Hamilton BeachBelgian Mini Waffle Maker with Shade Control, Makes 2 at Once, Create Personalized Keto Chaffles and Hash Browns, PFAS-Free Non-Stick Plates, Compact Design, Stainless Steel (26009)

This is a really nice Belgian waffle maker. Will definitely make thick waffles.

I’ve been on a mission to make Keto or low carb waffles, chuffed and the like. But I needed a simple, inexpensive iron to test them out in. I had ordered another inexpensive single 4 inch maker, but it was going to take several weeks to arrive on back order. So I poked around on Amazon and found this little guy. It wasn’t too expensive, didn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, and has a simple slider to indicate heat preference. Plus, it makes two at a time instead of the one I was going to order originally. I’m so pleased I got this one instead. When you first get it, you are supposed to wipe down the inside and I misted a little oil onto the plates after. Regardless, the surface is non-stick, so long as you don’t scratch it or use anything abrasive. The unit just plugs and plays, so to speak. Just be careful you don’t overfill it. I did, the second time I used it, and had a fun mess to clean up after. Still, the results are great: thick, lightweight, fluffy waffles. Pictured are keto-waffles (from a premade mix I purchased, also on Amazon, best waffles ever by the way, no need for syrup). These were on the medium setting and were still soft and fluffy, but just firm enough to hold and eat without a fork. Clean up and storage is easy too. It closes and stays closed and you can set it upright in a cabinet. I got what I paid for. The overall body of the unit is metal and WILL BE HOT when plugged in. There is no on/off switch. As soon as you plug this in, it is a go. So be careful when approaching the metal body of the unit. There are indicator lights on the top letting you know it is on and preheated. The metal body was a little scuffed in spots, but I didn’t get this for looks. It is purely functional.

I bought this to replace a 20-year-old admiral Belgian waffle maker (I still miss her). I like it now, but that comes with a proviso. It has a locking mechanism when you close the lid. If you know how to make waffles you know that waffles fluff up when they cook. The locking mechanism prevents that. Batter shoots out the sides and of course clean up is going to be a problem. Once I removed the lid locking mechanism, it worked perfectly. I just wanted to make waffles, not trap them in a communist Utopia.

This Hamilton Beach (model #26009) Waffle Maker (Proctor Silex is the same company) is really great! It makes evenly cooked, light and fluffy, crisp one-inch waffles (3.5 inches x 4.5 inches in size). The non-stick coating works perfectly and the unit's small size guarantees even heating will not be a problem. (The 4x5 in the title of this review refers to the number of depressions in the waffle. Traditionally, 3x5 is a Brussels Waffle, 4x6 is a Liege Waffle. Both are Belgian. Most waffle makers in the U.S. are either round or square, not rectangular. Ergo, they cannot produce Belgian Waffles. But this Hamilton Beach model is as close as I could get. Unless I spend $800 on a 50lb. cast iron unit from a restaurant supply company. Not likely.)Of course, creating a great waffle depends on more than just the waffle maker. For instance, I always brush on a light coating of refined almond oil (smoke point = 495 degrees F.) before the first batter-pour**. If I smell burning oil smoke before the ready-light goes on, I reduce the temperature. With this unit, I set the min/max knob to max. When the pre-heat light went on (after 4 minutes), the oil was just starting to smoke. I poured the batter into the center of the left 4x5 space and then the center of the right space, finishing off any corners the batter had not yet reached. Once the batter touches the grid, the temperature drops and the smoke, if any, stops immediately. Closing and locking the cover presented no problem. Steam started shooting out right away. Steam is 212 degrees F. so smoke has no chance at this point. As this unit has no built-in timer, but asks you to watch for diminishing steam levels, I just set my own timer to 7 minutes (I use whole grain flours and they always take a little longer to cook). Seven minutes later, an absolutely perfect set of two waffles emerged. They lifted out with a toothpick and slid right out onto my waiting serving plate. Then I poured in the remaining batter, set the timer for another 7 minutes and ate a set of fantastic waffles (after adding fresh blueberries and powdered sugar over them).** Whipping egg whites in a separate bowl is a must. Mix yolks, sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, salt (unless its in the butter), and flour, in that order, until smooth. Dump in the whipped egg whites and fold the batter over the egg whites (look up folding on your own - the better you do it, the better your waffle will be). This kind of batter does not run much. Unlikely you'll have any trouble with over-pouring problems. Also, notice there's no baking powder or baking soda in the batter. No yeast, either. None are needed. The whipped egg whites do it all.

This waffle maker cooks 2 waffles in 2 minutes on a low heat setting. Cooking spray or butter is needed. It makes cooking fresh waffles in the morning doable, but I also use it to meal prep protein waffles on the weekend to heat in the toaster during the week. Using this and not buying frozen protein waffles has saved me money! My only complaint is clean up. I treat it like a cast iron and just give it a quick wipe down.

This magic little waffle iron is so easy to use. It is quick to make the most delicious breakfast!

The little clip that holds the lid shut popped off on the second use. I thought there would be some way to snap it back in since it had a spring, but the plastic had actually broken. Otherwise, it makes a pretty good waffle, it’s just cheap quality so I returned it as soon as I could.

a little challenging to clean, but overall it works great. I love making waffles, so this machine was perfect for me.