However if you only eat waffles occasionally and don't mind compromising on the finished product, you can also make them in a griddle pan.

The most important factor when it comes to selecting a waffle maker is that it cooks your waffle evenly. Some might be plagued by hot spots – the perfect waffle has a consistently light and airy centre with a crisp and golden edge all over. 2. Speed matters Once the batter can easily be lifted off the griddle pan with a spatula, flip the waffle batter over and give it another five minutes of heat. You don't need this particular waffle maker to make these waffles. Any waffle maker is fine and you can use other recipes in this appliance. If you want to make potato waffles then that works too!Go ahead and experiment. We timed how long it takes each waffle maker to heat up before it's ready to cook, how easily detachable plates can be removed for cleaning, and how clear and bright the indicator lights are.The total baking time is a bit longer than the other models tested – approx. 5 -10 minutes and it was hard to ascertain when to flip. The instruction manual suggests part-way through so it will take a few practice runs to get the timing just right. You will need to peek at your waffle from time to time to see what is going on (but make sure you leave them alone for the first few minutes). I'd imagined a waffle maker might be awkward to use and fiddly to clean but it was actually much simpler than I'd expected. You heat it up, pour the batter into the middle of the tray, close the lid and then in about 5 minutes the waffles are ready. You just wipe it clean afterwards, rather like a toasted sandwich maker. The waffles themselves are slightly crisp on the outside but soft inside. The recipe is perfect as a basic simple waffle recipe that you can then jazz up with special toppings. How many people do these waffles serve?

This is a serious bit of kit for the dedicated waffle maker. In appearance, it actually looks like a mini Aga with its 2 flat-domed lids side by side. These two hot plates operate individually with separate switches. Each switch has a power light but there is no temperature gauge or indicator light to let you know when the waffle maker is heated, instead the instructions say to wait 8 minutes before cooking – you can use that time to prep your toppings. There is a variable temperature gauge which allows you to cook them how you like – if you like crisp and crunch then crank up the dial to max or if you favour a lighter texture just lower the heat. A few trial runs and you will know what works best for you. With its easily interchangeable sandwich, grill and waffle plates you can whip up fluffy waffles, crispy toasties or grilled goodies all with one handy countertop appliance.

Once heated you will need to brush or spritz some fat on the trays before adding your batter. The manual doesn’t advise on quantity but I found two cups to be enough. If you do overfill, the handy drip tray will save you from messing up your work top.

Choose a waffle maker with an audible or visible alert to help you know what is going on. Most will light up or chime when its preheated enough, ready to cook another batch or when your waffles are done. A sound is preferable to light as it allows you to step away and get on with other things instead of hovering nervously over the machine. 6. Ease of storage Much like pancakes, the basic ingredients for waffle mix couldn’t be more humble – flour, eggs and milk. But despite this, don’t expect to make perfect waffles on your first go. You will need to get to know your machine and perfect your batter mix before hosting a waffle party. However, once you have whipped up a few, you will feel like a pro. Jamie Oliver’s Brilliant Breakfast Waffles is a good throw-it-all-together starter recipe. You can easily modify this with sweet or savoury ingredients and pimp with delicious toppings.However, for a budget model, I was really impressed with the finished result. My waffles were light and fluffy and with a nice crisp edge. Every waffle maker we tested got very hot everywhere except the handle. Make sure not to touch any other part of the waffle maker while it's in use and wear protective gloves if you're worried about burning yourself. When you close the lid, be careful not to clip the latch shut. This machine needs to give the waffle a little wiggle room to rise and somewhere for the steam to escape. You might notice the lid lifts slightly as the waffle cooks. The waffles only took about 2-3 minutes to cook and I’d say they were near-perfect. They had the right amount of crispiness on the outside and fluffiness in the middle. I was also very impressed with how neat they looked. For an extra light and fluffy waffle, separate your egg whites from the yolks. Beat the whites until they form soft peaks and then folding them into the rest of the mix. This machine is very user friendly with an intuitive design. When you plug in, a green light will come on which indicates the machine is heating up. This only took about 3-4 minutes. Once the machine is up to temperature an amber ready-to-cook light will come on. It recommends about 75ml of batter. I found that it could take closer to 90ml to properly fill the squares. This achieves a fatter waffle. Don’t panic, mess is easy to avoid with the overflow channel that will catch any excess batter.