So you want to be able to sink your teeth into a fluffy waffle in the comfort of your kitchen, in your PJ’s? I mean who has time to change into real clothes and drive to a diner to get waffles, right?
Don’t sweat it, whether you like your waffles slim like Eggo’s or prefer thick Belgian-style, whether you crave a pale gold waffle or a totally toasted one, you can find a waffle maker to satisfy every taste bud.
But let me warn you, there are many, many variants of this producer-of-deliciousness available to buy. Talk about being spoilt for choice! Scrolling through options on Amazon and Walmart is almost enough to make you quit looking and drive to that diner.
I mean, where do you start, a flip or a non-flip model? One that makes 2 waffles or a monster that serves 6? A waffle maker or a multi-purpose unit that makes waffles, paninis, sandwiches?
But deep down, you know you’d rather make your waffles at home. Plus you want to be able to go crazy with your toppers, right?
Blueberries, chocolate chips AND Oreos? Well, I don’t mind if I do.
Here at APOT, we’re waffle lovers just like you, so we get it. That’s why we’re here to help you choose a waffle maker that can help you make your plate of tasty, over and over….
But first off, what’s the difference between a waffle iron and waffle maker?
Yes, many, many, many people call them waffle irons, as they should.
The first waffle irons consisted of 2 hinged, patterned plates attached to long wooden handles. The batter was poured in and baked over an open fire to produce waffles. Modern waffle makers are all-in-one units with an internal heat source so no need for an open fire.
The basic premise is the same, so these terms can be used interchangeably.
But who cares about names anyway, as long as you can get your perfect-looking, scrumptious waffles, right?
We’ll start by reviewing a popular waffle maker, the Oster CKSTWF2000 Belgian Waffle Maker. It makes Belgian-style waffles that are 8″ round and about half an inch thick.
Yes, yes, we know Belgian waffles are thicker than American waffles. They also have deeper wells for any topping you choose to put on your waffle. So waffle purists will probably label this an American-style waffle maker.
But you know what?
For most people, a waffle that’s ½” thick is more than enough!
If you’d like to make a thicker waffle, simply make a few substitutions with your ingredients & batter, and you can make waffles up to ¾” thick.
Ultimately choosing a waffle style (and maker) depends on your taste. Who knows; some days you may want to nibble on a thinner waffle and on other days, you may want to sink your teeth into a fluffy one.
So why not get a waffle maker that can do both?
While the Oster CKSTWF2000 may not make waffles with the deepest wells, like a true Belgian waffle, you can still make waffles that are much thicker than a toaster waffle.
The circular plate makes 1 large waffle that can be separated into 4 equal quarters. With its rapid heating feature, the Oster allows you to prepare waffles fast; a helpful feature when you are feeding many mouths.
Controls
Perched on top of the Oster’s stainless steel exterior, is the ‘dial’ used to control the temperature of the plates. To make light golden waffles, turn the knob all the way to the left for a constant low heat. For those crispy brown waffles, simply crank the dial all the way to the right.
Located under the dial are two indicator lights, red on the left and green on the right. These are used to indicate power and the waffle maker being ready for use, respectively.
Ease of Use
Need to make a large batch of waffles?
No fear, as the Oster heats up quickly. I’m talking really quickly. I’m talking batter to waffles in five minutes flat! But in the rush to get their fix of deliciousness, many users plug the appliance, wait a few seconds and just pour the batter in.
Yes, we’d love appliances to be plug and play, but to get waffles just the way you want them, you have to keep a few things in mind.
1. On first use, you have to clean the Teflon-coated cooking plates with a damp, soapy sponge.
Folks, AT NO POINT, should you ever immerse this appliance in water.
2. After wiping with the damp sponge, wait 1 minute and wipe the plates with a water-dampened cloth and leave to air dry.
3. The next step is to “season” the plates; this step is important to prevent your delicious waffles from sticking to the plate, not cooking evenly or being under-cooked. Season by lightly rubbing around half a teaspoon of cooking oil into the grids.
Not keen on using cooking oil to season the plates? You can also use a non-stick spray to season the waffle maker. Whether you use oil or a spray, after seasoning, close the lid and turn on the waffle maker.
4. Wait for the grids to get warm, indicated by the green light turning on. Now pour the batter onto the grids, and close the lid of the unit.
Crank the temperature control dial to the right or left, depending on whether you want light or dark waffles. I tend to leave mine at the higher end of the dial as I love my waffles crispy.
The Oster does seem easy to use, right? However pouring too much batter in the waffle maker will not result in thicker, fluffier waffles.
Remember the Oster is small, only 8.5” in diameter, so pouring one whole cup of batter in it, will lead to …you get the idea.
As the waffle cooks, and the excess batter expands, it will overflow and spill everywhere.
Trust me, you don’t want that.
Cleaning up batter is no fun, especially when you have to dig into all the crevices around the appliance with a Q-tip.
So it’s a tad annoying that the manufacturer recommends using ¾ cup of batter to make waffles. This measurement doesn’t consider the fact that users will use different ingredients in their batter mixes to make different types of waffles. With different ingredients, the batter will vary in thickness and consistency. This means cooking will occur at different temperatures and speeds.
