replaced with room temp sour cream, added more sugar, changed to salted, room temp butter and replaced one whole egg with powdered whole egg. I kept notes using exact measurements and weights with changes (I worked in a bakery for 5 years).Upgraded from 4 stars to 5. Anything device that gives me years of good service and only costs $15 deserves 5 stars.--------------Update2/23/19 Units 2 and 3 still work fine, both are well seasoned and the non-stick is fully intact on both.

We love this waffle maker! It cooks well and the size is great, not too big not too small. However, the packaging was not the best. We were worried that the waffle maker would be damaged since the box was completely beaten up. So far it still works so we think it’s fine.

We're a senior family of two. From time to time waffles have been mentioned in this house but I didn't have a waffle maker and wasn't prepared to pay a lot of money for something I would only use ocassionally. Well I saw this little cheapy and decided to try it out since it was an Oster. I figured it was a Prime item so I could return it for a full refund if I wasn't happy with it. I am happy with it.Keep in mind I've only used it once. It arrived today. I washed it and set it aside. Hubby couldn't resist asking for a waffle as a midnight snack...lol. Here's what I like about it and what I'm just ok with.First of all, the waffle plates don't come out for washing and you're not suppose to submerge it in water. It's a bit of a pain in the neck to "wash" the deep grates and "rinse" them with a wash cloth. I actually did carefully spray a little water on the grates to rinse all the soap off and then quickly dried it. It's very lightweight so I help it up over the sink while I was spraying so the water wouldn't get into any of the electrical parts or have a chance to seep into crevices.The unit is small with simple basic settings. It makes one large waffle at a time. With toppings one waffle is big enough for the two of us to share unless it's for a main meal instead of a treat. One waffle is definitely big enough for a full serving and it only takes 5 minutes to make one waffle so we can live with that. Even though the grates are non stick, I brushed a wee bit of avocado oil on the them. The waffles came right out leaving no trace of residue so they can just be wiped out with a paper towel after cooling.The are two settings on top of the machine. One is to turn the waffle maker on and off. When you turn it on there's a red light that turns green when it's hot enough to make your waffle. There's another knob that just goes from "min" to "max". which supposedly regulates how dark your waffle will be. That's all there is to it.The first time out I used the basic Bisquick waffle recipe. I found that 1/2 a cup of batter was the perfect amount to make a full size waffle without batter running out the sides of the grate when you close it. When you close the lid don't press down. Just let it close easily. You'll start to see steam come out the sides. The waffle is pretty much done when the steam stops rising from the waffle maker. Don't open the lid while there's steam coming out or it will effect the quality of the waffle. I found 1/2 a cup of batter...the machine set about 3/4 of the way towards "max", and my timer set to 5 minutes produced a nicely browned Belgian waffle with a nice outside crunch and a tender fluffy center.There are some recipes in the instruction flyer. Next time I'm going to try their basic waffle recipe from scratch. It looks like it might be better than the Bisquick recipe. Looking forward to fresh strawberries from the garden and homemade whipped cream. Oh and I want to try the Chocolate Waffle recipe in the flyer...lolIf any problems develop over the next year or so, I promise I'll come back and edit my review. As it seems right now this was a nice little purchase. It doesn't take up much space and it's fun to be able to make the ocassional waffle when the mood strikes. This machine is inexpensive and does a very nice job.