Waffle iron update

 It's been a long time, but that's because I decided that there was a limit to the number of waffle irons that one person could reasonably have.  I know, sounds a little crazy looking back on that decision, but six was enough.  I'd even gotten rid of one, rehoming a square GE waffle iron because a) I had too many, 2) it had come to me for free and just never really settled in as a part of the family and iii) who really wants to eat square waffles, I mean seriously.  So anyway, six waffle irons.  Each with either a personal story or just really cool.

I moved on.  Because if six waffle irons is enough, then I can collect a few of something else.  Oops.  Click the button for sewing machines at the top of the page.  That's just a small sample.  Too be fair, there's a lot more variety in sewing machines, plus you have different tables and cabinets, plus transverse shuttle, vibrating shuttle, oscillating, rotary, well I could go on but I can tell that I'm losing you.

So what's this about a waffle iron update?

Just around the corner lives an old widower (can I say old?  My mum doesn't like the word, she prefers older.)  OK.  Just around the corner lives an older gentleman who is a widower.  He walks his dog pretty regularly so we have chatted.  A few months ago he was clearing out some stuff and I bought a Singer 28 handcrank that had belonged to his wife.  You can read about it here.  One of these days I'm going to clean it up a bit and give it a new coat of shellac, just to preserve it for the next 112 years.

I'm headed out a couple weeks ago on the bike and who should be sitting out in his driveway with a table but same fellow.  I stop to say hi and "a waffle iron".  OK, I'm going to buy that.  He only wanted $10 so I gave him the money so no one else would grab it while I wandered next door to look at their sale, which had nothing of interest.

So what does $10 get you?  A Royal Rochester with the Red Poppy design.  Dated from the late 20s to early 30s (just like most interesting waffle irons).  Didn't have a power cord but those are readily available from the local hardware store so I already have one.  Haven't tried it out yet but one of these weekends it will be waffle time.

Turns out they made a lot of accessories with this particular design.  Coffeepot, cream and sugar, syrup jug, waffle warmer.  I'm going to chat with the neighbor to ask if he remembers having any of them, if not I may do a little ebay shopping as I'm thinking this would be a fun set to have.  Not sure if I'd get everything, probably just the syrup and cream and sugar.  I don't entertain a lot so having a bunch of extra stuff that wouldn't ever get used might not be a great investment.

Oops I did it again!

 But since everybody loves waffles, I bought another one.  Search for "waffle" or "waffle iron" in the blog for history of "The Collection".  Meanwhile, here's a Sunbeam Model B from the late 20s/early 30s.  At least according to what I've been able to track down, which isn't much.  I'm mostly going off of a patent issued in 1929 that is stamped on the unit.

New addition to the family

of waffle irons, of course.

The waffle iron collection continues apace.   You can read the history here, and here, and here.

Recently, through a cousin, I acquired the iron of my aunt and uncle (older on my father's side).  Been sitting for a bit as I don't generally eat carbs anymore, but this morning, I wanted a waffle.  Or two.

The new iron is a Universal (Landers, Frary & Clark) E9364 which is the Marie Antoinette pattern.  They were made during the late 20s and early 30s.  Not particularly rare but I collect for personal interest, not for investment.

This is a nice waffle iron which needs some serious cleaning but the second waffle out was perfect (the first was a bit overdone but that's a part of finding the correct timing plus the fact that it had been sitting for some presumably large number of years and needed the conditioning).  

This iron only takes about four minutes versus the five minutes of most of my other irons so it may run a bit hot.

What is most interesting about this particular waffle iron is the temperature indicator.  A little tab pops out by the handle to tell you when the iron is at the correct temperature.  Very ingenious.

Anyway, there it is.  The latest addition to the collection.  I figure that maybe, someday, people in the younger generation might want their (great?) grandparents antique waffle iron and they will be sitting here, cleaned up and operational, ready to go back to the family.

Cleaning.  That's a post for another day.  I need to look into lye baths.  That's how Toaster Central did them when I sent in my grandmother's but they also re-wired the whole thing and I'm not sure what the lye does to the wiring.  TC doesn't do waffle irons anymore so I have to do a bit of digging and figure out

Bread goes in, toast comes out

First of all, my utmost thanks to Jitterbuzz.  Why do I need to thank him?  Well, I was at a flea market today and I picked up a Toast-o-lator for $10.  "What is a Toast-o-lator?" you might ask.  Good question.  I didn't know either.  All I knew is that it was a toaster, it had a big slot at either end, a  switch for turning it on or off, a lever for adjusting it, and no indication of how the bread went in or the toast came out.  It was, however, really cool, old looking, and, as mentioned before, only $10.  I bought it.

