Vintage Waffle Makers Reinvented

These vintage waffle irons will prove to you how long waffles have been enjoyed by people since ancient times even before non stick coating and thermostats were invented.

General Electric Best Value Waffle Iron

Since 1920’s and the invention of the first ever electric waffle iron, General Electric has continued to produce waffle irons with stylish designs and innovative features but is now considered vintage today. This vintage waffle iron is one of General Electric’s pride sold during the 1930’s to 1940’s, which is made with stylish design and textolite handles. Unlike modern waffle irons, it doesn’t come with non-stick surface and thermostat just and it’s also non automatic. But despite these outdated features, it self-regulate,s not overheating as long as it has batteries. It produces well-cooked, thick, 6 ½ inches wide waffles.

General Electric “Diana” Waffle Iron

Another restored waffle iron is the very popular 1939 Diana model, which was one of the great Art Deco Appliances invented in America. This waffle iron was a favorite wedding present to newly-wed couples which could last a lifetime of service. One of the main features of this waffle iron which is absent in new models is its capacity to perform efficiently for everyday waffle making. It comes with cozy ivory textolite handles and an accurate temperature controller equipped to make any type of waffles you desire. Whether you want light brown chewy waffles today and then dark and crispier waffles tomorrow, you definitely can make it with ease and comfort. Just like the previous model, Diana waffle iron yields a 6 1/2 inch wide waffle but thicker than the typical one.

Royal Rochester Waffle Iron

Nothing seems so vintage and elegant than this waffle iron made way back in the 1920’s. Polished with nickel, this non-automatic waffle iron also comes with two identical side handles and one major wood, ebony-colored lid handle in between. The base sits on a creatively pierced wide platform. Internally, very efficient patented Calrod heating materials make up its machine which would bake a thick 7-inch diameter waffle. This vintage waffle iron has been restored and qualified today as a commercial grade appliance.

Nothing beats a nicely cooked waffle coated with melted butter or honey, and topped with strawberries for breakfast. Homemade waffles have been a delish part of our households for several centuries now. These delicious treats have been around us since 14^th century as history claims, and they have been brought to us by an equipment called waffle maker, also known as waffle iron. Without waffle irons, waffles and waffle ice cream cones weren't that possible and weren’t that easy to indulge in. Hail waffle makers for they have made our breakfast experience an incredibly savory one. The waffle makers we’re using today are quite different to the waffle irons used in the past. Let’s take a quick look at the history of this wonderful piece of equipment and the people credited for inventing waffle iron. With this blog, let’s travel back to 14^th century and into the times of the first ever waffle makers- 1620’s, 1860 and 1911.

The Birth of the Waffle Maker

The Vintage Waffle Makers

Although the Ancient Greeks were the first people who cooked pancakes similar to waffles, the origins of the first waffle iron can be traced back in Holland or Germany around 1300’s. These waffle irons are far from the waffle irons of today. They were assembled by cooks in the ancient times using two hinged iron plates attached to two, long wooden handles, and were held over an open fire to cook waffles. The two metal plates of the waffle iron had the traditional honeycomb pattern on each side. The waffle batter back then is still the same as today and similar to pancakes which consists of flour, butter and eggs beaten together to form a light mixture. The batter is poured into one side of the pre-heated waffle iron, the other side is closed, and these two plates are hinged together, and held over an open fire or stove during the process of cooking waffles. 

These vintage waffle makers have always had elaborate patterns since then. They were made with plates that could imprint religious symbols and landscapes into the waffles. However, they could only mold waffles into a limited number of patterns unlike the waffle makers of today.  

In 1620’s, it was believed that the Dutch pilgrims brought waffle irons to United States, then in the year 1869, Cornelius Swarthout patented the first ever waffle iron in America. He made it with cast iron plates joined together by a hinged that revolved around a cast iron collar. This waffle iron rested atop wood or gas stoves. 

The First Electric Waffle Maker

Waffles started to become on-the-spot treats for breakfast and desserts in the year 1911 when General Electric created and began selling the first electric waffle iron. This waffle iron was designed by Thomas J. Steckbeck and was the first one to have a built-in thermostat to prevent overheating which was a usual problem encountered with the early versions of waffle iron. Since then, the basic design and function of waffle irons has remained the same although its overall appearance had been changing and evolving into more sophisticated versions. 

In 1926, Charles M. Cole produced a new version of the waffle iron- an electric waffle iron that could cook two waffles at one time.

In 1939, Karl Ratliff designed the “Twin-O-Matic” based on Cole’s idea, and introduced the new model in New York’s World Fair. Such waffle iron includes a thermometer and thermostat at the same time. 

Other Ideas Bloomed Because of the Waffle Iron

Top: Remnants of the Ancient waffle maker
used in molding the soles of the famous Nike shoes

In 1971, Bill Bowerman, an Oregon Coach and one of the co-founders of the famous footwear Nike, experimented on his wife’s waffle iron. 
(Read more of Nike's History and its connection to the ancient waffle irons here)
This led him to the idea of designing a new sole for footwear using waffle-ironed rubber that would hold efficiently and is made of lightweight material. His idea led to the creation of the so-called “moon shoe” in 1972. It was named as such because the waffle tread used in making the shoe looked like the footprints left by astronauts on the moon. This was the beginning of the explosive growth of the giant footwear company, Blue Ribbon Sports, famously known today as Nike.

These are the waffle makers/waffle irons of today. They are not just used for making traditional waffles but also for making unique sausage waffles and biscuits as well as waffle cones. Today's waffle makers have several innovative features that will make your waffles extraordinary, flavorful and rich. Everything is truly possible with these waffle makers. Check out these videos.