The Pizzelle maker is a kitchen waffle maker. It consists of two plates with heating elements connected by hinges. The outside of the plate is covered with covers. This design allows the product to be roasted on both sides. The average cooking time for waffles is 3-5 minutes. In this article we will talk about how to choose the best pizelle maker.
The Pizzelle maker bakes a variety of shapes (including hearts, rounds, squares, triangles, rectangles, cartoon characters, animal faces, smileys, Christmas trees). Home waffles do not contain flavors and dyes.
Class
Professional – a powerful device for the preparation of large quantities of waffles in one cycle. Such a pizzelle maker is able to cook waffles of various shapes, bake cups and straws for desserts. Professional pizzelle maker is more expensive and massive than amateur pizzelle maker. Amateur – bakes less product in one cycle, more compact and cheaper. This class of pizzelle maker is the most common.
Baking
There are two kinds of waffles:
- American (classical) – thin and crispy, square or round. These waffles can be rolled up in a horn or a tube and filled with stuffing (jam, cream, condensed milk);
- Belgian/Viennese – thick and soft, with a variety of shapes (square, rectangular, round, shaped). Belgian waffles are divided into two subspecies: Brussels (rectangular, softer) and Liege (round or oval, harder).
Type
Depending on the type of waffles the devices “specialize” in, they are also conditionally divided into two types:
- For American waffles, these pizzelle makers have shallow cells, which results in a uniform baking and crunchy product;
- For Belgian waffles – these models are equipped with deep cells, so that the dish is made crispy outside and soft inside. These devices also cook cook cookies with the same structure as waffles.
Important: each pizzelle maker is designed for only one type of dish, so two devices for American and Belgian waffles are sometimes purchased.
Quantity
The number of waffles prepared in one cycle in different models ranges from 1 to 10 pieces. The Pizzelle maker, capable of baking nuts, is designed for 24 halves of 12 nuts.
Capacity
This parameter determines the speed and performance of the device (number of wafers prepared per cycle). Powerful professional devices are able to cook a few large waffles in 2 minutes, and amateur models will need 5 minutes to bake 2-4 smaller waffles.
The power of the pizzelle maker varies between 450 and 1600 watts. As the power increases, the cost of the pizzelle maker and its energy consumption increase. Most often there are models of power 700-1000 W. For home use 700-800 W is enough. More powerful devices should be purchased, if it is planned to prepare waffles in large quantities. The low-power pizzelle maker will be cooking for a long time. The power of professional devices is 1500-5000 W and depends on the number of working surfaces (single- or double-post).
Material
- Case (covers). Plastic is a relatively cheap and light but not strong enough material. The plastic case differs with a variety of colours. Such pizzelle maker is less durable and reliable than metal. Metal is a more durable, but heavy and expensive material. Professional pizzelle maker is made of metal. Stainless steel case is matte and glossy. The matt body is more practical because it does not collect fingerprints and masks other impurities.
- Plates. Pizzelle maker boards are made of metal only.
Size
The dimensions of the device are related to its power and performance. The pizzelle maker is a compact, low-power pizzelle that fits easily into the kitchen cupboard. Large and powerful professional models are installed in cafes, restaurants and other similar institutions. Frequency of use of the device also matters: for rare preparation of wafers it is not necessary to get the large device.