Waffles sticking and splitting - any tips?

We have made waffles for years without incident. Recently we needed to make a batch without eggs, so we tried egg-replacer. It stuck so bad that the waffles were just crumbs on the plate by the time we got them out. So we went back to using eggs again, and no issues. Today we tried the same recipe without eggs again (but no egg-replacer either) just egg-free, and they stuck again. So in our case the eggs seem to allow the waffles to slip out easily.

a trick i found out that works every time alot of people will probably not know is when your iron is heated pour in batter then wait till its hardend alittle bit then close it. trust it will work cause if you close it right away its like closing a lid on sticky batter. if you wait till its hardend it cant stick. hope this helps

I think the main thing you have to ask yourself is how attached you are to your appliance. If you're fine throwing it away after 5-10 years you might find my experience doesn't apply to you. I had an vintage 60's era GE Waffle Iron from my late Father-in-Law. Removable Aluminum irons, super neat, but terrible shape. Thick black build-up and it was all over the housing too. A total disaster. Tried a number of ways to clean it up but sadly a total write-off and I scrapped it. Fates aligned in my favor though and I actually happened across the exact same one in a thrift store for $10 not a week later and it looked like it was fresh out of the box! So I did a bunch of reading online because I didn't want to ruin this one. Here's what I've discovered through reading a bunch online and then trying it... Apparently unsaturated fats like lighter oils are worse for producing that brown nasty baked on shellac, I can't explain the exact process but apparently they aren't as stable and they change with heat becoming more of a polymer. Once the gummy residue cools good luck getting it off. Spray oils might be convenient but they're made from these less desirable oils and you also get over-spray which can get places you don't want it. So a basting brush and a little melted saturated fat like butter are actually better, clarified butter like Ghee is even better because the milk solids have mostly been removed so even cleaner to use. I don't get greedy and over coat or overfill things and I keep a wet cloth nearby just in case to attack any dribbles. When I'm done I close a thin wet dish cloth between the plates to add some steam then I use a natural bristle brush (so it won't melt) and use it to work a cloth into all the grid work while it's still hot. I never give residue a chance to settle or cool and it wipes right off. You may want to use tongs to keep your fingers clear of the heat. Now I have to say I haven't been using this method that long and I've been cheating and using a mix that doesn't require oil or butter but so far it's been pretty amazing just how clean this appliance is staying. Saturated fats may not be considered "healthy" but I figure I'm not using much and if you're eating waffles I think you can treat yourself to a little real buttery goodness!

Non-aerosol oil in the pump bottle. When the original mix is gone add your favorite oil plus GRAIN ALCOHOL (Everclear) - about 2 tablespoons for my 7 oz. bottle. Shake before spraying and it will actually spray in a mist and not squirt in a direct stream. The alcohol cooks away. Good for the environment and inexpensive.

I have to advise AGAINST using a non-stick cooking spray. I ended up ruining my perfectly good Cuisinart non-stick waffle maker by using spray (Which was actually recommended in the manufacturer's instructions!) Sprays contain soy lecithin. The lecithin turns into a gummy residue, which with repeated use will build a terrible layer of sticky gunk on the plates. When my maker was brand new, it worked great, no sticking. Then I started using spray (again, as recommended), and after a few batches I noticed the waffles were sticking a little, so I used more spray, etc. Eventually, I went on Google to try to find out why my waffles were sticking so badly. That's when I saw how many people were advising to NEVER use spray. There were several cleaning remedies offered, but most of them involved using ammonia, so I just chalked it up as a loss and bought a new one. I have never sprayed the new one, and it works fine. I use a waffle recipe that contains just a little melted butter, and that seems to be enough to make the waffles release with no trouble. I'm sure that brushing the plates with melted butter or canola oil would work also, but no spray! I'm trying to spread the word about not using the sprays on waffle makers, because I'd like to spare people the trouble and the ruined appliance that I went through.

Love you guys!
Followed the directions here (10 min. after ready light to apply butter and more time baking, untill no or very few smoke was seen) and it worked like a charm.
I was ready to give up after two recipes, a lot of time baking, hours of iron cleaning, a stack of powder waffle and a lot of frustration. It does work!

