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The first time I Googled ‘best mini waffle makers’ was circa. 2013 when Gossip Girl was at its peak and Dan's dad - was his name Rufus? - would make the whole Humphrey gang a batch of steaming hot waffles each morning before school. Realistic, right? I was lucky if I had time to grab a squished cereal bar but… that's by the by. The idea of having waffles for breakfast or brunch has long been a tradition over in the US, and I think it's high time we cement the ritual here in the UK. After all, why shouldn't we, too, be treated to syrupy sweet, powdered sugar-dusted deliciousness? 

Alas, now we've established waffles are the new fry ups, it seems only apt that I find you the crème de la crème of waffle makers. No one wants burnt batter stuck to a shoddy waffle maker, after all. Early on in my research, it became quite clear which brands were a cut above the rest. Thankfully, a handful of the brands favoured by our US counterparts are still available to us here in GB - namely Dash and Hamilton Beach - while, elsewhere, Global Gizmos and Giles & Posner seem to be leading the way among the UK-specific manufacturers. And then, of course, we have our household names: the likes of Breville, Cuisinart & Salter. How to distinguish between them all, you ask? Let me share my learnings: (you can skip ahead to the full edit here).

The best mini waffle makers at a glance:

How do I choose a good waffle maker?

Before you click to buy or let the cashier beep your waffle maker of choice through the checkout, there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, you want to assess what is the best size mini waffle maker to buy for you? Are you flying solo or making breakfast for a hoard of hungry teenagers? If you veer towards the latter category, I'd recommend looking to double waffle makers or, even better, multi waffle makers like this five waffle-capacity machine from Wayfair.

Once that's established, consider how you'll use your mini waffle maker. Are you calm, collected and not in a rush whatsoever? Or, perhaps you're swept off your feet without a moment to think? Again, if you fall into the latter group (mamas, we feel you), you might like to seek out a few speedy-cooking add ons in your mini waffle maker purchase. Think: cool-touch handles and feet on both sides of the machine so you needn't flip the waffle with a spatula (and can simply turn the entire unit). Other stand-out features to note include…

• A high wattage for fast cooking.
• A durable non-stick coating (psst. DuraCeramic is the best).
• A moat or drip tray for overspill.
• Removable and interchangeable waffle plates. If you're only going to be making waffles once a month, you may as well get some more frequent use out of your machine. Be it for toasties, paninis, doughnuts, pancakes or cake pops, nowadays there are plenty of machines with alternative grill plates to swap-in. 
• & lastly, if the machine you're eyeing up does has removable plates, look out for the rare few brands with dishwasher-safe grill plates. No more scrubbing away at crispy bits and dried-on batter. 

Keep scrolling to shop our full edit of the best mini waffle makers to level up your breakfasts in 2023

• Wattage: 7000 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash only
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable bubble waffle plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: 20cm

Pros: 

• Has a cool touch handle.
• Available in a matching red popcorn maker, too.
• Has feet on both the top and bottom so that when you flip mid-way through your waffle making cooking time, it should take minimal effort.

Cons: 

• No Belgian waffle plate.

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• Wattage: 1000 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash only
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable heart-shaped waffle plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: 18cm

Pros:

• Makes five cooked waffles in one go. 
• A top pick for easy storage as it stands upright to slide into your cupboards with minimal fuss.

Cons:

• Unlike the previous Global Gizmos waffle maker, this one doesn't have feet on both the top and bottom, so you may find the ‘doneness’ of your waffle to be more crispy on one side than the other.

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• Wattage: 1000 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? Yes!
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Yes, double waffle maker plates and American fluffy pancake plates, too.
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No, but much like the Breville machine below, it has a floating hinge to prevent squishing the waffle mix on one side.
• Waffle size: 11.5cm

Pros: 

• Reaches a high, steady temperature of 210 ̊C for evenly cooked, fluffy waffles. 
• The handy indicator light lets you know when the machine is really for use.

Cons: 

• It's, perhaps, the least aesthetic among the type of waffle makers we've listed herein, but it's also one of the best quality waffle makers, too. Decisions, decisions…

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• Wattage: 600 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash only
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable round waffle plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: 12.5cm

Pros:

• Includes a two-year warranty with VonShef so you can keep making the perfect waffles even if the machine gives up on you.
• Only weighs 0.55kg for easy manoeuvring around your kitchen.

Cons: 

• Not the best pick for big families - it'd take you a while to whip up brunch for six with only 12.5cm of waffle diameter per griddle.

• Wattage: 650 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash with a non-scratch scourer and gentle detergent
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Yes, waffle plates, doughnut plates and cake pop plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: N/A

Pros: 

• A top tier snack maker with three different non-stick plates for all your sweet tooth cravings.
• The lilac colourway is gorgeous and would go great with this Swan coffee maker, if you're in the market.
• Has red/green indicator lights to let you know when the machine's preheated and ready for you.

Cons: 

• Much like the Global Gizmo pink iteration above, there are no feet on the flipside, suggesting you shouldn't turn the machine for even golden brown cooking throughout. 