Overfilling the waffle maker means the batter has no room to expand as it cooks and will overflow even before it cooks fully. Batter pooling all over your counter-top is never a good look, messy doesn’t even begin to describe it.
To avoid batter seeping everywhere, think ‘less is more’.
Rather than using ¾ cup of batter, start with ½ cup of your fave batter mix and see the size of waffle it gives you.
Another complaint that users have is that their waffle ends up half-done or doesn’t cook evenly, all the way to the edge. This happens when batter is poured into the waffle maker before the cooking temperature is reached.
The heating elements in the plates must reach a certain temperature before they can be used to cook anything. The green light coming on shows that temperature has been reached and only after it comes on, should you pour batter in.
Doing so before you see the ready light will only leave you with half-done broken waffles.
Nobody likes broken waffles!
It may seem counter-intuitive but the green light is an indicator light not a timer light. Again, only pour batter in after it comes on; then you can start counting down that 4 minutes.
And count down you will as the Oster doesn’t have an audible alert to let you know when the waffles are ready to be taken out. With no ding, buzz or hum, the only indicator that the waffle is ready is the appearance of steam rising from the front and sides of the unit.
One more thing to note, during cooking, the green light will cycle on and off. Don’t worry, your waffle maker isn’t broken, it’s simply adjusting its thermostat to maintain the selected temperature, just like most ovens.
Depending on how crisp you like your waffle edges, you may want to leave the waffles for up to a minute even after the steam has dispersed..
When the waffles are done, just how you like them, remove them with a nonstick spatula or gently pick them out with a fork. Do not use metal utensils to scrape your waffles out.
Attachments
The Oster CKSTWF2000 is a one-unit piece that comes with an instruction sheet. Take 5 minutes and read the instructions; you’ll need it.
Failure to do so could result in the disaster that’s half-done, cooked-on-the-side-but-not-in-the-middle soggy waffles.
Yuck!
Ease of cleaning the Oster CKSTWF2000
One part of cooking that everyone detests is the cleanup. No matter how delicious the meal is, when faced with cleanup, we all heave a huge sigh of despair.
Having removable, dishwasher-safe plates would have made this unit even easier to use, but alas, it ‘only’ has an easy to wipe, non-stick surface. Non-stick surfaces allow you to simply slide the prepared waffle onto a plate, they are also easier to clean.
It goes without saying, but I’m going to repeat these 2 things:
- Please allow the unit to cool before cleaning.
- This unit cannot and must not be submerged in water or placed in the dishwasher. You don’t have to, as you only need to wipe down the plates.
Remember the Oster is only 8 inches across, so use a proportionate amount of batter. We recommend starting off with ½ cup of batter. Overfilling the unit will lead to overflowing and the seeping batter will get into the grooves along the sides of the unit, the little screw wells near the hinge, under the handles; I mean EVERYWHERE.
If you fancy spending a good 30 minutes digging batter out of a screw well, be my guest. I’d rather err on the side of less is more, thank you.
I mentioned allowing the unit to cool, because certain parts of the Oster, are metal, run around the outside of the device and are painted black. This means sections of the device can get hot enough to burn your fingers, and they are the same color as the black plastic base. This means you can burn your fingers if you touch these metal sections too soon after you turn it off, [Highlight/call out the hot areas of the unit in a diagram]
This can be terrible if you have your kids helping you with preparing waffles. I find it irresponsible that the instructions don’t highlight this and indicate which parts of the exterior get hot.
We know the manufacturer wants to keep costs down and thus use as few materials as possible, but weighing that against a trip to the ER just doesn’t seem appealing to me.
So, please leave the unit to cool, let’s say around 15 minutes, before cleaning it.
To maintain the non-stickiness of the grids, you will need to occasionally season the grid surface, maybe after every three four uses.
Let’s say you don’t get around to cleaning your Oster immediately and happen to leave it for a few days, you can still remove cooked-on food. Yes, it’s a non-stick surface and even dried-on batter can be wiped off relatively easily.
When cleaning the unit, use a nylon scrub pad to wipe the unit and on the brushed steel exterior, we recommend using a microfiber cloth to wipe as sponges will lightly scratch surface. Even with dried-on batter, do not use metal utensils, a steel wool pad or abrasive cleaners; you”ll only damage the non-stick surface.
Storage
The Oster Belgian Waffle Maker measures 5.2 x 10.8 x 8.5 inches, meaning it takes up very little counter space.
Waffles done and don’t have space on your countertop? This unit is small enough to pop in a kitchen drawer, but what if you don’t have even that space? That’s no problem, as this unit can stand vertically and stays shut when upright, making it easy to store.
Weighing only 3.3 pounds, this compact unit is lightweight making it perfect for users with limited storage space or mini kitchens. To be honest, the Oster looks good enough to fit in any kitchen.
For most people of a certain age, getting the best tasting waffles is associated with using big, heavy, cast-iron waffle makers. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that even the lightweight Oster, at only 5.2 inches high, makes great waffles and is quite sturdy and durable.
