We used our triple-tested classic waffles recipe to put electronic waffle makers through their paces. We made several batches of waffles and compared consistency of results. When waffle machines had multiple functions, including toastie and panini functions, we tested these too.
Read on to discover our top buys, and for more, visit our product reviews section and find guides to everything from the best toasters and best sandwich toasters to the best breadmakers.
Best waffle makers at a glance
- Best Belgian waffle maker: Caso Design WaffleUp Belgian waffle maker, £89.99
- Best 2-in-1 waffle maker: Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle machine, £45
- Best premium waffle maker: Sage the Smart Waffle Pro, £179.95
- Best mid-priced waffle maker: Breville DuraCeramic waffle maker, £34.98
- Best waffle machine for personalisation: Gastroback Advanced Control Waffle Iron, £129.90
- Best waffle maker for families: Lakeland No-Mess waffle maker, £59.99
- Best budget waffle maker: VonShef Dual Belgian waffle maker, £32.99
- Best waffle maker for cleanliness: Sage the No-Mess Waffle, £109.95
- Best multi-purpose waffle makers: Salter 3-in-1 snack maker, £34.99
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Best waffle makers to buy in 2025
Caso Design WaffleUp Belgian waffle maker
Available from Amazon (£88.99), Caso (£89.99)
Best Belgian waffle maker
Pros:
- Creates perfectly formed Belgian waffles
- Excellent non-stick
- Overflow container means no mess or waste
- Fully recyclable packaging
Cons:
- Tall, so might be tricky to store
Star rating: 5/5
This Belgian waffle maker from CASO Design was a joy to use. Not only does it look great on the countertop, its unique top-fill design helps to reduces mess and waste as any excess batter flows into the detachable drip container.
The spout through which you pour the batter is a little small, so it’s worth doing this gently and slowly – the drip container will catch anything that escapes, which you can then use for your next batch of waffles.
There are five browning levels to choose from across a scale of one to five, and when the batter is cooked, the gadget beeps clearly five times. The results speak for themselves: we cooked impressively golden Belgian waffles in our test – crisp on the outside and fluffy in the centre with a uniform thickness.
Wattage: 800W
Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker
Best 2-in-1 waffle maker
Pros
- Versatile
- Quick and easy to use
- Great results
- Comes with American pancake plates
- Plates for toasted sandwiches and grilling can be bought separately
Cons
- Beware of the locking catch on the handle
Star rating: 5/5
The Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker has a large footprint, makes great waffles quickly and easily, and looks great on the worktop. Plus, it comes with pancake plates (grill and sandwich-making plates are available separately), making this one of the most versatile machines on test.
Operating this waffle maker is easy, with clear, precise instructions in the enclosed book and recipes so you can produce delicious waffles and pancakes in no time.
Wattage: 1000W
Sage the Smart Waffle Pro
Available from Sage (£179.95)
Best premium waffle maker
Pros
- Stylish machine
- Produces large waffles
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Slower than other models
Star rating: 5/5
This is one of the most expensive waffle makers we tested and is aimed at those who are really serious about their snacks. There’s no guesswork needed with this Sage machine. You choose your type of waffle from a choice of five and can also select how brown you want it to be, with a range of one to 12. There’s even a “bit more” button you can press if you want it just a little browner.
The machine will tell you when your waffles are ready, with a digital counter counting down the seconds. And unlike most machines, there are no lights. Instead, there’s a beep when it’s heated up and another announcing that your waffles are ready.
The waffles themselves were huge – about 12 x 12cm and noticeably thick. Browning was also very deep and even, and the waffles were crispy on the outside and soft inside.
This is a heavy, stylish machine that looks more like something you’d expect to find in a café then for the average household kitchen. Read our full review of Sage the Smart Waffle Pro.
Wattage: 1000W
Available from:
Breville DuraCeramic waffle maker
Best mid-priced waffle maker
Pros:
- Dura-ceramic coating
- Good texture and colour
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
Solid, heavy and no-nonsense, this is a waffle maker for the true waffle enthusiast. The name Breville is synonymous with sandwich makers and its waffle maker is built along the same lines. Every detail has been thought of from the easy to remove, washable plates to clear indicators and a heavy-duty non-stick coating on the plates.
The waffles themselves are among the best we tried – and we dutifully chomped through dozens for this test. Sizeable and thick, they are crunchy on the outside while soft on the inside. This is not the quickest machine, taking just over four minutes to heat and seven minutes to produce waffles. Read our full review of the Breville DuraCeramic waffle maker.
Wattage: 800W
Gastroback Advanced Control Waffle Iron
Best waffle machine for personalisation
Pros
- High-quality, good-looking machine
- Choice of texture on finished waffles
- Precision cooking
Cons
- Takes a little time to work out how to use it
Star rating: 4.5/5
The Gastroback waffle iron is a serious machine, made of high-quality materials with German engineering. It also comes with a wealth of added extras.
There are five different function menus, including classic waffles, Belgian-style, chocolate, buttermilk and a custom option. Additionally, you can choose your preferred texture – soft inside and crisp outside, or crisp all the way through.
