Monday, Nov 18, 2024

I made frozen waffles in 4 different appliances, and I'll never use my toaster again


chelsea holding up a frozen waffle on a plate and a closeup shot of a frozen waffle in a frying pan
I was pleasantly surprised by the stove-top method.
  • I made frozen waffles in four different appliances to find the best cooking method.
  • All the ways were relatively easy, and they yielded pretty similar results.
  • But the best-tasting one involved cooking the waffle on the stove with butter and cinnamon.

Frozen waffles are a classic morning staple that most people just pop in the toaster without weighing other cooking options.

But I thought I might be able to make the quick breakfast even tastier, so I tried four appliances — toaster, stove, air fryer, and oven — to see which one was best.

Here's how the methods stacked up.

The toaster is the most common way to cook a frozen waffle


two frozen waffles in a toaster oven
It's a hassle-free way to cook a frozen waffle.

I put my waffles into my toaster oven on the lowest setting, which cooked them for 2 ½ minutes.

As expected, they came out lightly crisped, but they weren't anything special


two frozen waffles on a blue plate
Butter and maple syrup are a classic combination.

After I buttered them and drizzled on some maple syrup, the waffles tasted exactly as I thought they would — simple and somewhat plain.

The stove-top method seemed like it would be a pain


stack of frozen waffles in front of butter, cinnamon, syrup, and the waffle box on a counter
Though it required the most work, it was worth it.

Next, I tested Tyler the Creator's method for cooking frozen waffles on the stove with butter and cinnamon.

I slathered both sides of the waffle with butter, and then I heated my pan on medium-high heat and toasted one side until it was golden. Before flipping it to the other side, I sprinkled some cinnamon on it.

I cooked the waffles for about two minutes on each side.

I'm a fan of cinnamon, so I loved the extra flavor


a frozen waffle in a frying pan
The butter-cinnamon combo was delicious.

It came out better than any other frozen waffle I've had.

The waffles soaked up the butter and toasted up perfectly — crispy and golden on the outsides but buttery and moist on the insides.

With a drizzle of syrup, they tasted like dessert.

I love using my air fryer, so I was excited to try this method


a frozen waffle in an air fryer
This was a simple way to cook the waffles.

Using the air fryer was super simple.

After preheating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, I put the buttered waffle in the basket and set it to seven minutes with the intention of flipping it halfway through.

But after about four minutes, I heard the waffle sizzling and rattling, so I took it out.

This method was easy, but not quite right for a waffle


a frozen waffle on a white plate
The waffle didn't have the best texture.

Out of the air fryer, the waffle was almost crunchy — not as fluffy as I would've liked it.

I may have overcooked it, but the waffle was almost firm and didn't have that nice, airy quality some of the other methods produced.

Using the oven seemed unnecessary for a frozen waffle


hand holding up a frozen waffle
It wasn't my favorite method, but the results weren't bad.

One professional chef told Business Insider you could cook a frozen waffle by sprinkling a little water on top — to help it crisp up — and sticking it in the oven.

I preheated the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit before drizzling the waffles lightly with some tap water. Then I baked them for about eight minutes until they were golden.

I couldn't really tell whether sprinkling the water made much of a difference


two frozen waffles on a metal surface
The waffles were evenly cooked.

Though the waffles weren't amazing, they were evenly cooked.

It was similar to the air-fryer method in that they were kind of crunchy, but they were almost dense.

I wouldn't do this method again because preheating the oven takes too long and it didn't really make the waffle stand out.

The clear winner was the stove-top method


chelsea holding up a frozen waffle on a plate
The waffle tasted amazingly buttery and sweet.

Of the four tricks, the stove-top method was definitely the tastiest.

The waffles had the perfect amount of crispness on the outsides while the insides were buttery and moist. The added cinnamon and syrup also clung perfectly to each bite.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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By: [email protected] (Chelsea Davis)
Title: I made frozen waffles in 4 different appliances, and I'll never use my toaster again
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/review-trying-ways-to-upgrade-frozen-waffles
Published Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:26:59 +0000

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