That was a lot of fun Bobby, thanks for finding it! Chocolate waffles with ice cream--yum! Alton was down on the square waffle irons, due to the heat distribution or something, but I like them for toasting. Yes, I know I can break up the other kind. I am very limited with my toaster. It is only big enough for toast made from a small piece of bread. Also the waffle irons I like, that seem to be the most heavy duty for the square waffles, are for the Belgian kind, which I think might not fit in my toaster. Here are the ones I'm thinking about getting: Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Iron Calaphon Belgian Waffle Maker Krups Waffle Chef Belgian Waffle Maker Cucina Pro 1452 Belgian 4 square waffle iron Those were the only ones I could find that seemed to have sufficient electric juice and heavy duty cast aluminum "irons" and also a non-stick finish that didn't wear off. Most of the cheap nonstick stuff I get wears off and I really don't like that, not to mention that the "non-stick" part pretty much becomes non existent at that point. I think they're all going to make too big of waffles though, but I can reheat them in the oven I guess. I'm not really ready to buy a new toaster, and I don't really have much room for one. I really love my retro one, but it is really not good for much else but toast. They do sell a non electric real iron one, but I dunno, sounds like a recipe for me to burn myself or melt something in the kitchen. Maybe someday when I get my dream woodburning stove and I can just shove it around any old where.

FOAS, that's a good tip, I still over fill my waffle maker sometimes. Bobby, it's all a matter of practice, soon you'll know how full and how long to cook them. I like whole grain waffles, but the kids like the fluffy white ones so that's what I mostly make. You have a recipe you like, so I say keep using that and keep practicing. As I mentioned, I still over fill mine sometimes, if I get distracted and don't pay close enough attention, and then I get that mess to clean up. Maybe less of a mess, thanks to FOAS... Annie

Yeah, I can't say enough wonderful things about our KitchenAid waffle maker! I don't think you can get it any more in the "Nickel Pearl" color like we have (shown above), but you should be able to find it in the "Black Onyx" color: Overstock.com has it for $187.99 (and they only charge $2.95 shipping!). The waffles that it makes are 7.5" in diameter, and 1.25" thick. The thing heats up quickly (there's a temperature gauge on the top that shows the progress), and it takes 3.5 minutes to cook a waffle. When we make them, once the "top" is filled, I press the start button and then flip the thing over. Hubs fills the second side and I watch to see how many seconds it takes before the lid comes down. Once the 3.5 minutes are done (you see the timer count it down), we take the first waffle out, and the timer automatically starts counting UP (how long past the "done" time), and when the correct number of seconds has passed we open the second "chamber" to take out the second waffle. If you want to continue making waffles, just press the Reset button and the timer will go back to 3.5 minutes. When you've got the batter in, press the Start button, etc., etc. And, another key to making great waffles is the mix you use. We always use this: You can find it more easily than you'd think and you can also order it from places like ChefsCatalog.com. It's also sold under the Stonewall brand. You have to add a bit of melted butter, an egg or two, and some milk, but man-oh-man the waffles are good! Hubs likes blueberry waffles, so we just mix in some fresh (sometimes frozen/thawed) blueberries. Yum!

Occasional waffles are fine but I don't get excited about them. I have never cared for what's called Belgian waffles around here. A standard waffle maker and a good batter, usually pop some crumbled bacon into it and a good fruit syrup on them are a tasty treat occasionally. The first time I ever heard of chicken and waffles was on Duckman decades ago and made me roar in laughter. Thought, they couldn't be serious. But I guess. I've had chicken and waffles during the same meal before but never eaten together. For me, they don't go together. Call me "un-nice" if you wish but that's my opinion and I'll stick with it.