This came up not long ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: Waffle makers.

Does it take a special kind of waffle maker to make Belgian waffles?..I know they have beaten egg white folded in....but won that work in a non Belgian waffle maker? I have made Belgian waffles in an ordinary waffle maker.
And do they really make waffles differently in Beglium that they do other places?
The first time I ever had a Belgian waffle was at the 64 or so NY world's fair at the Belgian exhibit....big fat waffles, filled with whipped cream and sliced strawberries....I think I want to go to Belgium!
Linda C

Clare: You will probably get a lot of leads on the WaffleBakers.
I have a Toastmaster that is good for regular waffles.

For Belgian waffles I just stack 2 high and put ice cream
in between and on top.
I have a great recipe for Waffles if you would like to try.My DD uses this for Belgian Waffles.

LOUÂS
Pancakes and Waffles Recipe

2 ½ cups milk
2 eggs ( separated ) .
1/3 cup of veg. Oil
2 tablespoon of vanilla
Pinch of salt
½ cup Sugar

1 cup of Wheat Flour
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
All Purpose flour
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Mix Pancake Batter:
Put the first 6 ingredients ( except egg whites ) in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Put in the Wheat flour, Baking pwd. and some All Purpose flour.
Beat until smooth. Add enough flour to thicken slightly,
(were it leaves ripples while mixing) not thin and loose.
Beat the egg whites with a teaspoon of sugar, until peaked.
Add ½ the egg whites to the batter and fold in easy.
Beat the other ½ of the whites until very stiff and fold these in also.
I put plastic in between pancakes for freezing.

For Waffles:
Thicken a little more, to where you have to move it around with a spoon,
when it is put on the waffle iron . Then do the egg white thing as in the pancake batter.
When baked I cool them fast on a rack and put them in a plastic bag,
and right in the freezer.

If you overcook a little, dampen slightly with water,
before you put them in the toaster oven.

As for the waffle iron , I have a very old round one with adjustable heat Range.
It makes a waffle about ½ inch + thickness. For me this is just right,
for the amount of butter and syrup that you can put on top.
I donÂt use the Belgium Waffle Maker ; except when IÂm adding
Ice cream and fruit topping , because itÂs too much waffle for the
amount of syrup and butter. But may be good for you.!

If I want a Belgium Waffle, I just make a double decker and
put fruit or whatever filling in between.
Then you have more cooked surface area , on the Waffles,
which gives a better flavor.
LOU

barnmom - Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

lindac - The frozen ones I use to get were twice as thick as the regular frozen ones. And I think they were sweeter. Too sweet for me. I like the idea of whipped cream and strawberries though.

hawk307 - Thanks for the recipe. I will print it out and keep it. And when I get a one I will try it out.
Clare

Clare, I will type up the Frugal Gourmet's recipe later if you want. They are wonderful belgium waffles.

As for the question can you make belgium waffles in a regular waffle iron...No, they are not thick enough. You need the thickness so you can have a crisp outside with lots of soft inside.

-Robin

Robin - Thank you, that would be very nice of you. And also thanks for clearing that up about waffle irons.
Clare

I like Belgium waffles; DH likes the regular kind. According to him, Belgium waffles are "too crispy" and hurt his mouth! Can you say "Wuss?"

Robin: Try LOU'S Waffle's . You might find them better.
They are Crispy yet tender

As far as the thickness goes. That's why I use the regular size and make a double decker.
I love some fruit in between and Ice Cream on top, swizzeled with Chocolate Syrup.
But that's just my tastes, your's may be different.

I don't want a lot of soft inside's. The better taste is when the dough is cooked, like the crust on a loaf of Italian bread.
Can you imagine making a Sub just using the inside ???

I could make one using the Crust and a little of the soft stuff, inside.
Then again , I'm very irrational and probably don't know what I'm talking about.
SOOOOOOOO !!!!! I'll leave it at that.
LOU

I am resurrecting this old thread. I need to buy a new waffle maker, and am looking for recommendations. My budget is "around $50", no more. It can be Belgian or not Belgian. Previously, we had a small Belgian maker that did well, but the heating element burned out. My mom gave us an older Sunbeam -- probably dating back into the 60s -- but it too is about a goner. I would love something that is non-stick and that does not have difficult/impossible cracks to clean.

Any suggestions?

Donna

IMO, you can't beat a vintage Sunbeam waffle iron. If you use the Waffles of Insane Greatness recipe, you don't need a non-stick iron. If you use cooking spray, you don't need a non-stick...and since I have pet birds, non-stick is a no go anyway. I see vintage waffle irons at rummage sales and in mostly lightly used condition. A new $50 waffle maker is going to be no where near the quality that you'll find in older makers. And, with any luck, you'll be able to find a used one for much less than $50.

Once you get a waffle iron well seasoned and resist all urges to clean the cooking iron, you don't even need non-stick spray.

We got a Krups back then and it is still going strong. Nothing sticks to it and it makes great Belgian waffles.