Chef's Choice 830B WafflePro Classic Belgian Waffle Maker
by Chef's Choice
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List Price: Our Price: $46.95 You Save: $23.05 (33%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Chef's Choice 830B WafflePro Classic Belgian Waffle Maker
Customer Review: A great first waffle maker for a novice
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first waffle maker, and I'm quite pleased with it so far. I wasn't an aficionado before, but after two months of delicious waffles, I think I'm becoming one.
I'm a lazy cook, and I started out using Krusteaz Belgian waffle mix (just add water). It produced a great waffle, but then I read the nutrition label. One waffle has 850mg of sodium, and I sometimes eat two at a sitting! 1700mg of sodium was unacceptable, so I did some research and created my own healthy (-er) but still easy waffle recipe.
This makes 4 waffles; you can always double or triple it if you want more:
1.25 cups of whole wheat flour (I like Stone-Buhr brand, 12g fiber per cup)
1 tablespoon sugar (promotes browning)
1.5 teaspoon baking powder (Hain Featherweight has NO SODIUM!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup egg substitute (Egg Beaters et al; no fat or cholesterol; reduces splitting)
3 tablespoons olive oil (really promotes release from the non-stick surface)
3/4 cup milk (1% works fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Beat the wet ingredients together for a bit of airiness, then add to the dry stuff. Stir together slowly with a spoon, just enough to get all the dry ingredients wet, but still a bit lumpy. Don't overmix! The batter should be very thick and pour slowly; stir in more milk or flour to fine-tune it. The Chef's Choice 830B takes exactly one half cup of batter; after pouring it in, immediately press down gently on the lid handle for ten seconds or so to distribute the batter.
The "Crisp Exterior/Moist Interior" setting worked as advertised (when I set the color control dial to the highest setting), but by the time I got the waffle to the table, the wonderful moisture inside had migrated to the outside and softened the crisp exterior. Although it still tasted pretty good, it wasn't what I'd hoped for. Instead, the "Uniform Texture" setting (with color control set to the 4-5 range) dried out the interior of the waffle, yet left it surprisingly fluffy while still nice and crisp on the outside.
Since (per the manual) you shouldn't clean the non-stick surface with anything more than water and a soft cloth, don't use a cooking spray like Pam, because the propellants and other additives build up on the surface and can't be removed. With enough oil in the batter, the grid comes totally clean. If you add fruit to the batter, it can stick to the grid, requiring some cleaning and re-oiling. It works better to put fresh fruit on top of the cooked waffle instead.
Customer Review: Definately Above the Rest
Summary: 5 Stars
Like other reviewers, I looked carefully before choosing this waffle maker. While not the cheapest, I am very happy with it. It makes fantastic waffles, is super easy to use, and is very easy to clean. I was surprised when the instructions stated that you only need to oil the iron once (the first time you use it), and this has proven to be true. The iron needs minimal cleaning after use; in fact, the instructions state that you should not scrub the iron after use - just wipe off any excess batter and put it away. I think the oil in the batter stays on the iron, but am not sure.
There is a wide channel running alongside the iron that catches any spill-overs and sends them down toward the front of the machine, keeping the machine and my counter clean.
Others have pointed out the temperature adjustment feature on this machine, which is straightforward and eay to use. Other machines just had a slider that gave no indication of whether one position was hot, not hot, or whatnot. This one has a series of numbers as well as labels like "lighter" and "darker." Usually, I leave it on 4, but occasionally use 5 - it just depends on the recipe you're using and how crispy you like your waffles.
Speaking of crispy, the one distinct feature of this machine is that there is a switch that alters the way that the waffle is baked, depending on the type of waffle you are making. According to the instruction manual, the switch changes the recovery time of the waffle iron. So, if you are cooking a desert waffle that is crispy, you use the switch to slow down the recovery time so the waffle iron takes longer to get back up to temperature, which has the effect of baking the waffle evenly from the inside out. For a regular waffle, the iron will recover much faster, which browns the outside while leaving the inside moist - precisely the effect you want. In any case, a neat feature if you like crispy waffles.
Finally, you can roll up the cord underneath the machine and stand it on its end (notice that the back of the machine is flat). This takes up a lot less space in my cabinet.
Overall, I would highly recommend this waffle iron to anyone who wants to buy one that is easy to use and will give them years of use. I spent quite a bit of time looking for this in the hopes of being able to avoid repeating this exercise a year from now. I am confident that I will be using this machine for many years to come.
Customer Review: Chef's Choice 830B
Summary: 5 Stars
We love it! We have had one for over 10 years and when I purchased it for my wife she thought I was nuts. She changed her mind after using it, and it's been great for us and our children. Over the amount of time we have had it, it has had 2 problems. I actually don't remember what they were but when we checked with Chef's Choice they told us to send it in. Both times we did and received either ours back fixed, a reconditioned one or a new one. It wasn't obvious but they took care of us. We just inquired, no threats of what we thought they "should or shouldn't do" and Chef's Choice treated us like we all expect customer service to be like.
