The Best Waffle Makers To Buy Online In Australia
Want to up the ante on your homemade brunch? What better way to do that than with your very own waffle maker. On this page, we’ll break down our best rated waffle makers within a variety of categories, to then get into everything you need to look for as you compare your options. You’ll be cooking up light, crispy and gorgeously fluffy waffles in no time.
Best Overall Waffle Maker
Breville No-Mess Waffle Maker
- Easy-to-use controls featuring seven browning settings
- Heats up quickly and signals when ready
- Reliably produces batch after batch of beautiful waffles
- Overflow moat makes it easy to clean; lock-and-stand feature for convenient storage
- Timer could be louder
- Waffles are relatively thin; some users may prefer thicker waffles
Solidly built and relatively compact, the stainless steel Breville No-Mess Waffle Maker would make a stylish addition to any kitchen bench. But, as you would expect from a Breville, this waffle maker has much more to offer than just good looks.
Utilising Breville’s Thermal Pro heating system, it distributes heat evenly to ensure each batch of waffles is cooked to perfection. With seven browning settings to choose from, it also allows you to choose the texture you want from your waffles, all the while making sure each one is beautifully browned on the outside, with no raw batter pockets within.
Featuring simple, intuitive controls, this is a waffle maker that’s easy to use. And, happily, it’s also easy to clean, thanks to its PFOA-free non-stick coating – and the fact that it has a moat around the outside of the waffle plate, which catches any overflow mixture.
Best Cheap Waffle Maker
Kogan Waffle Maker
- Compact footprint within surprisingly stylish and durable design
- Non-stick aluminium coated plates for easy waffle release and no fuss cleaning
- Offers flip feature for even cooking on both sides
- On or off: no choice of browning levels
- Some users have reported uneven browning
Despite its low price tag, the Kogan Waffle Maker looks neat and stylish in a combination of black and stainless steel, and actually feels reassuringly sturdy. It’s also nice and compact, so it won’t take up much space on your kitchen counter, or in the cupboard should you want to stash it away when it’s not in use.
As for its waffle making ability, most users seem pretty happy with this inexpensive little machine. With just one heat setting, all you need to do is fill it with batter, wait 10 seconds and then flip the plate over for an even cook. From there, simply wait for it to finish cooking, open the machine, and remove your waffles.
Thanks to its non-stick plate, waffles come out easy every time – and it’s also easy to clean. Other worthy features of note include the fact that it has cool touch sides, and it has a child lock catch.
Best High-End Waffle Maker
Breville The Smart Waffle Maker
- Uses Breville’s Thermal Pro heating system for evenly cooked, beautifully crisp waffles
- Batch after batch comes out the same, offering four waffles at a time
- Intuitive controls allows for variance in taste and texture
- Handy features include countdown timer on LCD display and ‘A Bit More’ function
- Large, heavy and cannot be stored upright
- High cost means it’s likely best suited to proper waffle aficionados
Taking the guesswork out of making waffles, the Breville The Smart Waffle Maker is all you could ever want from a waffle maker. Featuring Breville’s Waffle IQ, it utilises intelligent automation to determine how long your waffles will need to cook and at what temperature, depending on the type of waffles you choose to create.
In terms of waffle styles, you can select from Belgian, Classic, Chocolate and Buttermilk, with the option to customise your settings if none of those suit. You can also choose just how crispy you want your waffles, with 12 browning levels on offer. From there, it’s simply a matter of pouring in the batter, closing the lid and watching the timer on the LCD screen count down.
Other features you’re sure to appreciate include the overflow moat and non-stick plates for easy cleaning. Like some of Breville’s other products, it also offers the ability to cook your waffles ‘A Bit More’ with just one touch.
Most Versatile Waffle Maker
Tefal Snack Collection Sandwich and Waffle Maker
- Makes light, crispy waffles and a range of other snacks
- Body features compact footprint, additional plates come in easy-to-store ‘books’
- Heats up quickly
- Features include ready-to-cook indicator, locking hatch and integrated cord storage
- Little control over heat settings with no temperature dial
- Additional plates are not cheap and not always easy to find
If you want your waffle maker to make more than just waffles, the Tefal Snack Collection could be just what you’re looking for.
Perfectly versatile, it features removable plates that allow you to create a wide variety of snacks, including paninis, French toast, pancakes and doughnuts. This model comes with the triangular toasted sandwich plate and the waffle plate. A selection of 16 plates in total are available, and can be purchased separately.
Finished in stainless steel, it looks great on the kitchen bench. It’s also sturdy in its build, using quality materials and a clever design that you can call upon again and again. In terms of ease of cleaning, the plates are simple to remove and can be placed in the dishwasher. However, some users have complained that the body is tricky to clean if whatever you’re making overflows the plates.
Best Waffle Maker Brands
Breville
As an iconic Australian brand, Breville delivers an expansive range of kitchen appliances to more than 70 countries around the world. Epitomising thoughtful design and brilliant innovation, this is a company that prides itself on delivering innovation based on consumer insights, allowing users to do more in their kitchen.
