Waffles are always delicious in the morning. However, what is annoying, and it is something that sometimes gives you nightmares, is getting the waffle iron clean. All those caked-on leftovers and dirt. You’d rather not get into that at all. It can be frustrating, but luckily we found a solution.
I hereby give you some handy tips that will make those caked-on residues come off effortlessly and make cleaning the waffle iron a minimum of effort so that you can enjoy your lukewarm waffles without a hitch next time.
How to make caked-on leftovers come off effortlessly?
The hack that makes wiping away leftovers easy? Timing. You let the waffle iron cool down because you need to, but you shouldn’t leave it on too long either. What we often see is that many put off cleaning the waffle iron on purpose, and this is often tempting too, but you really shouldn’t do this.
Let the waffle iron cool, but not for too long
So letting the plates in your waffle iron cool down is definitely important. Cleaning a waffle iron while it is still hot is pointless and this is also dangerous. Unplug it and wait for the plates to cool down. However, if you wait too long then the leftovers from your waffle will start to crust, and then you will find it difficult to clean the waffle iron.
Waffle iron cleaning: Make it a habit
Just make it a habit to let the waffle iron cool and clean it immediately after a few minutes of cooling. It’s not something you look forward to, but you also don’t want to have to clean the appliance when the waffle iron is full of caked-on dirt again.
It’s just part of the job
Many waffle makers simply cannot go in the dishwasher, so you will have to clean the waffle maker yourself again. In just a few minutes, you will do the whole job if you use my method. I am going to make sure that cleaning becomes a matter of minutes.
A step-by-step plan
- Unplug the appliance
- Close the appliance and let it cool down
- Use a damp piece of kitchen paper to wipe away crumbs and excess drips of oil and grease on the griddle
- Use a damp cloth to wipe down the exterior
- To remove stubborn batter drips, when cleaning a waffle iron it is useful to sprinkle a few drops of cooking oil on the batter. Leave these on for a few minutes and then wipe off with a damp cloth
- If the waffle iron has removable baking plates, you can carefully rinse them with warm water and washing-up liquid.
- Make sure the waffle iron is completely dry before storing it away
IMPORTANT: Never clean the waffle iron by using sharp objects! Sometimes knives etcetera are used to remove stubborn batter drips for example. Do not do this! You can seriously damage the waffle iron with this.
A damp cloth can often go a long way
So cleaning a waffle iron doesn’t require much more than a simple method of damp kitchen paper or a damp cloth. So the hack is mainly in the timing. Once the waffle iron has cooled down, immediately wipe it with kitchen paper and proceed with cleaning.
Some tips for maintaining your waffle iron
Then finally, we have some tips for maintaining your waffle iron.
Consult the manual
The best general tips for maintaining your waffle iron can often be found through the manufacturer. There are often specific tips on how to properly maintain the waffle iron in the manual or on the website.
Coat with oil
Are your waffles getting sticky? If so, grease them with a reasonable amount of oil. The amount of butter in the batter also plays an important role. The more butter in the recipe, the less likely a waffle will stick. If waffles start sticking frequently, it affects the longevity of the waffle iron.
Waffle makers with a non-stick coating
Waffle irons that do not have a non-stick coating only need a small and thin layer of cooking oil before using them (not with every waffle, but once will do). It is then better to use cooking oil from, say, a refillable spray bottle. If you don’t use too much oil if you have a non-stick coating on the waffle iron then you can enjoy your waffle iron a lot longer.