For those who enjoy their weekend mornings by making a fantastic breakfast that includes either pancakes or waffles, then there’s a good chance you are in the market for a new waffle maker to really pick up that breakfast-making productivity in the morning.
As we’re sure you will agree, the best waffle makers out there make your life easier rather than harder, and this means you’ll be looking for multiple crisp settings, non-stick hot plates as well as plates that are designed to offer the best waffle — deep and perfectly-shaped.
That in mind, we have a list of all the best waffle makers in Australia below for you to make your mid-morning brunch or brekky a lot more fun!
Take a look below.
Our Favourite — The Breville Crisp Control
Kicking off our list is the waffle maker coming from the experts at Breville.
The company’s excellent $70 Crisp Control waffle maker is going to be your winner here if you’re looking for something below that hundred dollar mark, and we’re happy to say that it offers an excellent experience for all customers.
One of our favourite perks of this waffle maker is that it makes your waffles in heart shapes, adding a little more fun to the waffles when it comes to breakfast with your loved ones.
On top of this, there are the temperature settings we mentioned at the start of our article, which means you have the chance to cook your waffles to the perfect crispness. Whether you’re someone who likes a crisp, crunchy waffle, or a rather soft and fluffy one — you’re in luck here.
With this in mind, you’ll find that this waffle maker is rocking a 4 out of 5 stars from reviewers online, which means you’re in good hands when it comes to choosing the best waffle maker that everyone else seems to love too!
To end, you will be able to get your syrup slathered on to your waffles in just three minutes with this maker, given that the waffles can cook entirely in just three to five minutes, but remember to be careful when you open the maker, sometimes a little too much steam can exit the machine.
There is a great 1-year warranty here and excellent non-stick plates, so longevity and easy cleanup isn’t an issue either.
The Best of the Best — The Breville Smart Waffle
Falling to second place on our list, solely because of its high price tag, is the Smart Waffle by the team at Breville.
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best waffle maker in Australia when price isn’t considered, and you’ll have the best experience out there with this appliance by your side. It is garnering a 4.5 out of 5 stars online, giving it a better experience than the other makers on our list.
This waffle maker also comes with an excellent LCD screen and a timer too, which means you’re getting better insights into how your waffles are doing and whether you’re at risk of over or under-cooking them. Great for those new to making waffles, or for the family members who have very particular tastes.
On top of this, you can rely on the catchment area surrounding the non-stick plates to keep cleanup as simple as possible. We know that sometimes waffle makers can leak or see some of your batter expanding out of the maker and down on to the counter — though not with the Smart Waffle.
One downside we have to note is that the waffle maker comes in at $300 which makes it one of the more expensive models on the market. Though, with an astonishing 12 temperature settings and a cooking experience better than anything out there, it is certainly a winner for us.
Our Top Choice for Small Spaces — The Vertical Waffle Maker by Cuisinart
More of an honourable mention on our list comes from Cuisinart.
This waffle maker offers a 4.5 star experience according to reviewers, however, it also offers something else too — the best storage and space-saving design out there. With a vertical design, you can rely on the Vertical Waffle Maker to take up almost no storage space on your counters at all!
With that in mind, the waffle maker also comes with a price tag of only $140 and so you’re not breaking the bank to get your hands on this model.
To end, the waffle maker works well with Belgian waffles and features a simple temperature setting, making it easy to use at the expense of some added versatility in the temperature control.
The No-frills Model — The 4 Slice Waffle Maker by Cuisinart
A second model from Cuisinart is the company’s four slice option, which is great if you’re looking to make breakfast for the whole family as quickly as possible.
Much like a toasted sandwich maker, this waffle maker easily divides up your batter as it cooks, which means you’re getting waffles for everyone rather than cooking just one large waffle at a time and having to cut it up — or hand it off to just one family member.
The biggest perk of this waffle maker, at least in our opinion, is the size of the appliance. It is ideally sized for the whole family, and so if making a lot of waffles in the morning is sometimes a struggle, then this is the waffle maker for you.
On offer are five different temperature or cooking settings, and this means that you’re able to get that perfectly crisped waffle out of the way with little effort or constant checking of the waffles.
We would also like to point out that, given the waffles from this machine are around the size of a toastie or a large piece of bread, that you can also use this waffle maker to cook other foods! Some users have worked to cook and crisp steaks, for example!
To end, the low $120 price tag and non-stick plates also mean that you’re getting an easy clean up and affordability to boot. All of that said, this is an excellent waffle maker for the price and certainly something worth considering.
The Best Traditional Model — The Waffle Maker by Nordicware
For the adults of the household who want their old-school or childhood-like waffle makers to make a comeback, then you’re in luck with Nordicware.
These are the waffle makers that are simply a waffle iron developed from aluminium which makes them easy to handle, effortless to store and even easier to clean! You will find a 4.5 star rating on these bad boys too, which means the general consensus is that they’re great!
Keep in mind that these truly are a vintage-style waffle maker, which means you’re going to need to set these down on a pan or a stovetop to heat them up and really get your waffles going. Though, as you might know already, waffles cooking this way offer up a great crunch.
To add, the design of the waffle maker is very thin and elongated, so you can slot these waffle makers into a cupboard or even on your baking tray in the grill when you’re not making use of it.
We would also like to mention that this is your best bet when it comes to camping with a waffle maker. You can clamp the appliance closed and use it over the campfire to make waffles in the morning without issues.
