We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There's no better way to start a day than with a fresh, hot, crispy waffle. They can be made sweet by adding syrup and whipped cream, savory by pairing with eggs or chicken, or a combination of the two. The nooks and crannies of these "pancakes with abs" means they hold delicious sauces and syrups, providing a burst of flavor with every bite. They are truly the perfect breakfast food. As "Parks and Rec's" Leslie Knope reminds us, the three most important things in life are waffles, friends, and work. So we all want to make sure we're honoring our waffles and ensuring they're the best they can be when we endeavor to make them at home. 

To make life easy for all the waffle aficionados out there, we've compiled an extensive list of the best waffle makers of 2022. Whether you're a waffle making novice looking for a starter maker or a seasoned waffle cook looking for an upgrade, we have a waffle iron that will fit your needs.

To find the best waffle irons of 2022, we combed through dozens of reports and even more individual consumer reviews for different waffle makers. We wanted to ensure that each waffle maker selected was sturdy, and that the owners didn't just like them, they loved them. Especially for the best overall waffle maker, we wanted to identify an ideal piece of equipment ... the last waffle iron you would ever want or need to buy.

We also took into consideration the price of the waffle maker, as well as the features offered for that price. We looked at the size and servings each waffle iron makes, and how automated the machine is. For example, does the waffle maker come with a timer that beeps when the iron is fully heated or when your waffle is done? Does it have lights to indicate these things, or are you just left to trial and error? We also took into account the ease of cleaning the waffle iron. This can be notoriously difficult with all those nooks and crannies, especially considering that most waffle makers have fixed plates that can't be removed for cleaning.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we looked at the quality of the waffle it produced. No one wants a soggy, floppy waffle. We chose waffle irons known for producing consistently beautiful, crispy, golden brown deliciousness every time.

The best overall waffle iron was an incredibly close call. There are many quality waffle makers on the market, which is fantastic, but that makes it difficult to choose the best. After much deliberation, we got it narrowed down to two: the Breville No Mess Waffle Maker and the All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker. Both waffle irons produce a classic round. waffle, cost within $20 of each other, and have similar features, including an audible ding when the waffle maker is ready for batter. They both have seven crispness settings, and have received general praise from consumers and testers alike. 

Ultimately, though, we chose the Breville No Mess Waffle Maker as our best overall. While both options produce a delicious waffle, Breville uses die-cast thermal plates to achieve a perfectly cooked waffle. The waffle iron also lives up to its 'no mess' name, featuring a generous spill moat to catch any batter before it spills onto your countertop. Finally, the Breville iron offers a locking mechanism on the lid to avoid accidents. It certainly isn't the cheapest waffle iron, but for the money you're guaranteed a perfect waffle every time.

Purchase the Breville No Mess Waffle Maker from Amazon starting at $149.95.

"A steal" is the best way to describe our pick for the best budget waffle maker. There are plenty of low budget, and low quality, makers on the market, but our choice doesn't sacrifice quality or options for price. Coming in at just under $30, this waffle maker will fit almost any budget.

The Cuisinart Round Waffle Maker is a no-frills appliance ideal for those who are new to waffle making and might not want to commit to a fancier one. It has a simple light indicator to let you know when the maker is fully warmed up and, unlike other budget options, offers five heat settings and a predominantly metal base.

Based on the roughly 20,000 reviews on Amazon, the waffle maker heats up quickly and is easy to clean. It isn't perfect, though. With a low budget pick, the quality can vary, with some Amazon reviewers complaining of the non-stick coating wearing away with use, and others saying the waffle quality isn't always top-notch. But for the price, it's a hard machine to beat. 

Purchase the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker from Amazon starting at $29.95.

Our top pick for the best splurge is another Breville waffle maker. The company is known for their luxury, high-quality products, so it's no wonder their waffle makers are topping the charts.

