Customer Reviews:
 cast iron waffle iron January 18, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
This product even made it to my house in time for Christmas, and I'd ordered late. I would love a larger also to make larger waffles.
Thanks
 seasoning directions did not work January 13, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I got this little waffle iron for Christmas and am so far very disappointed with it. While it comes with seasoning and cleaning instructions they are sparse and ineffective. First, I tried cleaning the wax off with soap and water and scrubbing and then putting it in the oven. It smoked to high heaven so I took it out to the grill. After cleaning again I put a moderate amount of canola oil on all surfaces and put it back in grill( top shelf) low flame, closed lid. I left it for an hour and let it cool in the off grill. After it was cool it still felt a little sticky so I put in the oven for another hour at 350 like the directions say, again letting it cool in the oven overnight. In the morning I brushed on small amount of canola oil and poured in my batter. after a few minutes I tried to open it but the waffle just separated in the middle and was completely stuck to the iron. Zero % of the waffle came out. After soaking the whole thing in water for a few minutes I scrubbed it clean with plastic/nylon jar scrubber. It did clean up pretty well but another attempt using less oil and less batter yielded the exact same result. Not sure what I'll do next, throw it back in the oven I guess. So, a totally frustrating and disappointing product so far. I have a feeling it could be good, ...other reviews seem to have had success but I can't believe it was by following the directions.
 Grandmama's waffle iron August 14, 2007
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
My grandmama had one of these and it made the best, crispy waffles you ever tasted. I was looking forward to making them myself with this waffle iron. It does make a good waffle, but the instructions for seasoning the iron piece don't make for a very good cooking surface. In the South, we never use cooking oil to season an iron skillet (it makes the surface sticky) -- shortening is the best thing to use. I would also suggest using a dab of shortening in the skillet each time you use it - taking care to flip it over and coat the top and bottom with the melted grease. The iron is very heavy when filled and sits flat on your burner/grill -- be careful picking it up with a potholder or overnmitt, I set one on fire to learn this lesson. I also found that a large cooking fork or pair of tongs came in handy to lift the top grill away from the bottom one. The waffles will brown more evenly if the iron is turned over during cooking, but it is not really necessary to do this. I used a Swedish pancake mix and the waffles were delicious -- much thinner and crispier than the Belgian waffles everyone serves now. After cooking, put the iron under hot running water and brush with a stiff brush. Never Use Soap On Cast Iron!!! It removes the "seasoning" layer which causes food to stick and rust to form. Dry the iron upside down on the stovetop or in the oven -- anywhere as long as there's a rack underneath to allow air circulation. I have several of my grandmama's pieces of iron cookware and some of them came from her mother. With proper care and seasoning, I think I'll be able to pass this waffle iron down through the family too. It's a great piece of cookware with an excellent price and I highly recommend it to someone who is willing to take the time to prepare and use it correctly.
Practically Perfect July 30, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I seasoned this cast-iron waffle iron a few days ago, and made some waffles in it this morning. They came out really well! And it was easier to clean, and easier to control the crispiness, than with the Teflon-coated electric appliances I've used in the past. It was also more fun.
Interestingly, there was zero problem with the waffles sticking to the surface, unlike with Teflon-coated electric ones I've used which often had issues the waffles sticking, or the top and bottom of a waffle separating and needing to be pried out.
At first I thought the circular shape would be a disadvantage compared with the rectangular shape I'm used to, but actually circular was better: no need to spread the batter around into the corners when you pour it in. Also, with cast iron, if you put in a bit too much and it overflows out the edges, it is not a big deal as the whole thing is seasoned cast iron so the overflow bits wipe right off. Whereas with the electric kind, the overflow drips down onto the plastic case and gets baked on and can be a hassle to clean off.
When I seasoned it I went crazy: cleaned most wax off in sink with hot water and brush, burnt remaining wax off each side of each half on a red-hot burner for ten or fifteen minutes. Then allowed to cool, scrubbed with stiff brush, placed in 175C oven until fully dry, wiped all over with rapeseed oil (canola) using a baking brush, placed back in oven at 175C for two hours, then left overnight as oven cooled. This laid down a nice black patina and resulted in zero sticking. I used a baking brush to oil it before the first waffle, but that really wasn't necessary.
The size looked small until I used it, then I realized it was just right.
My sole criticism is that the outside of the iron has a raised ridge along the outer edge of the outside surfaces that prevent full contact with the burner of my electric stove. This wouldn't be a problem with a gas stove. But why make these unnecessary ridges? Removing them, or adding more ridges so that there are regular contact points, would be an improvement.
One suggestion: if you want to cook for a large group, get two of these. It would be easy to keep them both running at once, and seasoning two would not be significantly more work than seasoning one.
getting started with it June 4, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
The product itself is fine - it is cast iron so you can't go wrong with that.
My waffle iron arrived coated with parafin wax to prevent rust. I had to burn it off over the gas burner on the side of my grill outside for 25 minutes. Open it up and burn one side of each half then the other side. It smoked alot and dripped some, so it was a good thing I did not try that on my stove or in my oven. The first waffle stuck despite using lots of shortening (and dripping a greasy mess in the process), but once the iron got hot and I greased it a little more sparingly it worked fine without sticking. I look forward to the time when repeated use will nicely season the iron. You have to flip the whole thing over to evenly heat both sides during the preheat and cooking so have an oven mitt or towel handy as the handle gets hot. Though the diameter is only about 6-1/2 inches any larger may exceed the size of your gas eye and it would be too heavy. Note that it takes awhile to cook a recipe of waffles as a few minutes are needed for each one including flipping the closed irons over the flame. You will want the flames to just touch the iron. Cooking pancakes on an iron griddle would be a lot faster though you likely (as I do) occasionally have a special desire for waffles.
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