The Best Waffle Maker for Resort-Worthy Breakfasts at Home (2025)

Pros

• Cooks evenly, and is responsive to the shade setting you select
• Includes a drip tray to minimize mess
• Removable plates are easy to clean
• Can store vertically

Cons

• Size: 15.6’’ x 10.8’’ x 5.9’’
• Weight: 13.27 lbs
• Shape: Square
• Number of waffles: 4
• Shade settings: 6

What we love:

Indeed, the All-Clad Waffle Iron is intuitive to use. Upon plugging it in, you’ll see a power light go on. After turning the dial to your preferred toasting level (there are six total options), the iron heats up accordingly, and a green “ready” light illuminates when it’s time to pour in the batter. You’ll know your batch is complete when the machine beeps.

I made two batches: one at a level two setting, another at a level four. The results were exactly as expected, with the former yielding a golden, fluffy (but not undercooked) waffle and the latter landing as darker and more crispy (but not burnt). Removing them from the grates using a fork was simple and mess free thanks to the nonstick coating.

The All-Clad is also, frankly, chic. The gleaming, polished stainless steel exterior will look upscale on any countertop, which is helpful considering its size and hulking weight might make you less inclined to move it after every use. But, if you do plan to stow it away, know that when locked in the vertical position, it actually doesn’t take up a ton of room. (It has a much smaller profile than the family-size box of cheerios that lives in my pantry, for reference).

When the time comes for cleanup, you can pop the removable trays in the dishwasher. However, I found that the nonstick coating worked so effectively, there was no need. A quick—and I mean less-than-a-minute—hand-wash felt much more efficient.

What we'd leave:

There’s no way around it: This appliance is large and heavy. That’s great news if you’re looking to work more bicep reps into your daily routine. For everyone else, it makes the machine a bit of a chore to lug around. But, again, if you have the counter or storage space to spare—roughly 16 inches if stored upright—you’d be hard-pressed to find a better-looking waffle iron to display.

Pros:

• Cooks evenly
• Compact, thanks to vertical storage
• Easy to clean

Cons:

• Exterior plastic features may make it less durable

Size: 11.25’’ x 11.75’’ x 4’’
Weight: 4.94 lbs
Shape: Round
Number of waffles: 1
Shade settings: 0 (timer-based)

What we love:

The Presto FlipSide may be a budget pick, but it’s also the top pick of many BA staffers, including test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin, who had previously lived a waffle maker-free lifestyle because she didn’t think she had the space for one. “The FlipSide is compact but still makes a nice-sized (not mini!) waffle, so I don’t feel like I’m compromising,” she says. It stands upright when stored away, making use of valuable vertical space and taking up about the same amount of cabinet real estate as a family-size box of cereal.

While the FlipSide is a budget pick at $60, and you won’t find a fancy LCD screen or über-chic exterior, it is by no means lacking in features. The ceramic cooking plates have a moat to catch any drippage and are easy to clean. Rather than a dial with predetermined doneness or heat settings, it has a countdown timer you can set for whatever cooking time your heart desires (the manual recommends starting with four minutes). Does this entail a bit more trial and error at the outset? Yes. Does this mean you can take full ownership of your waffle-making journey? Also yes!

What we’d leave:

The main negative is that the Presto makes one round waffle at a time, as opposed to the All-Clad’s four square waffles. If you’re planning on regularly making waffles for a crowd, it may be worth investing in a gadget that will get you to the finish line four times quicker. But if you’re making waffles for one or two, or you’re okay waiting it out (with the trade-offs being a far more affordable price tag and compact profile), then the FlipSide is your ticket to breakfast nirvana.

Pros

• Most affordable option
• Compact and easy to store

Cons

• No built-in timer to tell you when the waffle is done

Size: 6.4” x 5” x 2.8”
Weight: 1.6 lbs
Shape: Round
Number of waffles: 1
Shade settings: 0

What we love:

While this $13 appliance is not the best waffle maker we tested, it’s still punching far outside its weight, considering it costs less than an order of waffles at many brunch spots. It’s as easy to use as it is to store. When you turn it on, a light indicates that it’s getting hot. When the light goes off, you know it’s time to pour in your batter.

Our testers tried both a buttermilk recipe and a cheddar-scallion savory waffle. For each batch, the waffles ended up with an even consistency and a pleasantly crisp texture.

