Fragrant lavish waffles, undoubtedly, are in the list of the most favorite delicacies not only for children, but also for adults. However, unfortunately, the purchased products do not always meet all the necessary taste and quality requirements. But, thanks to the rapid development of electronic technical devices, a dessert you love from childhood can now easily be cooked in your own kitchen, you just need to know how to choose a waffle iron suitable for this task.
How to choose a waffle iron
What is not satisfied with an old and good cast iron waffle iron?
An ancestor of the "waffle boom" is a cast-iron waffle iron, which was extremely popular in Soviet times. To prepare in such a device, it was necessary to warm up the waffle iron on the gas stove, and then pour into it a dough for roasting.
But, since it is impossible to determine the intensity of heating in a cast iron waffle iron, sufficient skill was required to prepare evenly roasted and rosy wafers. In addition, the minus of this waffle maker was the need to constantly monitor the cooking process, because due to imperfections in the technology, the dough could leak at any time.
The modern electric waffle iron is much more compact and more convenient to use than its progenitor. However, due to the availability of a huge assortment, it is rather difficult to determine which waffle iron to choose."House of Dreams" will try to help you with this, telling about the types of modern waffle irons, their functions and the features of choosing such a device for a number of criteria.
Waffle iron for Viennese waffles
Types and operating principle of waffle irons
The most pressing problem for any housewife is the question - what can be cooked in a waffle iron? Depending on the technical features and surface shape, two types of dessert can be cooked in a standard electric waffle iron - Viennese( lush) and Belgian( crispy) wafers. Viennese wafers are also called classical wafers. This dessert in the West is often called corrugated and served with whipped cream, fruits and other supplements. Belgian waffles are very thin and crispy. After cooking, they can be rolled into a tube, supplemented with various additives to taste.
Some models of waffle makers are equipped with a function for making hot sandwiches, sandwiches and hamburgers. However, waffle irons with replaceable forms are considered particularly convenient and multifunctional, allowing to vary not only the composition of desserts, but also their appearance. For example, in addition to the standard rectangular and round wafers, you can prepare wafers in the form of hearts, bears, triangles, etc. Such a variety of molds is very important if waffles are prepared for children, and also on the eve of everyone's favorite Valentine's Day holiday, when you want to please your beloved or loved one.
For the preparation of wafers in such a device it is enough to pour dough into the mold and close the plates. Since the surface of the plates is covered with a special non-stick material, no need to use oil to bake wafers, which reduces the calorie content of the dessert and increases its benefits.
Unlike a waffle iron for a gas cooker, the dough in the electric waffle iron does not stick and does not leak, which greatly simplifies the cooking process.
Which waffle iron to choose
What can be cooked in the waffle iron
What to look for when choosing a waffle iron
- Power
The speed of operation of any electrical appliance depends on its power. Optimum, if the wafernet power is from 800 to 1000 W.Appliances with a higher power are useful only if they need to be used too often.
Waffle iron professional
- Quality of non-stick coating
Virtually all modern electric waffle irons have non-stick coating, due to which wafers are evenly fried and not burned. When choosing a waffle iron, you need to carefully inspect the quality of the spraying. If there are even a few "bubbles" or "bald spots" on it, then soon the wafers will start to burn, and the device itself will deteriorate.
Also good quality features waffle iron with ceramic coating. Firstly, this material is considered to be the most durable and environmentally friendly, and secondly, even in the case of waxing, the ceramics will not suffer.
Waffle iron with replaceable molds
Waffle iron with replaceable forms
- Body material
The body of modern waffle irons is often made of either plastic or metal. In terms of functionality, both of these devices can not differ from each other, but the metal coating is more resistant to damage of any kind, which, respectively, prolongs the life of the waffle iron. In addition, overall professional waffle irons, which allow you to prepare several portions at the same time, are equipped with only a metal coating.
Waffle in the form of a heart in a waffle iron
What are waffle irons
Functionality of waffle irons
Experts believe that the best waffle maker should be equipped with a thermostat - a function that controls the internal temperature of the appliance. Thanks to the thermostat, the process of making wafers is almost self-sufficient - just pour the dough into the mold and set the timer for baking.
In addition to the thermostat, it is worth paying attention to the presence of such an indicator as the thermostat. With this option, you can select the intensity of the temperature regime for baking wafers in the range from 180 to 250 degrees, which, accordingly, provides the dessert a different degree of roasting.
In the line of standard functions of the waffle iron, there is also necessarily an audio or light register that indicates the availability of the product.
Of the additional useful functions that not all models of the device are equipped with, you can distinguish the function of the rotary device. The essence of this option is that after pouring the dough into the mold and closing the lid, the waffle iron casing can be rotated 180 degrees, so that the dough evenly spreads over the entire shape.
Please note: since this function belongs to the category of additional, the cost of the model with its presence can be several times higher than the price of an ordinary waffle iron.
Waffle iron for lush wafers
Lush waffles in waffle iron Photo
Thinking about how to choose a waffle iron, you first need to determine the functionality you need. If you do not plan to cook wafers on a daily basis, then the device with a standard set of functions will work for you. However, real gourmets and fans of fast culinary masterpieces for sure will enjoy using a waffle iron with additional options and changeable forms that allow to bring variety to the everyday menu.