Enter Jitterbuzz.  He (or she, I don't honestly know) has a web page devoted to the Toast-o-lator toaster.  Apparently, bread goes in and toast comes out through the undulations of a serrated bar that drags the bread in, drags the toast out, and drags the whatever-you-call-bread-that-has-started-to-toast-but-isn't-actually-toasted-enough-to-call-it-toast through the center portion.  Here's their advert (also from the Jitterbuzz site):

And here's mine (from my kitchen counter, not Jitterbuzz):

I don't know if it works.  It needs a lot of cleaning.  It is my intention to clean it and, if humanly possible, fix it if it doesn't work.  This should go nicely with my waffle irons.  If that sentence doesn't make sense to  you, search for "waffle" in the search bar at the top of my blog.

Everybody Loves Waffles (Rainy Monday update)

Regular readers know that I believe waffles to be a gift from the gods.  Choose your god, I am leaning towards Odin, the All-father, but it really doesn't matter.  Years ago I created a waffle iron collection.   You can read about it here, and here, and here.  After the last episode I did get rid of the square one from the fifties.  Just too darn modern, plus I had an eager taker.

Last March I picked up the Samson pictured in the last post.  Ceramic insert top with a tropical bird decal.  Very attractive and I'd wanted a ceramic insert model since I realized that I actually had a collection.  The Samsons were made from... well I can't tell you that because I can't find my waffle iron book (of course there's a book and of course I have it.  Don't mock.  It's unseemly.)  However, this particular model, which didn't have a model number, was made in the late twenties.

Anyway, this one is in beautiful condition.  Almost too nice for a waffle iron that was over 80 years old.  It has no burned on grease, in fact no evidence that it was ever cooked on.  Possibly it was refinished but if so it was a professional job, a job that generally costs around a C-note, but I picked it up for under $30.  Not complaining, mind you, just observing.

I suppose at this time you are wondering if I have a point.  I do.  In the intervening year or so I have never actually made waffles on the new iron.  I have a refurbished unit that was a wedding present to my grandparents and which is my general use iron, plus I don't make waffles that much.  Trying not to be fat and the carbs do it for me.

Today, holiday Monday, however, no bikes waiting my attention in my shop, I have a day off and I wanted waffles.  So here's a little pictorial tutorial for your reading pleasure.

Step 1: With a small brush, oil the waffle surfaces.  DO NOT under any circumstances use spray, even the stuff that claims to be for waffle irons.  It gets on everything and will bake on, leaving an unsightly brown mess.

Step 2: Plug in the waffle iron for heating.  Note that it typically takes about six minutes for a waffle iron to get to temperature.  After about five minutes splatter a few drops of water onto the iron surface.  If it sizzles and bounces around before evaporating then the iron is hot.  Note the time it takes as making proper waffles is a delicate process.

Step 3: Pour just enough batter into the middle of the iron to fill it about 2/3 full.  If you overfill then it will pour down the sides, making a hard to clean mess.  Close the iron lid.  I like to hold it down for about five seconds to help push the batter outwards.   Check your clock.  Typically it takes about three minutes to bake a waffle.  You can use the steam method where you watch for the steam to lessen, but timing is better.  You'll want to make a note of how long your iron takes to bake a waffle as well, since this can vary.

Step 4: Perfect waffle.  I like to gently lift up on the lid rather than just open it.  A perfectly done waffle should stick to the top and come up with the lid.  Using a fork, gently pull on the top of the waffle and it will fall right into your hands.  If you start to lift and it looks like the waffle isn't coming up, it probably isn't quite cooked.

Step 5: I have been eating Smucker's sugar free maple syrup for the past few years in order to make the aforementioned weight issue easier to control.  Today I splurged.  My little sister got me a tin of maple syrup when she was in Quebec last year so I opened it this morning.  Heaven.

Step 6: Unplug the waffle iron and let it cool.  Waffle irons are designed to maintain their temperature at the proper baking temperature so long as there are waffles in them.  If you let it sit closed and plugged in for too long it will overheat with negative consequences for your iron.  As soon as you are done, unplug.

So a huge success on this purchase.  An improperly cured waffle iron will result in sticking waffles, which make a giant mess and then make it ever harder to get a proper waffle the next time.

I'm a bit concerned about the power cord.  It looks something like this:

I will probably do a bit of online shopping and pick up a new one.  Toaster Central (which used to refurbish waffle irons but unfortunately no longer does) often has replacement power cords available for antique kitchen appliances.

A couple notes on the process. 

• Don't put fruit or sweeteners like honey in your batter.  They will stick to the iron and burn.
• If you have waffles sticking to the iron, check your batter recipe, clean the surface well with hot soapy water and a plastic bristle brush, then start again conditioning like I showed you above.

So why the lengthy exposition on making good waffles?  Well, let's just say that I think anyone who likes waffles will appreciate a properly cooked waffle.  In order to properly cook waffles you should have an antique waffle iron in good condition and follow the proper procedures.  I am not a big fan of the new Teflon coated irons.  I don't think they make as good waffles.