What we’d leave:

When you buy such an inexpensive appliance, it’s wise not to expect it to include the latest technology. With the Dash Mini, you won’t get much at all by way of helpful features (aside from that light indicating when the device is hot and ready for batter). Because it lacks a timer to let you know when your waffle is done, you’ll need to do a bit of trial and error to land on your preferred level of crispness (for what it’s worth, our testers liked waffles that cooked in the Dash for 2 minutes).

Since it doesn’t have a mechanism to catch any batter that flows over the edges, be mindful not to use more than the recommended three to four tablespoons. And because it makes just one mini waffle at a time, if you’re cooking brunch for more people than just yourself, be ready to post up at your cooking space for a while.

Since most people aren’t making waffles from scratch every day, we kept size and bulk in mind. For larger irons, we considered whether that heft is part of the machine’s function, or if it’s just taking up needless space. Also, we kept storage in mind; a smaller machine with an awkward design may be trickier to store than some larger models.

If a machine doesn’t cook a waffle consistently throughout, we noticed and noted.

For models that include nonstick surfaces (which can help eliminate the need for pre-greasing and also facilitate faster cleanup), we noted how well the feature worked. We also paid attention to the machine’s exterior materials. For example, plastic is typically less durable than stainless steel.

Nice-to-haves like self-timers, shade selectors, and ready indicators may not be required for an iron to make great waffles, but these add-ons contribute a layer of convenience and often help explain higher prices.

After enjoying breakfast, no one wants to spend the remainder of their morning picking at dried batter stuck to a waffle iron’s grid. We took note of features like nonstick surfaces (that work), removable parts that make cleaning less awkward, dishwasher-safe attachments, and drip plates.

We tested waffle makers at a range of prices and found great options at various costs. To help pick the best for your needs, consider your overall budget and whether certain upgrades—like the ability to make four waffles at once, a self-timer, and a shade selector—are worth a higher cost.

For this piece, we only tested electric waffle makers, given that they are much easier and safer to use. Stovetop options typically require you to preheat each plate separately on its own burner, then pour the batter into one before lifting the other and placing it on top. Then, you need to manually flip every minute or so to get an evenly cooked waffle. The only benefit we can see for stovetop waffle makers is that they may be easier to store, and you can take them camping.

Many waffle makers have different cleaning instructions, so make sure you follow what the machine’s user manual outlines. Across the board, we recommend allowing your waffle maker to cool down before you start cleaning. If your machine doesn’t have removable plates or a nonstick surface that allows you to easily access any dried batter, you can use a toothbrush to gently scrape away at anything remaining. If you can’t tilt your machine to get those dried bits to fall out, you can spray canned computer duster at the surface—just make sure to wipe down the grates afterward.

Pros:

• Nonstick, removable plates
• Dishwasher-safe attachments
• Adjustable dial for toasting level

Cons:

Since the KRUPS is noticeably lighter and more affordable than the All-Clad—and comes with several nice-to-have features—it seemed like a strong contender for our list of budget-friendly favorites, especially for anyone who wants to make four waffles at once. Unfortunately, the machine didn’t deliver in the one arena that matters most: waffle consistency. Some batches skewed near-perfect, but others were unevenly cooked.

Product specs:

• Size: 18.9’’ x 9.84’’ x 9.84’’
• Weight: 9.1 lbs
• Shape: Square
• Number of waffles: 4
• Shade settings: 5

Pros:

• A built-in wrap-around moat catches batter overflow
• 7 browning settings

Cons:

While this waffle maker is sturdy without being needlessly heavy, and we’re really into the built-in moat that catches extra batter, we don’t like it as much as the All-Clad front-runner. Since this Breville is pricey, we can’t ignore that the waffles it turned out weren’t of the same pillowy-inside, crispy-outside caliber. Plus, it only makes one waffle to All-Clad’s four.

Product specs:

• Size: 9’’ x 11’’ x 5.7’’
• Weight: 6.7 lbs
• Shape: Round
• Number of waffles: 1
• Shade settings: 7

Pros:

• Nonstick-coated plates
• Has a wrap-around moat for batter overflow
• High-tech digital dial

Cons:

Sometimes, bigger isn’t better. Offering the same batter-catching moat as Breville’s No Mess model, this heavier and pricier option still doesn’t turn out waffles that match the quality and consistency as All-Clad’s. That said, its precise controls that let you select “a bit more” for browning to your liking and an LCD menu for inputting the type of batter you use both provide a nice customization level.

Product specs:

• Size: 12.5’’ x 15’’ x 5’’
• Weight: 14 lbs, 12 oz
• Shape: Square
• Number of waffles: 4
• Shade settings: 5