The Breville Smart Waffle Pro is designed to give you the perfect waffle every time. Unlike other waffle irons where you merely adjust the heat, the Breville Smart Waffle Pro allows you to pick the kind of waffle you're making (for instance, buttermilk, Liege, or Belgian), then it automatically adjusts the heat and cook time based on your selections and other variables, such as the moisture in the batter. The LCD screen displays the cook time so you always know how much time you have before your waffles are ready. Additionally, just like the Breville No Mess, there is a generous overflow moat which cooks the excess batter, making clean up a breeze.

All these features would be useless if it didn't produce good waffles. Luckily, the Breville scores amazingly well with Williams Sonoma customer reviews, most of whom rave about the quality of waffles the appliance produces. With two-waffle and four-waffle options available, you can choose the size that works best for your situation. This waffle maker is well worth the splurge.

Purchase the Breville Smart Waffle Pro from Williams Sonoma starting at $219.95.

For those looking for a compact single-serving waffle iron, look no further than the Dash Mini Maker. This adorable waffle maker is perfect for anyone looking to make a waffle for one. It produces a single, four-inch waffle and comes in a wide range of colors. If you're looking for even more added whimsy, throughout the year the company offers iron designs that make waffles in season-appropriate shapes, such as hearts, snowflakes, shamrocks, and pumpkins.

The Dash Waffle Maker may be small, but it produces a decent waffle. It comes with an indicator light to let you know when the maker has fully heated up, and while it may not make the perfect waffle every time, 81% of the almost 200,000 Amazon reviews rate this small-and-mighty appliance as a 5-star item. That's especially true given the $10 price tag and how little space it requires in the kitchen. You would be hard pressed to find a similarly-priced waffle maker that comes in this many fun options and produces a consistently decent waffle.

Purchase the Dash Mini Maker for Individual Waffles from Amazon starting at $9.99.

Families require a versatile waffle machine that's easy to clean and can make a large quantity of waffles in a short period of time. It's a tall order, but the Cuisinart Belgian Maker with Pancake Plates Waffle Iron has it all and more.

This waffle iron makes four square waffles at the same time and offers a sturdy metal base that gives it durability. Despite this metal base, it's still lighter than most comparable machines and is a simple square shape, making storage easier. As an added bonus, interchangeable plates for pancakes come with it, making it more versatile than other waffle makers. The plates from the waffle maker are all removable and machine washable, making clean up time a breeze.

The Cuisinart Belgian Maker also offers common convenience features, such as an indicator light for when the iron has fully warmed up, and six heat settings. This machine is well-loved, as it sports a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Amazon reviews with 3000 customer reviews. The iron comes in under $100, which also makes it the best choice for those feeding a family.

Purchase Cuisinart Belgian Maker with Pancake Plates Waffle Iron from Amazon starting at $99.95.

Removable plates are not a common trait among waffle irons. Only two other irons on this list offer removable plates as a feature, yet the ability to remove the plates makes cleaning the waffle maker much easier than those with fixed plates. With so many nooks and crannies for batter to get stuck, you can be left sitting with a toothbrush or a damp cloth trying to get all the cooking mess out. Soaking waffle makers is a no-go, as it will likely ruin the electrical components inside.

The KRUPS Belgian Waffle Maker is the best choice for those who are looking for the convenience of a removable-plate waffle maker. The plates in the KRUPS are both removable and machine washable, making cleanup easy. As an added bonus, the waffle machine makes four square waffles at a time. The temperature of the machine is also adjustable.

The reason this machine doesn't appear elsewhere on our list, however, is due to some quality issues. With the amount of plastic on it, it doesn't feel as substantial as many of the other waffle irons available, and some Amazon reviewers complain about consistency and warn that the plates might rust over time. That said, with more than 6,500 reviews, it still boasts a 4.5-star average. So, if your main concern is easy cleanup at a reasonable price, this is the iron for you.

Purchase the KRUPS Belgian Waffle Maker from Amazon starting at $79.95.

For those who want a flippable waffle maker to produce restaurant-style waffles at home, we have you covered. Waffle makers that flip over help distribute the batter evenly across the iron and can produce a lighter and fluffier waffle.