I have given up on waffles a long time ago and just go to my favorite breakfast place once a week to have them. I guess I'll give it another try. Thanks for all the input

I make waffles every weekend out at my weekend house, using multiple waffle irons, both new and antique. Over a decade, here's what I've learned:
1) the waffle iron needs to be sufficiently hot before you add batter
2) grease iron lightly using a silicone brush and either butter or canola oil
3) do not use a spray like Pam to grease it; you'll eventually get a layer of gunky buildup and waffles will stick
4) batter needs to be thick, much thicker than for pancakes
5) try applesauce instead of butter or oil in the batter
6) waffles are done when steam stops seeping from between the plates; don't open the iron before
7) every several months, clean the iron's plates by soaking an old dishtowel or paper towel in white vinegar and clamping it between the hot plates until the towel begins to steam
Enjoy! There's no better weekend breakfast than freshly-made, hot waffles.

Use butter as the grease. Things rarely stick when I use butter to grease pans & such. I don't recommend spray-on oil since they can leave a film that ruins a lot of surfaces. I also find that recipes with butter (in them) also tend not to stick and have crispness that last even when the waffles cool down.

Hi! I've been obsessed with making these protein waffles work, and they kept sticking and splitting no matter what I used to grease my iron. After multiple iterations (and lots of waffle-iron scrubbing), I found that my solution was twofold: 1) The batter needs to have some oil/fat in it; oil-free batters just won't work in my iron (even if I've generous greased my iron). 2) The batter needs to be thick; no matter how much oil is in my batter or on my iron, the waffle will split every time if the batter is too thin. Hope this helps!

In my case, it was sticking and splitting because I used less oil than requested in the recipe.. :) ( way too much for my taste!)
So, now it works wonders:
2cups batter
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup oil

sprayed the iron lightly
and voi la
* "It is always breakfast somewhere""
Love
H.

In my case, it was sticking and splitting because I used less oil than requested in the recipe.. :) ( way too much for my taste!)
So, now it works wonders:
2cups batter
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup oil

sprayed the iron lightly
and voi la
* "It is always breakfast somewhere""
Love
H.

Thank you for all the new advice! I will definitely stick to thicker batters from now on.

seabirdskitchen - One of the other recipes in my manual used the separating technique so I might try that too. Thank you for suggesting it, it sounds like a good technique.

my waffles do the same thing if I don't allow them to cook long enough. make sure you aren't opening up the iron too soon.???

I like to use a thickish batter, but to add separate the eggs. Add the yolks into the primary phase with the rest of the ingredients. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks and fold them in. You get the right thickness (wetness really), and some lightness from the egg whites.

Instead of butter, which tends to brown quickly on a waffle iron, I would suggest using clarified butter instead.

One more general tip . . . . something that occurred to me when I made waffles this morning. (We make waffles here a lot. In fact, dessert waffles -- a bit of extra sugar in the batter, topped with ice cream and seasonal fruit -- are a favorite.) Anyway, it's important to get the iron good and hot for the best waffles. So, once the indicator light says the waffle iron is ready, I add on at least another ten minutes or so. Mr. T. told me that eons ago, when he was a bachelor making waffles for himself, the first one never came out well. I suspect that a less-than-optimally-hot iron may be the explanation. Also, I always add about 1/4 less the liquid called for, at first, then add more only if necessary. As Peter noted, thicker batter is better for waffles. Much better. ;o)

I find the thick, yeasty batters are best for waffles. The thin, crepey ones-- well, as you saw. They don't work. Glad you found the solution!

It's been a while since I've made waffles but I do recall my batter to be quite thick when compared to, say, pancake batter. Maybe that thinner batter recipe of yours was the problem.

Peter - thanks for your advice. I also had the same problem with making waffles (all the same recipe) in our previous waffle maker before it died - which was a non-stick type. I might try butter, thank for that. The recipe in the book was quite different to the one I was using before - it's yeasted and thicker - so maybe that's what is making the difference!

Apologies for the spam. We're working to fix the situation.

I know it's late but thought I'd chime in. First, every waffle maker I've seen of late has non-stick plates -- not "cast aluminum". That sounds like your primary culprit right there.

Second, I never spray mine with oil -- I take a stick of butter and run it over the hot surface. I suppose technically the butter may get past it's smoke point but I've never noticed a problem.

Third, it seems odd that some recipes would stick and others (the one from the manual) would work. Maybe there was something odd about the recipe you used? Interested in posting the ingredients so the Foodpickle community can do a little forensic analysis on it? ;-)

all well that end's well :)

Really pleased to say that I've just tried the waffle recipe from the manual and it worked! I've never been so pleased to open a waffle maker before (or so nervous while the first one cooked - it was like making macarons and waiting for feet!). It's even a really tasty and easy recipe.

