Don’t lift the lid too early. Wait for the indicator light to come on for the machine to stop steaming before taking a peek. If you lift the lid before they are done you may cause your waffle to rip. 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. 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. Now that you have feasted on the waffles, let’s get down to business drooling over the rather sleek Smart Waffle Maker. It is part of the Heston Blumenthal range and with his scientific mind and attention to detail you already know it works and works really really well. 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.

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. All waffle lovers out there know that one of the biggest annoyances we have is dribbling waffle batter all down the side of our machines during cooking. The Smart Waffle maker solves this as it has a wide wrap around moat that catches the extra batter AND cooks it too for some extra munching. Awesome right?

What else can you make with a waffle maker?

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 Once you tell the Smart Wafflewhat kind of waffle you're making,the cooking time is automatically calculated to suit your waffle style and colour If I were to reach for a true complaint, I would say that the handle on the waffle maker can slam shut a little abruptly from a lifted position if it’s bumped or moved. For safety’s sake, a soft-close hinge or something similar would be a welcome addition. With a large cooking surface, it makes two 6 inch circular waffles at a time. The plates aren’t particularly deep so take care not to add too much batter. There is no advised quantity in the manual but I found 90 ml per circular waffle enough. After 4 minutes it was still steaming but I lifted the cool-touch handle anyway. Not looking quite ready, I left my waffle for a further 3 minutes – not the speediest. The Sage might not be the cheapest option for your breakfast waffle fix, but it's well worth the investment.

Waffles can be flavoured with just about anything but adding a little sugar to the mix will help to crisp them up. If you love circular waffles, the Sage the No-Mess Waffle Maker is perfect for you. It's got a dial that goes up to seven levels of darkness, so even the most discerning waffle lover will enjoy a treat that's perfectly suited to their preferences. Right, this one is a matter for experimentation. I’d advise starting with a recipe from the leaflet that comes with your waffle maker. Once you’ve made your batter, pour it into a measuring jug, and only put in the exact amount your recipe states for one waffle. We’ve learned with the Sage Smart Waffle Maker that the waffles come out so fluffy that less is more. I’d say it also depends on your settings. For us Belgian comes out fluffier (and therefore expands more in the machine) than Classic. About the Sage Smart Waffle 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.

What features should I look for in a waffle maker?

The USP with this machine is its Waffle IQ which knows the exact state the machine is in when you add the batter. If you don’t wait for the machine to heat up between cooking cycles it will automatically adjust the cooking time accordingly. This gives super consistent results. If there is any overflow it will get caught in the wraparound moat. This also cooks the batter at the same time, giving you something to nibble on and making clean up a doddle. Basically, you switch on the Smart Waffle, select a programme (I chose chocolate) and turn the dial to determine how light, golden, or dark the waffle comes out. You can then choose from one of the starter recipes that Sage give you in the handbook – which I recommend for your first few goes – and get cooking! Waffle batter expands when cooking so there is a handy moat around the edge of the machine to catch any drips Yes, yes, and hell to the yeah!!! As long as you have a batter of the right consistency, adding in chocolate chips – or anything you might add to a cake batter, really – is absolutely fine. You could add dried fruit, lemon zest, even mini marshmallows! How much waffle batter should you put in your waffle maker?

Looking for more family food gadgets? Read how family pizza nights have become legendary since we got the brilliant Roccbox pizza oven Sage Smart Waffle Maker Review Fear not, for we have tirelessly searched for the very finest models for both your budget and your appetite. But first, this is what to look out for… What features should I look for in a waffle maker? We’ve often returned home from Brussels, shop-bought waffle mix in tow, but we’ve struggled to recreate that iconic flavour in our own kitchen, leaving a void needing filling and a craving unsatisfied! We had contemplated investing in a waffle iron, but often put off for several reasons, but then the Smart Waffle™ Pro from Sage Appliances came into our lives. Those clever clogs at Sage put a challenge to us to see if we could recreate the magic of our beloved Belgian-style gaufres right in our own kitchen.Another thing to consider is the shape. Some waffle makers produce squares, while some make rectangular waffles, and others circular. Most models produce a single waffle at a time, but if you have a large family or frequently entertain guests then it makes sense to go for a machine that makes two or more waffles at a time.

As a rule, a waffle maker that flips will produce a more perfectly cooked waffle because it spreads out the batter and cooks it evenly on both sides. These designs can take up more room, however, due to the large handle and drip-catcher tray. What else should I look out for in a waffle maker? The short answer? Pretty much everything. But to go into a little more depth, the Sage No Mess Waffle Maker looks and feels like a premium product straight away. Its sleek circular shape and sturdy stainless body make for a very aesthetically pleasing piece of kit, with the waffle plate inside looking similarly sturdy and well-designed. If you want to make a large batch and eat together with friends or family, then you can keep cooked waffles warm in the oven. A few minutes in the oven can actually improve their crispiness. Don't wrap them in foil as they may go a bit limp and soft. Look for designs with interchangeable hotplates and variable temperature settings to vastly expand your waffle maker’s repertoire to include flat plates for paninis and grilling and toasted sandwich inserts for cheese-filled lunches.Thermal engineered heating elements ensure even heat distribution. Timer and progress indicator will automatically begin to count down once the lid is closed. A Bit More adds additional time to get your waffle just right without having to reset the timer. 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.