I have three. The oldest is a 20 year old ToastMaster FastBake, which
is the familiar square metal griddle/waffle maker combination. In
order to make waffles more like the waffle shops, I've bought round
ones, one a ToastMaster Waffle Baker (cool touch plastic) and a
Cuisinart, forget the model number, but got great reviews on Amazon.

Of the three, none of them can compare to the old square ToastMaster.
Only it can produce deep, golden brown, crisp waffles. The others max
out at medium brown and not very crisp. Using an IR thermometer, I
can see why:

1) Toastmaster Waffle Baker, cool touch: 325 degrees
2) Cuisinart temperature (on setting 5): 405 degrees
3) Old Toastmaster FastBake: a whopping 590 degrees

So the old griddle is almost 200 degrees hotter than the next hottest
waffle iron. No wonder it produces crisper, browner waffles than the
other. I guess I'm stuck with square waffles for the time being.

Greg Esres wrote:
> I have three. The oldest is a 20 year old ToastMaster FastBake, which
> is the familiar square metal griddle/waffle maker combination. In
> order to make waffles more like the waffle shops, I've bought round
> ones, one a ToastMaster Waffle Baker (cool touch plastic) and a
> Cuisinart, forget the model number, but got great reviews on Amazon.
>
> Of the three, none of them can compare to the old square ToastMaster.
> Only it can produce deep, golden brown, crisp waffles. The others max
> out at medium brown and not very crisp. Using an IR thermometer, I
> can see why:
>
> 1) Toastmaster Waffle Baker, cool touch: 325 degrees
> 2) Cuisinart temperature (on setting 5): 405 degrees
> 3) Old Toastmaster FastBake: a whopping 590 degrees
>
> So the old griddle is almost 200 degrees hotter than the next hottest
> waffle iron. No wonder it produces crisper, browner waffles than the
> other. I guess I'm stuck with square waffles for the time being.
>
I'd check the thrift stores for an *old*, round waffle maker.
Those temps are way too low for a good crisp waffle, with a tender
inside. Nothing wrong with square waffles, though.

"Greg Esres" > wrote in message
>
> 1) Toastmaster Waffle Baker, cool touch: 325 degrees
> 2) Cuisinart temperature (on setting 5): 405 degrees
> 3) Old Toastmaster FastBake: a whopping 590 degrees
>
> So the old griddle is almost 200 degrees hotter than the next hottest
> waffle iron. No wonder it produces crisper, browner waffles than the
> other. I guess I'm stuck with square waffles for the time being.
>

Quite a difference. I'll take taste over shape though, and eat the square
waffles.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> "Greg Esres" > wrote in message
>>
>> 1) Toastmaster Waffle Baker, cool touch: 325 degrees
>> 2) Cuisinart temperature (on setting 5): 405 degrees
>> 3) Old Toastmaster FastBake: a whopping 590 degrees
>>
>> So the old griddle is almost 200 degrees hotter than the next hottest
>> waffle iron. No wonder it produces crisper, browner waffles than the
>> other. I guess I'm stuck with square waffles for the time being.
>>
>
> Quite a difference. I'll take taste over shape though, and eat the
> square waffles.

Mom's waffle maker is circa 1950. Mfg by Knapp-Monarch Co. out of St.
Louis. There's absolutely nothing wrong with square waffles

Jill