One final thing to note is that the waffle maker does come with a moat or an overflow design, so if things do get a little full of you’re at risk of a spill, the waffle maker will catch just about everything before there’s a big mess to clean up!
Our Affordable Option — The Waffle Maker by Kogan
Coming from Kogan, you can already guess that you’re getting a great deal here.
With a price tag at under $40, this waffle maker is certainly the most affordable on our list, and with online ratings placing this waffle maker at a solid 4 stars, you’re still going to be able to expect a great experience.
Likely due to its price tag, there aren’t many settings and cooking options here, and that means all you’re going to see is ‘Off’ and ‘On’ and not too much else.
There is a year-long warranty here and some excellent non-stick plates coming into play here, which means clean-up is relatively easy, though when it comes to added features or a carefully curated cooking experience, you’re going to be out of luck here.
The design is rather simple too, in that it looks a little like toastie maker, so storing one of these shouldn’t be too hard at all.
How We Chose the Best Waffle Makers
When it comes to kitchen appliances in Australia, the waffle maker is quite a rarity.
Unlike our cousins across the pacific in the US, waffles aren’t too popular in Australia, and so there’s a little bit more research required to find a great waffle maker. However, we’re confident we highlighted all of the best options in our list above.
To start, we took a deep dive into all of the best models on the market with regards to features, materials and waffle-cooking experience. From here, we then compiled all of the reviews online for each waffle maker that gave us a good look at what Aussie users actually thought of their waffle makers and whether they’d recommend them to their friends or family members.
Once we had this information under our belt, we then worked on assessing the features on offer and determined whether they’d be the best for our readers, or if they were rather niche and not too important.
We’ve listed a few of the features and considerations for our waffle makers below to help you choose a model for your own kitchen.
Things to Consider in the Best Waffle Makers
As we’re sure you’ll already know, the best waffle maker is one that gets your own unique requirements taken care of. When it comes to our food, there is certainly not a one-size-fits-all option here, and so be sure to keep a few of the below points in mind when you buy your own waffle maker.
The Style of Waffle
Off the top, you want to make sure that the waffles these makers create are actually what you want to eat!
There are a few different types of waffles out there, and so you should do your best to choose a waffle maker that produces the ones you like the most! Some of the more common waffle makers produce simple, thin and no-frills waffles which are good for most people on the go.
However, you might want something fluffier or thicker.
For this, we suggest looking for the Belgian-style waffle makers that offer deep plates for the thickest waffles out there.
Novelty waffles should also be considered too, and if you’re after waffles in a particular shape, then consider heart-shaped waffle makers, for example!
Timers and Features
For our readers new to waffles, you’re going to want to make sure you get the best experience out there, and this means working to automate as much of the waffle-making process as possible.
You’ll know that waffles aren’t exactly like pancakes, toasties or pikelets, and so they cook a little differently. That in mind, we would suggest looking for a waffle maker with a timer built into it so you know exactly when to take your waffles off the plate before they crisp a little too much.
Size and Storage
Our final thing to keep in mind with all the waffle makers you take a look at is the size of the machine.
You want to make sure that you get something that is small enough to store, but also designed in a way that makes storage easy. The biggest tip we have for you here is to stray from circular designs and look for something as flat and square as possible.
This will make it easier to slide the waffle maker into a cupboard, for example.
Some Non-essential but Helpful Features
Now that we have our essential considerations out of the way, we have some tips for those who want to spend a little more to get the best experience out there. Keep in mind some of these features won’t affect the waffle’s taste too much, just your experience making them.
Quality Materials and Design
Off the top, if you want to spend a little more, you’ll be getting a waffle maker that is designed to last!
You can also rely on these most costly models to have non-stick features, which means you’re not going to have to scrub and scratch away at the plate you’re cooking your waffles on.
Improved Temperature Control
As you’ll have noticed, some of the waffles makers on our list at the sub-$200 price point don’t typically have many temperature controls at all.
With this in mind, if you want major temperature control and the ability to crisp your waffles exactly how you’d like, then you might need to spend a little more. For the more expensive waffle makers you can get up to 12 different temperature controls to get your waffles looking and tasting exactly how you’d like them to — without the added work.
Waffle Size and Thickness
One last thing to note is that spending a little more can get you waffles that are a lot thicker.
These waffle makers that come with a tad higher price tag are going to feature bigger and thicker plates for your waffles, which mean you’re getting those scrumptious Belgian waffles we talked about above!
Common Questions
To end our list of the best waffle makers in Australia, we have the answers to a few common questions our readers have for us.
Using Cooking Oil or Spray?
It’s important not to spray or coat your waffle maker in oil. You may be tempted to do this to reduce your chances of sticky waffles or a difficult clean up, however, almost all waffle makers out there will have a non-stick coating built into the plates, and this means the waffles will come right off with ease.
Keep in mind that these oils and sprays can damage the coating on your waffle maker’s plates, and in time you’ll have little to non-stick features left.
Removable Cook Plates?
For our readers considering waffle makers with removable plates, we would like to say that the only benefit to these models is that they’re a little easier to wash and clean after use.
You’ll be able to detach these plates and wash them in the sink or the dishwasher, though, there isn’t too much else that’s beneficial here.
Using Pre-made Waffles?
To keep things simple, you can use pre-made waffle mixtures in your waffle maker!
Just keep in mind that you’ll need to take a look at the cooking time and temperature requirements and you’re all good to go here. Pour the mixture in and you’re all set.
