the Smart Waffle by Breville

To be a good baker, you don't necessarily need to have good tools. But to make a good waffle, having a good waffle maker is half the battle won.

So before I feed my waffle cravings, the researcher in me took over, and the search for a good and affordable waffle maker began. It didn't take too long on the internet before I found the mother of all waffle machines -- the Smart Waffle by Breville.

It boasts an all round heating plate, created using thermal technology so waffles cooked evenly and a heated moat that catches batter as it expands. They've even gotten the molecular gastronomy guru, Heston Blumenthal, to endorse it. There was drool all over the keyboard by the time I finished the video. Just one major problem now, this sexy waffle maker costs a whooping A$250! I shutdown my computer and went to munch on bread.

Further attempts to search for cheaper alternatives left me even more frustrated, all that was on my mind is that slick stainless steel body. I was tormented for a month before a major sale came on in a local mall (to the likes of Isetan, Takashimaya). My prayers had been answered, there was a 30% discount on this baby! Still wasn't cheap, but my brain wasn't functioning anymore.

Product Review: What else can I say about the Smart Waffle when Heston Blumenthal is willing to stake his reputation by endorsing it? No, wait, actually I do have some comments.

Heating Element
The heating plate only takes a few minutes to heat up unlike most iron which might take up to 10mins before it is hot enough to produce a half decent waffle. When the machine is ready, it will beep for you and the display screen will turn orange.

Like the advertisement espouses, heat distribution is indeed superb. Every slice of waffle is cooked evenly, every time! Not so much for even browning, but it doesn't bother me as long as the whole thing is cooked through. Some iron creates an ultra crispy outer edge while the center remained limp and 'doughy' (*sigh* you had one job). There is also no down time in between batches, no need to wait for the iron to reheat.

When the timer is up, the machine will beep away for you to retrieve the waffles. No worries if you couldn't get it immediately, the heating plate will adjust the temperature accordingly so your waffles don't get chao tah (burnt), and continues beeping every 30s to remind you of its existence.

Functionality
Speaking of "you had one job", yes, it is a unitasker (or is it?), which waffle maker isn't (a washing machine only has one job too!)? Yet it is one that does its job exceedingly well, though I did find the little display screen unnecessary on a waffle maker. It comes with 4 preset settings -- Belgian, Classic, Chocolate and Buttermilk. I haven't explore all 4 settings in detail, but primary observation shows that the only difference between them all is the timer. If I want a custom timing, I can set one under 'Custom' setting, presumingly all under the same temperature. In that case, the preset settings are more of a shortcut, for convenience sake instead of functionality.

If the waffles turned out lighter than I'd like them, there's always the "a bit more" button which sets the waffles to cook for, well, a bit more or 1 min to be exact.

A dousing cup is included with the machine, but I didn't find it particularly useful. The first time I tried using it (1/2 cup for 1 waffle, according to instructions), there was overflow everywhere.

Cleaning
Then comes the age old nightmare of cleaning up the gloopy mess of escaped batter, except it isn't a problem anymore. The heated moat catches and cooks the overflow, so you can just eat throw them away afterwards.

Ease of cleaning is one very important aspect of any kitchen equipment. Thanks to the non-stick coat, it is a breeze to clean this iron. A swipe and a wipe is all it takes, literally! And because of it, I don't have to grease the iron with extra butter or oil! Yay to healthier waffles!

Price
Inevitably, as much as I love the Smart Waffle, it's hard not to notice the huge price tag. I feel the pinch even at a 30% discount. But we really do love our waffles, and can probably "break even" in a year's time, given that we consume 4 slices every other week, which is not all impossible.

Space
But because of my cutesy kitchen; it hasn't quite earn a permanent spot on my limited countertop space (see above), so I have to store it in the cupboard. Carrying it in and out isn't an easy feat considering that the machine has a cast iron plate, it is heavy and bulky. Well at least I won't call it "easily maneuverable". Most mornings, I feel too lazy to be lugging heavy equipments around. It doesn't help that my eyes are half closed too! All these contributing factors, hmm.. I don't think I'll make waffles as often as I'd like. Perhaps I'll stretch that break even period a little longer (or until I get a bigger kitchen).

To buy or not to buy?
This is probably the best waffle maker in the market right now. Although it costs more than what you would usually pay for a waffle maker, but personally, I'd rather have a reliable machine that produces consistent results every time than one that produces excellent first batch but limpy subsequent batches. Not to mention the horrid mess it might create along the way.

At first glance, some of the features seem a little useless, but I suppose it'll help save some time and takes a little off your mind especially if you have kids running around the kitchen yelling "Mummy, I want this! I want that!". You can attend to them first without having to worry about burning down the kitchen.

All in all, if you love waffles (I mean LOVE!), have the kitchen space and extra cash, the Smart Waffle is a really good investment. Afterall, who doesn't love waking up to crispy golden waffles?

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