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• Wattage: 850 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash recommended.
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Yes, deep-fill dual waffle plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? Yes and no - a high hinge and a fully enclosed plate system ensure less mess squeezing out while cooking, but the device doesn't have a moat specifically.
• Waffle size: 4" x 5"

Pros: 

• Has built-in features to minimise spillage and ensure no-mess.
• The brand have provided waffle recipes (via Amazon), including some vegan falafel ones, if you were looking for a more personalised gift for your plant-based pals.
• Stainless steel with a DuraCeramic coating means this waffle maker is oh-so-easy to look after, thus also meaning that the customer ratings are through the roof.

Cons: 

• While you can buy toastie plates for grilled cheese etc., they're not included with this, the classic waffle maker.  

• Wattage: 550 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, do not submerge the waffle maker in water, wipe clean with a mild detergent spray only.
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable mini waffle iron plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? Not in the technical specs from Giles & Posner themselves, though from my deductions I'd say there's a very narrow one around the rim to catch any surplus waffle batter.
• Waffle size: Dimensions not disclosed apart from being described as ‘individual portion size’

Pros: 

• The price! Sub-£14 for a waffle grid that's perfectly suited for a small home? We'll have enough funds leftover to treat ourselves to some luxe ice cream from Hackney Gelato. No more of crunchy, icy stuff from the reduced section of Lidl, Walmart (for our US readers) or whatever our nearest store is when the cravings hit.
• Includes free standard delivery if you spend another £16. These Denby plates are nice…

Cons: 

• Buyers reckon it takes around five minutes to cook the batter to a perfect fluffy waffle consistency. Not necessarily a con, but perhaps one if you're cooking for a large party. 

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• Wattage: 900 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, hand wash only + avoid using metal utensils to maintain the non-stick coating
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Yes, waffle cooking plates, sandwich toaster plates and panini/grill plates.
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: 13 x 13cm

Pros:

• The Salter waffle maker is one of the only models in this buying guide with a griddle pan plate for paninis, grilling etc. 
• It's available with next day delivery for free via Amazon Prime, or for a surcharge for non-members.
• Promises 3x thicker waffles, though it's not clear whether this is when compared with other multi-plate smart waffle makers, or rather all waffle makers (including waffle irons) altogether.

Cons:

• Some buyers report that, despite it being all-clad-out with a non-stick coating, they'd still recommend oiling the plates to prevent sticking.

• Wattage: 350 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, clean with included two-way brush
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable single set of plates for waffles, hash browns and chaffles (waffles made with cheese and eggs)
• Does it have an excess batter moat? Again, like the G&P waffle maker, it's not mentioned, but I would say there's around ⅓ inch spare plate space to catch surplus batter.
• Waffle size: 4"

Pros: 

• One of the main pros with this machine is that we're lucky enough to even be able to get hold of the Dash mini waffle maker in the UK, what with it originally being from across the pond.
• The added cleaning brush is a nice touch, given that it doesn't accept all cleaning methods, namely dishwashers and being submerged in water.

Cons: 

• The low 350 wattage. You might find it takes longer to cook your buttermilk waffles, hash browns etc. Then again, it's one of the top trafficked searches in the mini waffle maker category. heads to customer reviews 

• Wattage: 650 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, wipe-clean only.
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable Belgian-style waffle plates
• Does it have an excess batter moat? No drip tray/moat
• Waffle size: 7 ¼" wide

Pros: 

• Another pick express from the US, this Hamilton Beach Belgian waffle maker is hard to get hold of here in Blighty. While those across the Atlantic might be able to pop down to their local store - be it Williams Sonoma or Macy's - here in the UK we have Amazon to thank. Thank heavens for the internet.
• 477 customer ratings on Amazon, 79% of them five-star. Now that's a lotta' love.

Cons:

• The brand state it'll cook your waffle batter from start to finish in at little as 10 minutes, though we'd argue this isn't a particularly short grill time, with competitor brands promising even shorter times.

• Wattage: 1100 watt
• Are plates dishwasher safe? No, wipe-clean/hand wash only.
• Non-stick? Yes
• Removable plates/what types? Non-removable Belgian-style plates for flip waffle maker.
• Does it have an excess batter moat? Yes!
• Waffle size: 7"

Pros:

• Has an easy-turn flipping mechanism so you can clear all those anxious thoughts regarding uneven cooking and unwanted burnt bits from the corners of your mind. Presto have got you covered.
• If you thought the reviews on the Hamilton Beach model were good, Presto will raise you a hefty 22k testimonials (whew), 80% of them five-star.

Cons:

• The delivery times, earliest delivery at the time of writing is 10 days away.

After more of the latest interiors round ups from team GLAMOUR? Check out our guide to the best vacuum cleaners, our curated edit of the best bed frames and our pick of the best chest of drawer units. For more from GLAMOUR UK Commerce Writer Lucy Smith, follow her on Instagram @luceeeeesmith.

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