In this family, we don’t do cold cereal.
Not exactly sure how I surrounded myself with three boys who take breakfast so darn seriously. Spanish omelets, French toast and American-style stacked pancakes? Oh yeah, they’re all staples at 9:00am chez Lena. Which may sound fabulous – but it’s NOT so fabulous for my waistline, time spent in the kitchen, and sink full of dirty dishes.
(Did I mention that every breakfast-type food must be accompanied by a bowl of fresh cut fruit, or the boys won’t even look at it? And even then, they’ll practically swallow the fruit whole and proceed to pick at the rest – even though, 15 minutes earlier, they demanded eggs/toast/insert-gourmet-breakfast-here. The little jerks.)
A few months ago, we went out for breakfast, and the boys were introduced to waffles.
“Waffos! Waffos! I want waffos!” Reid happily sang the next morning.
“Er…” I searched through the freezer and produced two frozen waffles, heavily crusted with ice crystals from spending too much time at the back of the ice box. After toasting them, I presented the boys with a half burnt, half soggy mess. Oh yeah, like THAT was going to fly.
And so I contacted my friends at Hamilton Beach and begged for help… in the form of a Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker. You see, earlier this year, I had attended the Hamilton Beach Media Preview, and was blown away by the waffle maker’s ability to create thick, fluffy, perfectly browned and evenly cooked waffles thanks to the flip feature – the very kind they use in restaurants. (Which means they would definitely pass the test at “Food-Snobs-r-Us” over here.)
The Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker also features:
Easy-Clean Nonstick Grids
Adjustable Browning Control
Deep Belgian pockets hold butter and syrup
Brushed stainless steel housing
Grids lock securely as waffles cook
Cool-touch handle
Removable drip tray
But the single BEST feature of the waffle maker? I can create homemade, delicious Belgian waffles in UNDER 10 MINUTES. Now if that doesn’t raise me to Breakfast Ninja status, I don’t know what will. Don’t believe me? Here’s a step by step.
Step 1. Look at the Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker and take a picture of it. (Okay, this is an optional step. And only if you plan on reviewing the item or hanging onto the photo for prosperity. Otherwise, you know, just plug the thing in.)
I tried to peel off one of the stickers but it left an unsightly spot on my otherwise gorgeous waffle maker. So, I left the other sticker on. At least I’ll always be reminded of the very awesome 5 year warranty – the longest warranty available!
Step 2. Select your level of toastiness. It’ll take about 3 minutes to heat up, and during this time, I like to stir together pancake mix directly in a measuring cup. (Okay, so I cheat and use a “Just Add Water” mix. I’m a Ninja, not Martha Stewart, obvi.) Each waffle takes about 1/2 cup of batter, so this allows me to both pour and measure at the same time.
Next, pour about half a cup of batter onto the preheated plate. If you pour too much, the excess will drip onto the handy drip tray below, which is easily removed for washing. I tend to err on the side of caution and pour a little less, because I’d rather have an imperfect waffle – but no mess to clean up later. #thingsIponder
Within seconds of closing the lid, flip once clockwise. Et voila! Perfect cooking commences. And unlike flipping pancakes, there’s no guesswork involved – the waffle maker will tell you when it’s ready, usually between 3-5 minutes.
The result? Only the most delicious waffles you’ve ever had. As you can see, I had a few imperfections due to using a little less batter, but I’m cool with that – not every waffle needs to have pockets overflowing with syrup. And, being a little wonky assures me that it was made by hand by me… not on a conveyor belt in a factory in Atlanta.
Success! Homestyle Belgian Waffles in minutes with virtually NO cleanup (the non-stick plates need a simple wipe-down and they’re good to go). The Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker retails for $49.99 – roughly the price of just two visits to a breakfast eatery for a family of four. YUM!
I’m picturing you dressed in full ninja garb, stealthfully moving around the kitchen. LOL! These waffles look great!!!! Drool.
Ha! Well, you would be right :) Except swap ninja garb for yoga pants and really messy hair.
OMG they look so good… I luv that waffle maker..so easy and easy clean up!!
The waffle maker has totally made my mornings better – and more delicious :)
My husband bought me a Cuisinart waffle maker for my birthday one year – the day I went into labour and had our first child! (We joke about the waffle maker being so exciting it will induce labour) Well waffles are definitely a hit in this house too! I have learned to appreciate the short cut of Costco’s pancake mix with a slight variation on the back of the packaging for waffle makers….delicious and EASY!!
I will definitely have to try that Costco mix, thanks Renelle! (And, you MUST check out the Hamilton Beach Flip Waffle Maker if you’re in the market for another – it is AWESOME.)
Yumm! Looks delicious. The no-stick part is quite appealing as well!
It’s so great! Clean up is literally 5 seconds – no exaggeration!
OHHH those look delicious! I want them right now, am seriously considering rushing out to Sears to buy that waffle maker.
Go for it! The sooner you buy it, the sooner you’ll enjoy delicious waffles :)
OMG! *droooooool* Those look sooooooo good!!!
This is so funny and your photos look awesome. I simply must get myself one of these… my fellow ninja ;)
It will make your life better, I promise :) … my fellow ninja :)
I have an uncle that buys a waffle maker for his nieces & nephews as a wedding gift. There’s +30 of us, so he’s bought a few waffle makers. We use our almost weekly and my 4 + 2 year olds LOVE waffles! Recently I’ve been thinking our machine is not working as well as it used to so good to know that this is a good one!
I fully endorse this one Janice! I think you’ll love it!
Yummy waffles! Thank you Ninja Lena, another small appliance to add to my birthday wish list!
Good luck and enjoy!
you ARE a ninja!!
:)
:) So are you – caught your latest review, LOVE Hamilton Beach!
I’ve seen this waffle iron here and there and now I just NEED to get one! lol You waffles look delicious! I know that my hubby and my grandchildren would just love them (and the cooking process itself)
It’s so much fun Anne, and honestly, no more difficult than popping two frozen ones in the toaster. And the fresh waffles are sooo delicious!
I just recently bought a waffle maker and I love it! I have been making large batches, then vacuum sealing and freezing them for quick breakfasts.
What an amazing idea!! Thanks so much for the tip, Brenda!
omg, i want one!!!!! hahhaha!!!!
That’s a fantastic looking waffle maker! I’ve been looking for a good one for a while… MMMmmm yummy!
It looks great AND makes yummy waffles – win-win!
I really need one of these! So handy and the end products look amazing too! Delish!
I love waffles but Belgian Waffle are amazing and I had no idea that there was a Belgian Waffle Maker but leave it to Hamilton Beach to come through with the The Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker