Once the batter can easily be lifted off the griddle pan with a spatula, flip the waffle batter over and give it another five minutes of heat. You don't need this particular waffle maker to make these waffles. Any waffle maker is fine and you can use other recipes in this appliance. If you want to make potato waffles then that works too!Go ahead and experiment. After cooking with each waffle maker, we cleaned each following the instructions and noting how easy or difficult the task was. Choose a waffle maker with an audible or visible alert to help you know what is going on. Most will light up or chime when its preheated enough, ready to cook another batch or when your waffles are done. A sound is preferable to light as it allows you to step away and get on with other things instead of hovering nervously over the machine. 6. Ease of storage

With thermostatically controlled ‘power on’ and ‘ready’ lights, wait for your appliance to reach temperature before adding ingredients. (And don’t be afraid to go wild, we won’t judge.) I'd imagined a waffle maker might be awkward to use and fiddly to clean but it was actually much simpler than I'd expected. You heat it up, pour the batter into the middle of the tray, close the lid and then in about 5 minutes the waffles are ready. You just wipe it clean afterwards, rather like a toasted sandwich maker. You can store the leftover waffles in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you want to eat them, just reheat them in the toaster.

Recipe

We timed how long it takes each waffle maker to heat up before it's ready to cook, how easily detachable plates can be removed for cleaning, and how clear and bright the indicator lights are. COMPACT DESIGN: The donut maker’s handy cord storage prevents your kitchen worktop getting clogged up with cables. When not in use, store away with ease thanks to its small size – not that it will be in the cupboard for long! For an extra light and fluffy waffle, separate your egg whites from the yolks. Beat the whites until they form soft peaks and then folding them into the rest of the mix. The recipe makes 8 waffles and serves 4 people if each person eats two waffles. It is easy to double the quantities to make more waffles though. In my Vonshef Waffle Maker you can cook 4 waffles at a time and after each batch is ready I close the lid for a moment to make sure the waffle iron is hot and then just add more batter. Waffles that were evenly browned and had a crisp outside and a fluffy inside scored highly, and undercooked or uneven waffles were given lower scores.

Once heated you will need to brush or spritz some fat on the trays before adding your batter. The manual doesn’t advise on quantity but I found two cups to be enough. If you do overfill, the handy drip tray will save you from messing up your work top.Sleek and narrow, this waffle iron is designed to be flipped 180 degrees during the cooking process for a super consistent bake. In fact, most chefs opt for a flipping waffle maker so let’s trust their advice on this one. Once plugged in it takes about 4 minutes to heat up. A green light will come on to let you know it’s ready for your batter. Making two waffles at a time, pour your mix into the centre of the trays and close the lid. The waffles themselves are slightly crisp on the outside but soft inside. The recipe is perfect as a basic simple waffle recipe that you can then jazz up with special toppings. How many people do these waffles serve? Simply wipe plates down with a damp cloth and mild detergent after use so they’re ready for next time. For evenly filled waffles, pour the batter onto the centre of each grid and gently spread out to the edges.

With a large cooking surface, it makes two 6 inch circular waffles at a time. The plates aren’t particularly deep so take care not to add too much batter. There is no advised quantity in the manual but I found 90 ml per circular waffle enough. After 4 minutes it was still steaming but I lifted the cool-touch handle anyway. Not looking quite ready, I left my waffle for a further 3 minutes – not the speediest. Waffles can be flavoured with just about anything but adding a little sugar to the mix will help to crisp them up. Pour a thin layer of waffle batter onto the griddle pan until the the whole bottom is covered, and cook for around five minutes. We chose and bought bestselling waffle makers widely available at UK retailers from the most popular brands. Build quality and storageThe Vonshef Waffle maker came with three recipes so you can make traditional waffles, Belgian waffles or buttermilk waffles. The toppings and accompaniments are then up to you. I made traditional waffles first as the recipe was the simplest and just like mixing up pancake batter. However, I have since tried the Belgian waffles and they are delicious too, although more effort to make! Aren't Waffles an Unhealthy dessert? EASY TO USE: Featuring a cool touch handle and an indicator light to let you know when your 800W waffle maker is up to temperature, whipping up treats to satisfy your sweet tooth couldn’t be easier.