Wattage: 1600W
Lakeland No Mess waffle maker
Available from Lakeland (£59.99)
Best waffle maker for families
Pros:
- Cuts down on leakage
- Great for making batches
- Even results
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
If you’re feeding a large family – or just have a large appetite – this waffle maker from Lakeland will enable you to make a batch of four at a time. This has a clever design to avoid spillage.
Mess is a bit of an occupational hazard when making waffles as it’s all too easy to ladle just a little too much mixture into the machine, which duly squelches out when cooking. The Lakeland machine has deep ridges at the sides so if you do put too much in, it will leak there rather than out on to your worktop.
This waffle maker is easy to use, with a red light to show it is heating up which switches to green when it is ready. Results were good with thick, evenly cooked waffles produced at a reasonable speed. Read our full Lakeland No Mess waffle maker review.
Wattage: 1200W
Available from:
VonShef Dual Belgian waffle maker
Best budget waffle maker
Pros:
- Compact design
- Quick to heat and cook
- Good price
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
The VonShef is a good, straightforward, no-fuss waffle maker that makes a pair of waffles at a time. It looks like a sandwich maker so if you have one of those too, you might accidentally grab the wrong one. Its small footprint makes it easy to store while it doesn’t take up too much space on the worktop. Most importantly, it made evenly cooked waffles quickly.
This heats up in just two and a half minutes, and our waffles were done after just four. The waffles were a little thinner than average, though. This is a good size for a small family and its speed means that you can make extra batches rapidly.
Plates are non-stick and aren’t removable, so you’ll have to wipe them down with a cloth after use. Read our full VonShef Dual waffle maker review.
Wattage: 1000W
Sage the No-Mess Waffle
Best waffle maker for cleanliness
Pros:
- Attractive design
- Variety of settings
- Small footprint
Cons:
- Produces small waffles
- Expensive
Star rating: 4/5
There’s no denying the Sage No-Mess is a good-looking, quality machine that’s simple to use and, as the name suggests, does not make a mess. This is thanks to the deep, efficient moat around the plate that catches any overspill without burning or sticking.
The Sage offers different settings for varying the colour of the resulting waffle, which also changes the texture (the darker it is, the crispier it is). The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the waffle maker can be up and running in minutes.
Wattage: 750-900W
Salter 3-in-1 snack maker
Best multi-purpose waffle maker
Pros:
- Interchangeable plates
- Good textured waffles
- Indicator lights
Cons:
Star rating: 4/5
This hardworking Salter machine comes with three sets of interchangeable plates for waffles, paninis and sandwiches and outdid other multifunction machines in the texture and taste stakes. It makes impressively large and deep waffles that were soft and light in the middle with a crunchy exterior.
The high hinge of the machine helps to create a uniform thickness, although the colour was a little uneven. The deep, wide plates can take lots of batter so we had to experiment with quantities to get it just right. The sandwich and panini plates are just as generously sized but were slightly trickier to remove than other brands we tested.
Given its versatility and generous portions, it is surprisingly compact, although it doesn’t come with a storage solution so has to be packed away carefully to avoid scratches. However, there is a useful cable tidy and clips for keeping the plates secure when stacked. Read our full Salter 3-in-1 snack maker review.
Wattage: 900W
How we tested waffle makers
Each maker was used to make several rounds of waffles using our triple-tested classic waffles recipe. This meant we could check for consistency in waffle results to fairly compare the machines. We could also make sure the machines were able to maintain temperature and cope with making a number of waffles in a row if cooking for a group of people.
Some machines doubled up as toastie and panini makers. Their ability to make waffles was the primary concern but we tested all functions to make sure they were good all-rounders.
What to look for when buying a waffle maker
Quality of non-stick: Nearly all waffle makers come with non-stick plates. The non-stick coating needs to be durable. We looked for plates that released the waffles easily after cooking with no sticking or tearing.
Indicator lights: Having one light to show that the machine is turned on and a second light to indicate the waffle maker has come up to cooking temperature is a very useful feature.
Removable plates: Though not essential, having removable plates can make cleaning easier.
Overrun channel: Some machines have a useful ‘overrun’ channel that collects excess batter and prevents it from running down the side of the machine.
Speed of cooking: We looked for machines that cooked quickly and efficiently.
Texture of waffle: We looked for waffles that were fully cooked and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy but not overcooked exterior.
Colour of waffle: We looked for even golden colour across the waffle, rejecting machines with obvious hot spots or that burnt on the outside before cooking the middle.
Thickness of waffle: Some machines with narrow hinges tend to squash waffles along their edge. We looked for waffles of uniform depth.
How to make waffles in a waffle maker
Our classic waffles recipe is designed to be used in a standard electric waffle maker like the ones listed above (in fact, we put the machines through their paces using this recipe).
Use the manufacturers instructions to heat the waffle maker up to temperature, then spoon the batter into the mould, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes or following the instruction manual. Once you’ve completed your batch, crisp up the waffles in the oven for five minutes and serve warm with toppings of your choice.
Our best waffle recipes
Classic waffle recipe
Belgian waffles
Cheese & herb waffles
Vegan chive waffles
Waffles with banana & salted caramel
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