Using a waffle maker can bring out the creative cook in all of us. The first waffle maker I got was given to me quite by accident. A friend of mine had purchased a brand new waffle maker to give as a gift at a wedding. As it turned out she was never invited to the wedding – decided to keep the waffle maker herself and gave her old one to me. Up until then the only waffles I ever made came from a box in the freezer. Today, the only kind of waffles I ever make are from scratch, using a waffle maker.
People have complimented me on many occasions saying the taste of homemade waffles doesn’t even come close to the frozen store bought toaster types. Plus with making waffles at home you can turn into a real waffle baker and let your creative genius shine through. You can add a whole host of ingredients to waffles made from scratch. You can add fresh fruit such as blueberries or strawberries or you can add fruit right to the batter such as applesauce for an extra zing in your waffles. Cinnamon is always good to use for spicing things up also.
When creating foods from scratch you also have the added benefit of choosing items that are organic or more health oriented. Using whole wheat flour instead of processed white flour will have an added benefit for those with heart problems. You can even take your waffles to whole new levels by investing in specialty waffle makers such as a Belgian waffle maker. Belgian waffles are a thicker waffle specifically designed to hold toppings. You can top them with berries, nuts, chocolate chips, whip cream or pretty much anything else you want. The Belgian waffle is a great dessert waffle.
You can also buy waffle makers in different shapes such as round or floret/heart shaped waffle makers. There is even a waffle maker that makes what they term “boat” shaped waffles. These are elongated waffles usually about 6 inches in length. You can buy waffle makers that have the capacity for single waffles or double waffles. You can even purchase waffle makers that have removable trays that can be replaced with smooth griddle trays to turn your waffle maker into a griddle. The small investment you make in purchasing either a standard waffle maker or a Belgian waffle maker will go a long way.
Waffle makers in general are designed to have a long appliance life. Many of the top names in appliances manufacture different kinds of waffle makers such as Cuisinart, Chef’s Choice and KitchenAid. When choosing a waffle maker, be sure to look for one that fits your family’s needs. If you have a large family, choosing a double or more capacity maker would be more practical than choosing a single. Also, you may want to spend a little more if you want to have extra features such as the exchangeable griddle surfaces. Of course, with all foods that are homemade you can’t beat the quality for how good it tastes.