From The Straits Times    |

 

WHAT IT IS
The Smart Waffle, from Australian brand Breville, is a solid machine that lets you make two waffles at a time.

HOW IT WORKS
Four settings – Belgian, Classic, Buttermilk and Chocolate – cater to different types of waffles. It takes about five minutes for the heating plates to warm up – you’ll hear a beep and the display screen turns from orange to blue. Pour in the batter, lower the lid, then wait for the beep that indicates the waffles are ready. Each batch of waffles takes three to five minutes to cook. If you like your waffles lighter or darker, a dial on the front lets you adjust the settings.

WHAT I COOKED
Following recipes from a downloadable booklet from the Breville website, I made classic waffles as well as more exciting ones like a savoury Three-cheese Souffle, and a Feta and Spinach Waffle. What was useful: The recipes came with specific instructions on how to customise settings on the machine.

WHAT I LIKED
All my waffles turned out perfect, every time. They were crispy on the outside, incredibly fluffy inside, and every one was evenly browned. I did not even have to set a cooking time – it was that simple. It was useful that the machine came with a wide wrap-around moat that caught any overflow. On my first try, I poured in too much batter, which collected in the moat, but it wasn’t difficult to remove the solidified batter later. A bonus: Excess butter leaked out during cooking, resulting in a less greasy (and healthier) waffle. The cooked waffles were easy to remove from the plates.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Cleaning in between the plates’ ridges was a bit tricky as the plates cannot be removed and the ridges are fairly deep. The best I could do was mop up the grease with a kitchen towel and clean them with a damp cloth.

VERDICT
Takes the guesswork out of making the perfect waffle – a worthy addition to any kitchen.

The Smart Waffle, $398, from Metro Centrepoint, Robinsons The Heeren, Takashimaya D.S. and Tangs Orchard

This article was originally published in Simply Her August 2015.