Our luck with waffle makers has not been great. We have had a few, but to be honest, we didn't make waffles often because of the mess and inconsistent cook of the waffles. Our last waffle maker really underperformed, and most distressingly the plug at the wall outlet got so hot we needed oven mitts to unplug it.So, I did a little research, and this Breville smart waffle maker seemed to get great reviews, so after comparison with several other types, we decided to try it. And first time, the waffles turned out perfectly, using the buttermilk waffle recipe. Just tonight, I made classic waffles for the first time in my life (my wife normally made waffles while I cooked bacon/sausage). They turned out beautiful! Yeah, it's expensive, but if you have to keep replacing ... MoreOur luck with waffle makers has not been great. We have had a few, but to be honest, we didn't make waffles often because of the mess and inconsistent cook of the waffles. Our last waffle maker really underperformed, and most distressingly the plug at the wall outlet got so hot we needed oven mitts to unplug it.So, I did a little research, and this Breville smart waffle maker seemed to get great reviews, so after comparison with several other types, we decided to try it. And first time, the waffles turned out perfectly, using the buttermilk waffle recipe. Just tonight, I made classic waffles for the first time in my life (my wife normally made waffles while I cooked bacon/sausage). They turned out beautiful! Yeah, it's expensive, but if you have to keep replacing lesser units every year or so, it think it's going to turn out to be a good investment.Bravo, Breville!

I purchased this waffle machine as a gift for my wife. I was inspired by a restaurant that we had visited the specialized in liege waffles with all different sorts of toppings. The restaurant is a fair bit from our house, so I thought it would be nice to do at home. This machine is great. We have a family of four, so the size is perfect. The design is awesome from the moat around the edges of the machine to catch the drips to the light/dark control and overall usability. The “a bit more” button is really nice. We use it much more than I ever thought we would. We do much more than waffles. We do leftover stuffing/dressing with mashed potatoes, gravy and rotisserie chicken, chicken and waffles, panini presses, grilled cheese. It’s really fun making different things. ... MoreI purchased this waffle machine as a gift for my wife. I was inspired by a restaurant that we had visited the specialized in liege waffles with all different sorts of toppings. The restaurant is a fair bit from our house, so I thought it would be nice to do at home. This machine is great. We have a family of four, so the size is perfect. The design is awesome from the moat around the edges of the machine to catch the drips to the light/dark control and overall usability. The “a bit more” button is really nice. We use it much more than I ever thought we would. We do much more than waffles. We do leftover stuffing/dressing with mashed potatoes, gravy and rotisserie chicken, chicken and waffles, panini presses, grilled cheese. It’s really fun making different things. The non-stick is tremendous. The manual feature is nice so you can set your own time if you aren’t making one of the presets.

I love making waffles. This waffle iron is great insofar as it is large and heats evenly. So far so good. Now the issues:In order to cook waffles to your liking you need to be able to set temperature and time. With this waffle iron you can't set the temperature like you can with every other waffle iron in the world (or any other cooking appliance). It only has preset settings for "Belgian" "Classic" etc. etc. I wanted to cook my waffles longer at a lower temperature (they weren't cooked through). Impossible to do with this waffle iron. You can cook them longer, but at the standard temperature the waffles burned. I don't understand how there is no temperature setting. Frankly, I have owned approx. 10 waffle makers in my life and there was always a temp setting ... MoreI love making waffles. This waffle iron is great insofar as it is large and heats evenly. So far so good. Now the issues:In order to cook waffles to your liking you need to be able to set temperature and time. With this waffle iron you can't set the temperature like you can with every other waffle iron in the world (or any other cooking appliance). It only has preset settings for "Belgian" "Classic" etc. etc. I wanted to cook my waffles longer at a lower temperature (they weren't cooked through). Impossible to do with this waffle iron. You can cook them longer, but at the standard temperature the waffles burned. I don't understand how there is no temperature setting. Frankly, I have owned approx. 10 waffle makers in my life and there was always a temp setting (usually just 1-5, but you could figure out what worked for you).Anyone that knows anything about "Belgian Waffles" knows that there are 2 kinds: Brussels and Liège waffles. They are very different types (one dense, one fluffy) and require very different cooking times and temperatures. No idea which one the "Belgian" setting is for.Also, the waffle iron is hard to clean. You can't take out the trays (with my old one I could just put them in the dishwasher). I had to blow out crumbs with a can of compressed air - not very convenient. I know that Breville can do better than this.