When my parents were attempting to make waffles one day with one they had received for a wedding gift 62 years ago it was exactly what I remember from my childhood - unfortunately. We had to scrape the waffle out of the unit. I brought our Chef's Choice 830B to them, and dad had waffles almost everyday for 3+ months until he passed away and they loved the machine.
The grandkids got grandma a "new flip one" for Christmas so we could get ours back. Well after trying it out, grandma asked if it was ok to keep ours. She really likes and appreciated the fact that it has not only an "Indicator Light", but also a short "Beeping tone" to let you know when the unit it up to temp. Then once you pour in your batter the unit again not only gives you an "Indicator Light" but also a short "Beeping tone" to let you know your waffle is done. It you want it done a little bit more, that's easy. My wife would give it another 30 seconds or so after the beep and then take it out.
The new "flip unit" only had an "Indicator Light" to tell you when it was ready to use, and again only an "Indicator Light" to tell you when you waffle was ready.
For anyone that is like my mom or my wife, there are things to do like setting the table, getting juice or coffee and/or heating up the maple syrup while the waffle is cooking. My mom and our family don't have time to just stand there watching for the "Indicator Light" to come on for these things. A short "Beeping" tone is great.
So we let mom keep ours and yes we bought a new one for ourselves. Being mom, she told us to take the "new" one and she would keep the one she has there. And for the last couple of months continues to use it, and still enjoy the waffles her and dad liked to share together.
Customer Review: Great waffles FAST at a great price
Summary: 5 Stars
We have 5 kids and we love waffles, but I have suffered through some cheap waffle makers and wasn't willing to do that again. Also, I wanted something that could make them fast, so I wasn't left standing at the counter while everyone else was eating.
I looked at the KitchenAid model that makes 2 at a time, and was really tempted, but $200 is just too much for a waffle maker for our family. And, it is huge to store.
I wanted something that was not too big to store, reasonable (for me that was $50 or less per iron) and worked fast. After reading reviews on the KitchenAid, the Waring Pro, the Hamilton Beach Flip and Fluff and this one (and probably a lot of others, too!), I decided that buying TWO of this one might do the trick, at half the cost of the KitchenAid. So I bought 2!!
They arrived yesterday, and I just pulled one of them out of the box to give it a try. We were able to make a delicious lunch in good time for all 5 children and myself, just using ONE of the waffle irons. I was impressed. We used the "moist interior" setting and it was delicious.
Cleanup is so easy. The manual recommends 1/2 cup batter per waffle, and if you stick with this, it practically never overflows. I brushed the plates (per manual instructions) with oil before beginning the first waffle and they all came off beautifully with my silicone spatula.
Now I'm wondering if I even need the 2nd one, since this one makes good waffles so fast. I think we will keep it, though, and have company on Sunday evenings for Waffle Night! I'll update my review for durability after we have had it for awhile.
UPDATE: I ended up selling the 2nd waffle iron to a friend, because 1 does a fine job of making waffles for our family of 7 people. There's a little waiting, but not much, and we're happy using just one, so my friend gets a good deal, too! She & her family are really enjoying it.
Customer Review: The best waffle maker ever - don't pay more, really, get this one
Summary: 5 Stars
Bought this waffle maker after tons of research for a more traditional-style round waffle maker, and I have to say that it is by far one of the best purchases I've ever made. Though the Chef's Choice 830B is advertised as a Belgian waffle maker, in my opinion, the waffle it produces is far more of a "fatter", more traditional-style round waffle, so if you're specifically looking for a Belgian waffle maker, this one probably won't do it for you. That said, all the positive/rave reviews that you've read so far are totally right on the money. I looked at more expensive models, and was honestly skeptical that a waffle maker at this price could "compete" or produce a waffle comparable to ones double or triple it's price. Well, I am not easily impressed, and rarely write reviews for products that I've purchased, but this waffle maker is fantastic. Honest. It makes a BEAUTIFUL waffle in no time flat. They practically fly off the iron! I love my waffles and am rarely impressed, but this waffle maker did it! Bonus points: super easy to use and clean-up is practically non-existent. After several months using this waffle maker, I honestly wouldn't use any other or pay another dime for a more expensive waffle maker - truth is, you don't need to. Do yourself a favor: if you're looking for a great waffle maker, that makes perfectly crispy waffles on the outside; that are perfectly moist on the inside, at a very good price, stop stressing, stop reading this review, stop wondering whether you need to pay more for a more expensive model, and honestly, get this one. You will not regret it and your tummy (and loved ones) will thank you for years to come! Happy eating!