I have always thought of myself as a waffle iron connoisseur. I was raised to believe that any consumer-level waffle iron constructed after approximately 1965 wasn't worth the raw materials from which it was made. So I scoured the thrift stores for vintage waffle irons, buying them for five and seven bucks when the opportunity struck and squirreling them away in closets and under beds. However, I've recently experienced a waffle maker that makes me begin to rethink my vintage waffle iron ways.

I recently got a chance to try out Calphalon's new non-stick, No Peek Belgian Waffle Maker and I am officially smitten. I ran it side-by-side with my favorite, vintage waffle iron and was floored by its superiority. It cooks more quickly than my old iron and bakes up a waffle that is fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The waffle wells are deep and can hold lots of butter and syrup (or, as I like to dress my waffle, jam and yogurt). You can set it for the exact level of darkness you want, and when the bell dings, the waffle releases from the griddle easily and without tearing. You don't have to grease the iron prior to adding the batter, so to clean up, all you have to do is give it a quick wipe down.



I have but two points of beef with the Calphalon waffle iron. The first is that it could use about 10 inches more cord than it's got. My kitchen was built in 1966, during a time when people had far fewer kitchen appliances and so it has but three outlets in total. In order to plug this puppy in, I have to turn it on somewhat awkward angle or run an extension cord. I'd also love to see it with removeable iron plates. Cleaning is easy, but I'd still like to be able to take the whole thing apart at some point and give it a good cleaning. However, those two things haven't prevented it from becoming my first string waffle iron, relegating my previously beloved waffle iron to my front hall closet.

Bottom line: It's a winner of a waffle iron. At $99.99, it's a bit pricey, but once you make waffles ten times instead of brunching out, you'll have more than paid for it.