As a student, I lived in Belgium and everyday would walk past a street vendor selling the most delicious smelling waffles. Occasionally the temptation would be too much and I would treat myself to one.
I’ve always fancied making my own waffles but waffle griddles are not easy to come by in the UK, so imagine my delight when I discovered Lakeland were selling not one but two types of waffle maker.
I was about to buy the Non-Stick Waffle Pan but then the Waffle Stick Maker caught my eye. I quite liked the idea of dipping the sticks in various sticky sauces. I was struggling to make a decision so the lovely sales assistant suggested that I purchase both, try them out then bring one back. So that’s just what I did… See the pros and cons for each at the end of the post.
Non-Stick Waffle Pan versus Sweet Treats Waffle Stick Maker
The Waffle Stick Maker comes with a nice little booklet full of recipes whereas the Waffle Pan just has just one recipe on the back of the box, which includes buttermilk which I didn’t have, so I made the first batch using normal milk.
I began by heating both appliances – one on the gas stove, one plugged in. Then I greased each of the plates.
Next I carefully poured in the mixture . (The next two photos are from another batch using the Sweet Treats Pecan Waffle Sticks recipe – that’s why the nuts disappear from the photos afterwards!)
Half way through cooking, using a silicon spatula, I flipped over the waffles on the pan. This was easier that I thought, although I first had to slightly prise them apart.
I removed the cooked waffles from the pans and let them cool on a rack.
I then decorated the flat waffles with raspberries, blueberries, drizzled with Agave Nectar and cream. The sticks were dipped in chocolate sauce and then coated in sprinkles (see main photo). I made several different batches, some with buttermilk, some without. All were delicious, including the pecan nut ones and were gobbled up straight away!
Pros and Cons of the two waffle makers:
Sweet Treats Waffle Stick Maker (£22.99):
Pros: I love the idea of being able to dip the sticks into different sauces. These would be great for a children’s party.
It comes with an instruction booklet full of lovely recipes
Cons:As you can see in the photo, they didn’t all have a nice uniform shape (could be just me though!)
The whole appliance gets very hot, even on the outside. I had to use oven gloves to open it.
Both were fiddly to clean but oil seemed to get into the hinges making this one more difficult.
Non-Stick Waffle Pan (£19.99):
Pros: Very heavy, sturdy pan. Can be rinsed under water.
Quick, simple and more like proper waffles. Can be put in a toaster to heat and crisp up.
Cons: Only one recipe. No novelty sticks to dip.
Verdict: Which one will I be taking back?
I really liked both appliances and in terms of taste, the results were the same. They were both very good quality and easy to use.
The children preferred the sticks and were keen to try out different dips with sprinkles!
However, I felt that the Sweet Treat Waffle Stick Maker was a bit gimmicky. For me, it would probably stay in a cupboard and not see the light of day very often, whereas the Waffle Pan will stay in my pan drawer next to the frying pan. I make pancakes quite often so now I can try lots of different waffle recipes too.
Buttermilk Waffles with Blueberries, Bananas drizzled with Agave Nectar
This is what we had for breakfast this morning. (and no, that’s not one portion, it’s what we had between four of us!). And their faces did light up when they entered the dining room.
This post is more about the differences between the two waffle makers than the actual recipes, as I will experiment more and then include the results in future posts. However, here are the recipes that I used:
Buttermilk Waffles (from the Non-Stick Waffle Pan box)
250g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt - I would actually leave this out next time as my son complained they tasted too salty.
460 ml buttermilk – I also tried them with half normal milk and they were lighter and fluffier.
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pecan Waffle Sticks (from Sweet Treats – it also includes a toffee dipping sauce which I didn’t make)
240g plain flour
100g dark brown sugar
60g chopped pecan nuts
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp cinnamon
300 ml milk
3 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp maple syrup – I used Agave Nectar
35 g melted butter
Instructions
Combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients except for the egg whites. Then mix them together. Whisk the whites until they form stiff peaks then gently fold into the mixture.
Brush the plates with vegetable oil, heat then pour in the mixture.
Bake for about 3 minutes until golden and crispy then leave to cool on a wire rack.
For more information, here’s the link to Lakeland:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/search/waffle-maker/q02.r16.1