Features
Sitting on a black plastic base with a brushed stainless steel finish, the Oster has a plastic handle that is one of the few places that stays cool on this machine, (see above for my thoughts on cleaning the Oster CKSTWF2000 safely)
Another feature that confuses a lot of users is the apparent looseness of the lid. While the lid rocking back and forth (just a teeny-tiny bit) may appear to be a defect, it’s not. Remember we said batter expands as the waffle cooks, therefore it is important that there is a little room allowed for it to do so. So, the ‘loose’ lid is loose…… by design.
The Oster comes with a 24 inch long electrical cord that’s easily coiled around the cord holder underneath the unit, making it easier to store.
I really like the Oster for its light weight and low cost but some design elements like the use of metal on exposed parts of the unit bring it down a few notches for me.
Oster CKSTWF2000 Accessories
The included booklet contains 6 pages glossing over how to use the Oster and has 6 recipes included. The chocolate brownie waffles went down a treat with my brood.
If you’re feeling more adventurous and want to try toasted cheese waffles or waffled fillet mignon, pick up a copy of Daniel Shumski’s Will it Waffle? Packed with over 50 dessert, main courses and breakfast ideas, this book will have you popping out the waffle maker every single day.
Remember we said you shouldn’t take out the waffles with a metal utensil; well the Norpro Grip-EZ Grab and Lift Silicone Tongs have a clever design that combines a turner and a fork, into one excellent tool for lifting waffles from a hot waffle iron. Made of silicone, you’ll be protected from scratching the non-stick surface of your Oster.
Because the Oster doesn’t have a timer or any audible alert, you may want to pick up a simple kitchen timer like the Habor Digital Kitchen Timer and use it to time your waffles. With its large buttons and readout, setting the desired time is a cinch. And there is no way you can miss the unmistakably loud beeping, when the time is up.
Pros
- At an affordable price, the Oster ticks a lot of boxes. While it may not flip or ding like waffle makers 4 times its price, it still gets the job done.
- It’s lightweight allowing you store it overhead without fear of falling and injuring anyone.
- It’s compact and can be stored upright, further reducing its footprint.
I mean, what’s not to love?
Cons
- As previously mentioned, the unit suffers a design flaw that can lead to injury if handled carelessly.
Consumer Ratings
While most people view the Oster as a low-cost entry into the waffle maker space, some still consider it a cheap appliance. In many of those reviews, users claim it doesn’t cook waffles well. However, it’s often a case of users mistaking the green light for a timer and not an indicator light. This causes them to misjudge cooking times and thus produce half-done, broken waffles.
Oster CKSTWF2000 Price
I was initially unsure about investing in a low-cost kitchen item, and it was always easy to talk myself out of it by claiming not to have storage space. But since taking the plunge with the Oster, I have to say this is an excellent choice.
At under $30, you really can’t beat the price. This unit is as good as any $200+ waffle maker from Williams Sonoma.
My Thoughts
In my opinion, the Oster Waffle Maker is a bargain; this impressive little unit manages to combine a compact size with producing delicious waffles in under 5 minutes, while costing less than $30.
Whether it’s your first waffle maker, and you’re just testing the waters, or just want something that’s low maintenance, this will fit the bill.
Bigger isn’t always better and this Oster proves that. However, two improvements I would suggest are:
A timer preferably with an audible alert for those times when you have to leave the kitchen. Waiting for the first sign of steam can get boring. And lifting the cover every minute means your waffles take longer to cook and will often not cook all the way through.
Some kind of overflow tray to help catch excess batter before it pools on the counter-top and around the unit.
With all that said, the Oster does its job quickly and efficiently. By following instructions, you will get tasty waffles, golden or brown, fluffy or crisp, Every. Single, time. Sure, you can’t make strict Belgian waffles as those are differ in size, thickness and have deeper wells …but by adjusting your batter, you can get pretty close. I may have repeated a few things in this review, but it’s because they are important to help you get the best out of this little beauty.
Finally, while Oster states that you should only use their waffle makers to make waffles, you and I know these appliances are flippin’ versatile. From pancakes to pizza pockets, there is a vast range of treats you can make in a waffle maker, everything from breakfast to desserts. Just watch Sal make an omelette in 2 minutes with the Oster!
The vast number of food combinations possible are one of many, many reasons that people buy waffle makers in the first place. There’s even a blog dedicated to creating new waffle recipes, meaning you could eat a different type of waffle. Every. Single. Day!
Sure, after a year or two, you may decide you want to upgrade and splash the cash on a rotating, singing and dancing, serve-you-in-bed waffle maker, but I bet this little beauty will always have its place in your kitchen.
Who is the Oster CKSTWF2000 Best For?
This Oster waffle maker is a little workhorse, and users will be surprised at how well it performs. It makes an excellent gift for newlyweds, students, or small families. Its 8 inch waffles ensures everyone is fed, and the temperature control means you can produce the exact type of waffle everyone wants.
With a one-year limited warranty, what’s not to love?