The Presto Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker is our top pick for a variety of reasons. First, its price point is amazing. At roughly $50, it's easily one of the more affordable waffle makers on this list. Second, it's one of the few affordable waffle makers that comes with its own digital timer, making it much easier to keep track of your waffle while cooking. The waffle uses the unusual style of a center base, which enables the Presto Flip to turn from side to side. This means that while it can take up more space during cooking, the maker can be stored standing upright, making it easier than most flipping waffle makers to tuck away when not in use. Additionally, a unique advantage of the Presto is that instead of a traditional non-stick coating, the iron comes with a ceramic coating. Amazon reviews agree that the non-stick coating is effective and the product is easy to clean.

Purchase the Presto Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker from Amazon starting at $49.99.

Sometimes old school is the best school. For those looking for a classic stovetop waffle iron, Rome Industries Old Fashioned Waffle Cast Iron is the way to go. This heavy duty, cast iron waffle maker can stand up to anything, which is why it's the best.

Despite being a "stovetop" waffle iron, the Rome Industries iron can really be used to cook on or in any heat source, such as the grill or the oven. Unfortunately, competitors such as the NordicWare Cast Aluminum Waffle Iron, can't stand up to the heat. The NordicWare aluminum base, as well as its protective plastic handle, are the very things that mean it can't survive in a high-heat oven or on a grill, whereas the Rome Industries Old Fashioned Waffle Cast Iron can really take a beating. Reviewers rave about the Rome Industries iron's durability when camping. The cast iron holds heat well and provides a consistent heat to cook the waffle. It should be noted, though, that while its competitors utilize non-stick coatings, the Rome Industries iron will need to be properly seasoned to build up its non-stick surface.

Purchase the Rome Industries Old Fashioned Waffle Cast Iron from Amazon starting at $32.95.

Throwing the old adage "don't play with your food" to the wind is Waffle Wow's Building Bricks Waffle Maker. For a kid-friendly waffle iron, there's nothing better.

According to commenters, the waffles the iron makes are perfectly good and the kids like them. For under $50, that's noteworthy.

What makes the Waffle Wow's Building Bricks Waffle Maker such a good, kid-friendly waffle maker? For starters, the waffle maker is easy to use, almost to a fault. There are no buttons on the machine; it's simply plug and go. The exterior of the waffle maker is made of white plastic and has a whimsical building brick design. This means that when your kids inevitably insist on "helping" you make breakfast, they can't mess up any settings and likely won't be able to burn themselves.

The real attraction, though, is the waffle shapes. The waffles the Waffle Wow Building Brick Waffle Maker produces are shaped like, well, building bricks. They are perfect for kids (or the young at heart) to build with and entertain themselves in the morning. Even if they aren't being used for building, the waffles are a perfect size to act as a handheld waffle stick, making an easy meal with no cutting of waffles necessary.

Purchase the Waffle Wow Building Bricks Waffle Maker from Amazon starting at $49.99.

The Liège waffle is a whole different creature than the batter-based kind most American waffle irons are built to accommodate. Liège waffles, named after the Belgian city of Liège, are a type of Belgian waffle. Some might even go so far as to argue the "better kind," made from a yeast-risen dough and containing pearl sugar, all of which makes a denser, richly-flavored waffle with a crispy, caramelized sugar outside. They are perfection, but to get a waffle maker that can truly stand up to the test of making them properly, you have to go straight to the source.

Belgian company Croquade makes a Belgian Waffle Maker that's up to the challenge. The maker comes with interchangeable waffle irons, one for what they call US-style waffles, and one set of waffle irons built specifically to handle Liège waffles. It has 8 heat settings, and the device itself flips 180 degrees, giving it a good, even cook.

There is no "doneness" indicator on this machine, so it requires the cook to be vigilant during the cooking process, but it makes up for this extra effort by having removable plates that are machine washable.

Purchase the Croquade Belgian Waffle Maker from their website starting at $239.94.