Presto Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker

DISAPPOINTED: See update below. After a recent trip to Belgium, I waffled on waffles. I discovered that I actually like them! Not the thin waffles my mother used to make that we coated with margarine and drowned in syrup from possibly politically incorrect syrup bottles, but big, crispy Belgian waffles smothered with berries and banana slices and dusted with a light coating of powdered sugar. The big piles of whipping cream were also wonderful, but optional. So began the search for a perfect waffle maker. Of course, perfect depends on your needs and desires. Here are the reasons I chose the Presto. 1. Cooking surface. I quickly decided to avoid teflon-like coatings that manufacturers declined to disclose the components of, and I gravitated towards a ceramic model. 2. Even cooking. To get a perfectly cooked waffle, I wanted one that I could flip over and distribute the batter evenly over all the cooking surfaces. 3. Weight and space. The models that suspend the waffle maker on a tower weigh more and take up more space. The Presto is lightweight. You load and flip it at the counter-top height—another positive in case you are shorter than the average person as am I. In addition, when not in use, you can lock it into an upright position providing a small footprint for storage. 4. Cost. Of the wafflers I found at the same price point as the Presto, none met all these requirements. 5. Reviews. I'll admit, I have a bias towards some of the high-end brand names for cooking supplies, so it took some effort to admit I didn't find what I wanted in that category. I was persuaded by Presto, however, because it popped up favorably in so many reviews. So much for that boring stuff, how does it work? I started out with 3 tests to see what this baby could do. 1. For a quick start, I made the basic recipe that was in the book. It was unremarkable, and it didn't really brown that well. That might be my fault as I prefer to weigh flour rather than to measure it, so my proportions might have been off. Still, the waffle was cooked, and it was edible. 2. Next up, a savory waffle with cheese, chilis, and cornmeal to replace a block of corn bread to serve with the season's favorite food: chili! These waffles cooked up perfectly with no sticking from the cup of shredded cheddar cheese that was included in the batter. I will have to tweak the recipe as the canned green chilis were a little bland for our taste, but, otherwise, yum! 3. The real deal! Yeast waffles from a recipe I found in Rose Levy Beranbaum's, The Cake Bible. It it also available on several web sites as Marion Cunningham's waffles, the source of the original recipe. Yeast products take extra time and planning to produce, but when Beranbaum described these as "the most ethereal waffles I had ever experienced," I had to try it. And, it really wasn't that difficult. Believe me, they were perfect and well worth the effort. See photo! Which leads me to recommendations: 1. Take it seriously when they say to cook the waffles until they stop steaming. 2. Turn the waffle over and serve bottom-side up because it's going to brown better on the bottom. Gravity, I guess. 3. If you are going to drip batter, try to avoid the area where the two little screws are. It's easy enough to clean it up with a little water and toothpick, but better if you don't have to. 4. Experiment and enjoy! UPDATE September 9, 2020. One month before it would have had its first birthday, the unit stopped heating up. I suspected that something was up because occasionally a waffle in the middle of the batch did not brown and crisp up. Contacted Presto and sent them photos. Two days later, on a Friday, they responded that I have to return the unit to see if whether it is defective or they can fix it. They are sending a mailing label in email on Monday. They said the process would take 3-4 weeks!! My husband is freaking out at the thought of no waffles. Will probably buy a different waffle maker and keep this one as a backup.