Weekends and waffles belong together and nothing should ever come between them, especially not the damn waffle maker. When greased up correctly, removing waffles from the hot iron is no problem. Lubricate the waffle iron unevenly, or not at all (we’ve all been there), and the batter can become unapologetically stuck and rip your waffle in twain. That doesn’t have to be your fate. Here are two of the best ways to thoroughly apply fat to your hot waffle maker without hurting yourself.
This is part of The Grown-Up Kitchen, Skillet’s series designed to answer your most basic culinary questions and fill in any gaps that may be missing in your home chef education.
Use a pastry brush
I’ll never stop touting the benefits of the humble pastry brush. It’s one of the most helpful tools in my kitchen, and you’ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands. Besides gently slathering marinades, mayonnaise, or mustards onto large cuts of meat for barbecuing, pastry brushes are clutch for swiping eggs wash onto pies, simple syrups onto cakes, or oil onto waffle irons.
The many tiny bristles hold onto liquids, fit into tight spaces, and hug curves with no issues. Pour a quarter cup of cooking oil into a small bowl or measuring cup. Once the waffle maker is hot, dip the pastry brush into the oil and start brushing. Make sure to hit the edges and use the tip of the brush to get down into the ridges. I usually start with the bottom plate, since the oil will stay put. Oiling the top plate has gravity working against it, so be quick with brushing and get the batter in there as soon as possible. I prefer bristle brushes, but silicone brushes will work just fine too.
Prevent sticking with a heat-safe pastry brush:
Or try a refillable oil spritzer:
Use a spritzer
Employing a spray bottle full of cooking oil is a low-mess way to get an even, thorough coating of fat on your waffle maker. The atomizer on a spray head will break up the liquid into tiny droplets, and propel them in a conical spray trajectory ensuring good coverage. One or two spritzes will be enough to cover each heating plate. Brushing oil on your waffle iron is fast, but spraying might just beat the speed test.
Spray bottles also dispense the liquid fat in much smaller droplets than a brush can, so the oils are less eager to collect and run down the top plate when you’re pouring the batter onto the iron.
Waffle makers are a vital part to this equation:
Most waffle makers these days come with a non-stick coating, and although this material can benefit from some extra lubrication, you want to keep that non-stick surface as intact as possible. Put down the PAM and don’t use any aerosol sprays on non-stick cookware; it degrades the coating. Many grocery stores sell 100% oil cooking spray bottles. If you can’t find those, you can buy empty spray bottles online and fill them with cooking oil yourself. They’re reusable so it’s a one time purchase, and totally worth it.
For a bit of added flavor, try brushing on melted butter instead of oil. Whichever method you decide on, make sure you apply a little fat after each waffle comes out to keep the (whole, un-torn) waffles comin’.