And in case you were wondering how to tell if you made a good waffle?

There you go.  The sign of a perfectly made waffle.

Covet not thy neighbor's waffle iron

OK.  I admit it.  I can occasionally be covetous.  I want this.  I don't want anyone to bid on this other than me.  If you are thinking about bidding on it and happen to be a reader of my blog, you can make me very happy by refraining.  This should be a part of my collection.

The freedom to choose

America, it is often said, is about choices.  You have the freedom to make your own choices, for good or for ill.  The other side of that coin is that you have to live with the consequences of those choices.

Today I chose to make waffles with my Homelectrics Model 1703, built sometime in the '20s or '30s.

Of course, as with any choice, the act of choosing means that you have failed to choose something else.  It's an unavoidable law of nature.  The unchosen have to wait patiently, hoping they will be chosen in the future.

And the consequences of my choice?  Pleasant, I must say.

 

I Am Weak

Over the years you may have tuned into this blog in eager anticipation of the next tidbit on antique waffle irons.  You may have followed my serial posts on the acquisition and restoration of old waffle irons.  Or you may have stumbled on this post by accident and are wondering what this crazy person is raving about.  Stop right now and read the two previous posts.  If you love waffles.  AIKYD.  Everyone does.

So yesterday I stop by an estate sale.  Older gentleman headed for a home from what I overheard.  There it is.  The fifth waffle iron that I don't need.  Seriously, I have four, I am single, and even if I wasn't, what kind of person needs five waffle irons.

Oh.  That would be me.  After all, it is a really clean Dominion, made in the late thirties or so.  Apparently it became a fad for a few years to have two small irons to make dessert sized or smaller appetite sized waffles, until the customers found out that it took longer to clean up and just wasn't worth effort.  Well, if you have a waffle iron collection, this is the coolest addition and will come out when the nieces and nephews are over for waffles.  Just right. 

The Continuing Adventures of "Waffle Iron"

Browsing the internet one day (or possibly over the course of several days) and I found a website called Toaster Central. These guys ROCK! All they do is refurbish old small kitchen appliances. As you may or may not know, I have several antique waffle irons. The first waffle iron I ever owned belonged to my grandmother and was made, according to my research, in the Late 20s - Early 30s. Needless to say it was not in the greatest condition. The first waffle generally stuck, it looked quite hideous, and one had to wonder about the eighty year old wiring.

Off to Toaster Central it went. For about $100 they stripped it down, rewired the whole thing, polished everything until it shone like new, and provided a new power cord, as well as a copy of the original owner's manual, instructions on seasoning the grid, and a brochure with a variety of classic waffle recipes.

Here are before and after pictures.

I couldn't be happier. I was hoping to send my Great Aunt Mary's to them but they said they can't work on it. I guess they won't do them unless they can find factory manuals for various specifications. If you are reading this and you have a box full of Electrahot factory manuals, please give the guys at Toaster Central a call. Then let me know so I can ship them a waffle iron.

Everybody Loves Waffles

Well, Brigid reminded me of how much I love waffles today. I went on a low carb diet regimen about two years ago, it's worked nicely both weight-wise and health-wise but I don't get waffles very much. So instead I am going to tell you all about the antique waffle iron "collection" I inadvertently stumbled into.

First, when in college, my mother gave me my grandmother's old waffle iron, a Universal 9324A manufactured in the mid to late 20s. Beautifully designed, decorated with scrollwork,

I loved it so much that my roommates found me a comic to commemorate my love (or to make fun of me, still not totally sure).

That was on or about 1987. A few years ago I was in Anacortes at a flea market. I had ridden down with some friends and we were in full leathers including back patches. On a table marked "Free, Everything Works" was antique waffle iron number two. Sunbeam W2A (Late 40s to mid 50s). Off I go, waffle iron under one arm.

Later at that same market, chatting with a lady who has a Homelectrics 1703 (Late 20s to early 30s) for sale.

Obviously I don't want it as I already have two antique waffle irons. Until she says I can have it if I want as she is no longer going to do flea markets. Waffle iron number three has just created an instant and official "collection".

Fast forward a couple months, I am joking with my family about my "collection" and my aunt mentions that she has Auntie's (our great aunt Mary who we all called Auntie) waffle iron from Maryhome (her house in the middle of nowhere New Hampshire) packed in a box and I can have it if I want. Well of course I do. Enter Electrahot 148 (Early 30s).

It's official. I actually have an excessive number of waffle irons posing as a collection. Well, might as well make it official. Onto amazon.com to order a copy of Antique Electric Waffle Irons, 1900 - 1960 by William F. George.

The best part, I can make enough waffles for the whole family without anyone having to wait at all. Too bad I'm single.