In terms of waffle makers, Breville has a few options currently on offer, each designed to appeal to different needs, tastes and budgets. Each of Breville’s waffle makers is beautifully designed and made from durable materials, ensuring they not only look good on the counter, but perform well, each and every time they’re called upon.
Tefal
While Tefal was once a name you’d only associate with non-stick pans, the brand has grown and expanded over the decades, bringing a wide range of kitchen and home appliances to the market. Motivated by its endless pursuit of innovation, Tefal is a brand you can count on to create appliances that perform well with awesome functionality, while looking great.
And its waffle makers? Currently, Tefal offers its incredibly versatile Snack Collection, as well as its Optigrill, with waffle plates available as an additional purchase. As you’d expect, these offerings both provide amazing non-stick performance, just like those first Tefal frying pans back in the 1950s.
How to Choose the Right Waffle Maker
Unsure what to look for as you compare waffle makers? Whether you’re new to the waffle making game or you’re in the market to upgrade to a better machine, here is everything you need to know as you compare the options to find the very best waffle maker for you.
How well does it do its job?
Surely the most important factor in any appliance comparison is working out how well each model does its job. When comparing waffle makers, that means looking into how consistent it is, and whether it allows you to create perfect waffles, with each and every batch.
Find out whether it heats the batter consistently, and whether the waffles come out evenly cooked with tender centres and crispy exteriors. Also consider how many waffles it makes at once, and how deep the plates are.
How easy is it to use?
Ease of use is crucial. If you have a waffle maker that’s hard to operate, it will more than likely remain at the back of the cupboard, never getting used. When comparing options, look at how easy it is to pour in the batter, whether you can just leave it to its job, and how fool-proof the process is. Also consider how easy it is to remove waffles once they’re done, and whether there is a range of recipes to try out, expanding the usability of the waffle maker.
What functionality does it offer?
You will find some waffle makers offer more features than others. It’s up to you to decide what kind of functionality you want and need. Here are some features to look out for.
- Flip: With this feature, the waffle maker flips the waffles over as they cook to brown them evenly on both sides.
- Countdown timer: This timer either tells you how far through the cycle the current batch is, or how long is left until it’s finished.
- Visible or audible indicators: A waffle maker may display a light or make a sound when it’s ready to start, so you know when to pour in the batter. It may also indicate when the waffles are finished.
- Child lock: If you have small kids in the house, you may want to look for a waffle maker with a child lock. A cool touch exterior may also be worth looking out for.
- Removable plates: Some waffle makers feature removable plates, allowing you to swap out plates to make different shaped waffles, or different types of snacks, such as toasted sandwiches.
- A selection of browning levels: With this feature, you can choose how crisp you want your waffles by selecting a specific browning level. Waffle makers that don’t offer this feature tend to use a one-size-fits-all approach to how long each batch cooks for.
- A selection of waffle styles: With this feature, you can choose the style of waffles you want to make, for example, Belgian waffles, classic waffles or buttermilk waffles.
- A selection of waffle shapes: Either using removable plates or a fixed plate shape, this feature allows you to choose what shape of waffles you want to make, whether that’s a more traditional square or triangular shaped waffle, or waffles shaped to look like well known characters, such as Mickey Mouse or Darth Vader. Specialised waffle makers are also available that make stuffed waffles and bowl-shaped waffles.
How easy is it to clean?
Most waffle makers feature a non-stick surface, but as you compare models, be sure to check reviews to find out just how non-stick the plates are. It’s also worth looking for features such as removable dishwasher-safe plates, and an overflow moat that prevents excess batter from dripping onto the kitchen counter.
What does it look like?
Whether looks are important to you or not, it’s worth taking time to check out the build quality and materials used on each waffle maker you’re interested in. Consider how compact the waffle maker is if you want to keep it on display, and how easily you can store it otherwise.
How much does it cost?
How much you decide to spend on your new waffle maker will determine how well it performs, how long it lasts, and a number of other important factors. For example, you may find cheaper models don’t allow you to choose how crispy you want your waffles. Really basic models may not even have an on/off switch, never mind some of the more advanced features mentioned above. Also be aware that while cheaper models may start off non-stick, they may lose that quality more quickly than more expensive models.
Using your waffle maker
Can you use pancake mix to make waffles?
Yep. If you want to save time, you can use ready-made pancake mix in your waffle maker. Consider adding oil to the mix (at a ratio of 2 tablespoons of oil to every 1 cup of pancake mix) to help prevent the batter from burning and the waffles from sticking.
Should you spray oil on a waffle maker before using it?
This depends on the model. Some non-stick surfaces actually deteriorate when you use spray oil on them, so check the instruction manual before using any type of oil on your waffle maker.
What’s the difference between Belgian waffles and traditional waffles?
Belgian waffles are typically made with yeast, whereas traditional American waffles tend to be made with baking powder. As a result, Belgian waffles are often thicker, lighter and fluffier, while traditional waffles are thinner and crispier. As Belgian waffles also tend to be larger, with deeper pockets, they can be preferable for holding toppings such as ice cream and syrup.