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Kitchen & Housewares : Rome's #1100 Old Fashioned Waffle Iron, Cast Iron |
- Good, simple cookwareOnce seasoned and properly pre-heated, produces good waffles. Note that its a little work to get the protective wax off when you first get it and that patience is required if you are making a large batch with only one iron. The iron has worked well for me so far. Proper use and care probably requires familiarizing oneself with caring for cast iron cookware (not a complex process).
Rating:
- Rome's #1100 Waffle Iron is great!I have been making and freezing waffles for my family (teenagers included) for about 10 years now and this is the best waffle maker yet. I've gone through about 3 electric ones over the years, so it's nice to know I'll never need another!
It can seem to need a lot of attention, but it's really worth it.
1) The most important thing to know is: Are you familiar with working with iron skillets? You'll need to know how to season the iron and keep it seasoned throughout its lifetime of use. This could be the waffle iron's down-fall if you don't know how to do this.
~~~To season this I first burned off the paraffin coating in my oven with double aluminum foil under it. Then I washed it in the dishwasher. Then I heated it on the stove-top with a heavy brushing of canola oil and then let it cool completely. I did this about 4 times. This takes a day or two because of cooling times. Then I washed it again.
2. Once seasoned, I use it on my gas stove top at a flame set just less than medium. I have a bowl with several Tbsp. of canola oil next to the stove and a basting brush. I lightly brush the skillet before each waffle.
3. Pouring 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of batter on the iron, then I use a countdown timer (Timex Ironman watch: it counts down and repeats automatically) set for 2 minutes. At 2 minutes, using oven mitts, I turn it over for another 2 minutes.
4. After 4 minutes total, the waffle is done and ready for eating, or let cool and then freeze.
5. After use, I may give the iron a light coating of oil, or simply let cool and store. Every two or three uses I place it in the dishwasher without any ill affects to the seasoning.
This waffle iron makes the best waffles: light thin, and fluffy. No uncooked parts as with an electric iron. I like the beautiful simplicity of this iron, and I like that it also is a good source of dietary iron.
Rating:
- Good buyWe wanted to avoid non-stick teflon surfaces and could not find an electric waffle iron without it. So we purchased the Rome's Cast Iron Waffle pan which worked well for us after only one seasoning. While cooking, I spray the iron with oil between waffles and the waffles don't stick. I would love the pan even more if it had a deeper belgian waffle type pattern. All in all a good product that will last forever.
Rating:
- Great waffles, but some skill neededI bought 2 of these. Based on the potential product quality, I would give it 5 stars. These can make great waffles (nonbelgian - i.e. thin), crisp on the outside, tender in the center, and light and airy. It's a revelation in fact, if you are used to the typical doughy waffle. I like these much better the what the waring pro, nonstick, flip, automatic beep, etc. In addition, the cycle time can be quite fast, provided you preheat the irons sufficiently and keep a high enough temperature. I can average 1 waffle a minute.
However, I took off a star because of the following caveats:
1) You must know how to season cast iron, otherwise the waffles will stick. It would be great if they could preseason this, like lodge logic. To season, first i put the irons in boiling water to take off the wax coating, then soaped and washed. I decided to season this on the stove top (make sure you have a good hood & vent). I preheated the irons, then brushed a raw chunk of pork fat on the surfaces several times and continued heating until the seasoning looked hard and black and no longer sticky. It took about 30 minutes (using 4 burners as I had 4 halves or two whole wafflers) and it will give off a lot of smoke. I decided to do this on the stove top because i have more control vs the oven.
2) The handles get hot. So, you need a mitt to handle it. I find a thin mitt easier to use than a thick one. It's easier to lift just the top half with a thin mitt. And you have to be somewhat careful as the halves can disengage while you are filling and removing the waffles. Having said that, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I would not let my kids use it though. They also sell these with wooden handles. It would probably be easier.
3) You have to use enough heat. You have to preheat each side till it starts to smoke. I use medium to medium high heat on a gas burner. Do not use high heat to preheat as you can burn off the seasoning. By the way, i don't know if this will work on an electric burner. And you have to brush or spray some oil or butter. I brush lightly a mix of oil and butter. I find i only have to do this every other waffle, as the waffle mix does have some butter in it.
4) I don't wash the waffle surfaces, I just brush and wipe after cooking.
HOWEVER, in spite of all that, I really like these and the my kids rate the waffles a 10, especially the cheesy waffles.
I use a yeasted waffle batter that I make the night before. It includes, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and a bit of sugar and salt and some melted butter. I stir in a pinch of baking soda for extra lift prior to baking. You can put vanilla extract or grated cheese. I top with either real maple syrup, dulce sauce, or whipped cream and chopped fruits.
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