Chef's Choice Waffle Maker (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I've acquired quite a collection of new and used waffle makers in my quest to find a unit that meets my very demanding needs, and this is the first unit that has ever completely satisfied me. Modern machines offer the convenience of timed baking, superior non-stick grids (that don't rust lke old machines) and warning buzzers, but generally at the expense of lower wattage. At 1750 watts, this is the most powerful unit in my collection. It also has the best non-stick grids, which never require cooking oil, not even the first time. This unit even beat the KitchenAid KPWB100NP Pro Line Waffle Baker, which disappointed me. The Wafflepro M850 is the most versatile unit I've ever used.The reason I say that my needs are demanding is that I try and produce healthy waffles, using whole grain batters, low fat or even fat-free batters, sugar-free batters, etc. Sugar aids in browning, and oil aids in crisping. Most wafflers have trouble browning and crisping batters that are lower in or lacking these types of ingredients. Heavy batters such as whole wheat often come out doughy as well, in lower wattage units. I've cooked whole wheat, oat bran, traditional buttermilk, fat free, sugar free, chocolate chip and other batters in this unit and am able to produce not only waffles with crisp exteriors and soft interiors (as advertised) but everything in between. You can produce waffles with textures ranging from damp sponges to bricks with a variety of batters in this waffler. At the uniform setting and mid-range temperature you can produce them with the texture of an ice cream cone, without being hard or burnt, which is kind of neat.It's very fast, at the settings I normally use it takes 2 minutes to produce an 8 1/2 inch square waffle, and 90 second if I'm in the mood for a less crisp waffle. It actually ends up being faster than the comparably priced KitchenAid model that cooks two at once since that unit is slower to heat and cook. Unlike the KitchenAid, this one has both temperature and time adjustments, whereas the KitchenAid only has variable timing. The KitchenAid will produce a taller waffle however (at 1 1/4 inch) due to it's flip nature, whereas this one produces waffles that are 7/8 inches tall, which is taller than standard waffles but not as tall as most flip-style belgian units. I use "tall" instead of thick and thin, as I reserve those terms for the thickness of the waffle walls. This unit produces thinner waffle walls due to its slightly more squared grid pattern, which allows for more texture versatility. I like the shape of the grid pattern very much, but others may prefer the thicker waffle walls of most other belgian waffle makers. And if you want waffles that are taller than 7/8 inches thick you'll need a flip-style unit.I also have a Chef's Choice WafflePro M840 machine, the Five of Hearts style, for use when I want something with a smaller grid pattern. It's a nice unit, and powerful in its class at 1100 watts, although I find the extra wattage of the M850 helpful for my needs. The M840 series also lacks the LED timer of this unit, but that's more of a handy convenience than a necessity. The M840 series is a great unit for the casual waffler (the M840B is the belgian style unit which I haven't tried but appears comparable to the M840 heart style unit) and produces nicely textured waffles for most traditional batters. But if you're a hardcore waffle lover that's counting calories to boot, the M850 is worth the (much) higher price to get the added texture capability.For me at least, the search for the perfect waffle iron/baker/maker has ended.

I used a recipe out of the back of the instruction book and only the first waffle came out too crispy. So, I used the temperature dial and turned the heat down. The next waffle came out perfect.Now, I leave the settings where they are and all the waffles I cook come out soft in the middle with the perfect crunch on the outside. The 2-minute cook time is FAST.I don't try to store hot food in warming drawers or ovens; personally I prefer to eat my food freshly cooked. No matter how it's cooked or stored, if you store hot food the quality is going down quickly.The instruction booklet says to use 1 cup of batter, I found that to be too little so I use a bit more and have no problems. Overflow is not an issue since there is a handy ridge that collects it. As soon as the batter dries in there it flakes right off. Also there is not really a chance of getting batter on the controls.Although it is not submersible, this wafflemaker is still easy to clean. After your last batch of waffles, leave it on and put in several tablespoons of water. Close the lid, let it run for a single 2-minute cycle, and unplug the thing. When it cools if there is anything left it will wipe off easily with a paper towel.This thing cooks big waffles. I cook 3 waffles and it is more than my family of 4 can eat. Personally I eat 1 full waffle to myself, everyone else seems to like just a couple of the 1/4 sections.PROS- Cooks waffles well, with a wide variety of settings for individual taste- Easy to clean- Good instructions- Cooks large waffles- Cooks them FAST; I wouldn't want it much faster than 2 minutes.- Power cord stores underneath, wrapped upCONS- Costs a lot- Power cord is a little short- Not submersible in water for cleaning

I've compared a few machine, search all the reviews, and narrowed down my choice to 3 machines: "Chef's Choice M850", "Warning Pro WMK300 or WMK600", and "KRUPS FDD9 5D (this one from Amazon Germany)", I ended up choosing the Chef's Choice M850.As I'm from Hong Kong, our output is 220V, so I spend another HKD$690 (US$88) for a voltage convertor, but it's definitely worth it.Me n my hubby are both quite picky about food, it does really good quality waffle, to give you an idea, the best waffle I tried was in Hyatt Hong Kong, it's very very light and crispy, this Chef's Choice's waffle has a texture very close to it (even it's the 1st time I make waffle). And it is by far better than the waffle in Grand Hyatt Bangkok, given that's a home-used machine and it's already better than some hotel waffle, it's absolutely out performed.It is easy to use and easy to take care of so far. I tried both crispy outside + moist inside & all the way crispy, they both very good, it brown uniformly and have very nice texture, I did spill some batter several times, but it's so easy to clean, I used only kitchen wipe to clean it. I also tried both waffle that made with yeast and with baking soda, they both yield good waffle but the waffle with baking soda yield a lighter color and the one use yeast yield a darker color, and the yeast made waffle hs a more complex taste.U can store the machine upright but it can't stand upright by itself, u hv to put it next to the wall or hv something to support it, otherwise it'll fall.And last, one problem with the fast cooking (crispy outside & moist inside), it can make perfect waffle when the batter is in room temperature. But if u bake with the batter that just taken out of the fridge, it still yield a perfect crispy outside and moist inside, but the inside is cold. I guess you'll hv to rest the batter a bit after u take it out from the fridge.Overall it is a really great waffle machine, hopefully it can last more than 1 year, if possible I'll come back and let you know an year after.