Teflon free waffle irons

[newbymom05]

The title says it all We eat waffles almost every day, so I've made hundreds of waffles on my Hamilton Beach, which now requires a dose of spray to stop it from sticking, which seems to imply we've eaten the teflon coating. Does anyone here use an alternative to teflon, and how easy is it to use? I initially almost bought a cast iron but didn't b/c I thought I'd be scraping waffles off it 90% of the time. Experiences/recommendations?

Spam me, waffle lovers!

[mamadelbosque]

IDK, I keep looking at the cast iron waffle iron, but haven't broken down and bought one yet. I can't imagine theres any other choices out there though, tbh... nothing else is even remotely non-stick so I don't see them working without LOTS of butter/oil.

[JamieCatheryn]

Cast iron is quite nonstick after it's been used a long time and cared for right. The metal smooths out well and it builds up seasoning. Until it does, if you need to soak in water before cleaning, no soap, you can and they come clean much easier.

[alsoSarah]

The cast iron waffle irons rock!

They make the best waffles on earth. Seriously.
(Once you work out the burner setting/time that's ideal on your stove.... make extra batter for your inaugural batch. )

Buy two, though, so that it doesn't take forever to make breakfast.

We've never had a problem with stickage--- just use butter and a heat-safe pastry brush or oil spray between waffles, and a fork to lift them. Afterward, use a scrubee and hot water to clean (no soap). When it's dry, rub it down with a bit of oil before you store it.

Hth,
alsoSarah

[newbymom05]

Thanks, mamas! I was just reading reviews on Amazon and one reviewer mentioned seasoning and how b/c of the smoke you need a good hood/vent, which we don't have (cheap builder house, NO vent to the outside, believe it or not, just the dinky filter). Am I right in thinking the smoke buildup is only from the seasoning process? I guess I could season it in the oven. I've seasoned my skillet on the stove after using soap, but it was a Lodge so already preseasoned, not much smoke or anything resulted.

Ugh, the battle with chemicals goes on. Not to derail my own thread, but it's such a mighty PIA. Like today I'm supposed to go to Kohls to get some glass bowls so we can stop using our toxic plastic. I almost wish they would just ban all toxic materials to force me to do these things b/c honestly, researching/shopping/buying all this stuff just makes me want to eat Teflon. Just a little. LOL!

[Pam_and_Abigail]

A lot of the more inexpensive cast iron waffle makers I've seen are made in China. Is this safe? Would you/have you bought and used cast iron from China? If not, do you have a source for one made in Europe, or at least NA?

[nerdymom]

I would season in the oven, not the stovetop. it shouldn't smoke if you use a lower temp, and bake for longer. Follow the directions on this website: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Infor...stIronPans.htm Also, with thr crappy hood on your range, open a window in the kitchen or nearby, and turn on a fan in the room. This will help th e hood vent work better. HTH, btdt.

[alsoSarah]

Hmmm... I've never had any smoke issues at all, I'm not sure why the reviewer would have.

My waffle iron was made by Rome. I'm not sure where it was made, presumably not Rome. I picked it up at a sporting goods/camping type store for $15. You can often find really old (read: already very well-seasoned) ones at antique stores, too.

alsoSarah

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by newbymom05

Thanks, mamas! I was just reading reviews on Amazon and one reviewer mentioned seasoning and how b/c of the smoke you need a good hood/vent, which we don't have (cheap builder house, NO vent to the outside, believe it or not, just the dinky filter). Am I right in thinking the smoke buildup is only from the seasoning process? I guess I could season it in the oven. I've seasoned my skillet on the stove after using soap, but it was a Lodge so already preseasoned, not much smoke or anything resulted.

You can also season on a BBQ - takes care of any smoke problem right there.

And we don't have a hood vent at all - but a window mounted twin blade fan has helped TONS with the build up of smells/smoke in the kitchen. Best $40 I've spent in a while.

[traire]

waffle-iron

here is a neat link to some really great no teflon waffle-irons

http://www.toastercentral.com/waffles.htm

good luck