Thank you so much for all your help and suggestions!

I had an expensive waffle maker years ago that gave me the same kind of grief. I never did figure it out. I ended up getting rid of it and buying a modest non-stick one, which works like a charm. They're traditional (not Belgian) round waffles. Nothing fancy, but the darn thing works and that's what matters! ;o) P.S. If you can't resolve it following the manufacturer's suggestions, take/send it back and ask for a full refund.

Yes, it seems like it shouldn't be THIS hard to make it work. You can honestly say you've tried everything, (as you steel yourself for doubtless much time and aggravation getting this resolved).

Sounds frustrating! I had another idea: is your batter too cold when you ladle it onto the iron? Or is it more liquid than it ought to be?

But other than trying the company's recommended recipes, I think you ought to contact them,as AJ said. There may be a problem with your particular waffle iron.

Sadly despite all your helpful tips once again the waffle stuck firmly to both sides and split when I tried to open it. I'm going to email the company in a minute and maybe try with one of the recipes in the manual. It's so sad when you're looking forward to a lovely waffle and it doesn't work!

The plates are solid cast aluminium and it recommends hot water and a little soap so I think I've been treating them right. It may well be that they'll improve with use - it was an expensive machine so I'll complain if it doesn't improve. I'll try the sizzle test and try cooking them a bit longer before trying to open it too.

This is such a fabulous idea - it's wonderful to have a place to get all this advice! I'm going to have a go in a minute so I'll let you all know how it goes.

I would try the sizzle test -- just flick a little water on the plates from your fingertips -- it should sizzle. Also, if the plates are non-stick, I think they are actually more likely to stick. My mother's waffle iron had cast iron plates which became conditioned over time, so they were unlikely to stick; if you have something along those lines, you should clean them like other cast iron, without soap or detergent, since that takes off the 'patina'. Another factor -- I find waffles split if they are not sufficiently cooked through, so they may need a little more time. Hope you resolve this. We love waffles!

I'm pretty sure the olive oil will stand up to the heat, but I think AntoniaJames' recomendation is a great idea! Let us know how it works out :)

Sounds like things are resolved; but I use a silicone brush so I don't have to worry about burning the tips (which of course I have done!). I think that it probably does get hotter even when the indicator light says it's ready. I've noticed that subsquent batches seem to go faster in mine. Ah, but it's been too long since I made waffles!

I found some olive oil spray in Coop - our Migros is quite small so I'm not too surprised they didn't have any. It's extra virgin though so I'll have to see if you can taste it (it shouldn't cause problems on a waffle maker, right? I know you shouldn't generally heat extra virgin too much).

I've also found the website for the waffle maker. I'll try again with the rest of the batter from earlier and if I have a problem again I'll contact them.

Thanks :)

I'd call the manufacturer's customer support line on this one, especially given that it's a fairly new item. They should be able to help you troubleshoot. If they don't have a help number, go to their website and send them an email, today. Good luck! ;o)

Have fun at the Migros!

I'll try heating it for an extra few minutes before using it and see if that helps. I'm off to Migros now so hopefully I can find some spray oil if I search a little harder.

Thank you all!

Hi Emma,

It might keep heating after the light goes off. You may as well try that to see if it works...

I don't know where you live, but I've seen spray oils in Geneva at Globus and at Migros. Here is one example from the Migros site, but they ususally have a much better selection in the shops themselves. http://www.leshop.ch/leshop/Main.do/direct/fr/Search/huile/#/fr/Supermarche/_/_/343638_Ca#39_del_Monte_Huile_d#39olive_en_spray_20cl

All best!

I use a Misto to spray oil on my waffle iron. But the other method I like is soaking a paper towel with oil and wiping it on. (Wear an oven mitt when you do this, though.)

I wonder if the thermostat of your new waffle iron could be off, and it's not heating high enough? Not sure how you would check that, though.

Thanks for your reply!

As far as temperature is concerned, I do wait until the indicator light turns off. Do you think it might heat up further after it has reached the indicator temp?

I'm going to look and see if I can find a spray but I don't think I've seen one here (in Switzerland). The last time I tried my bristle brush it burnt the tips!

Thanks again,
Emma

Hi,

Two things occur to me: the first is temperature. The waffle batter may be sticking bacause the iron is not sizzling hot enough when you start to cook. The seoncd is that you could try with spray-on Canola oil for more even coverage or use butter with an old-fashioned bristle brush, that sometimes is mroe efficent than the sillicone. Good luck!