BookmarkHistory of the Waffle Maker
The waffle maker (once called a waffle iron) dates back to the 15th century, but may be even older than that. Waffle irons were designed by blacksmiths, but whether the customer or the blacksmith first invented the design is unknown. The pizelle maker, used by Italians to make wafer cookies, closely resembles an old-fashioned waffle iron.
Waffles were first introduced in the Unites States by Thomas Jefferson, who brought a waffle iron back from France in the 1790s. Europe had long enjoyed this delicious alternative to plain bread, and now it was time for the US to get in on the action.
The role of slavery
Since slavery was still practiced during the 18th century, slaves were the ones primarily responsible for making waffles in places where it was their job to do the cooking. African-Americans became highly skilled at making the exotic waffle, and the first cookbook ever written by an African-American, published in 1881,contains a waffle recipe.
The iron itself
A traditional waffle iron was made out of two cast iron plates and was heated on top of a gas or wood stove. One side was heated at time. Since this was before electricity, the timer, and temperature gages, knowing when to turn the waffle was a skill learned in trial-and-error.
But, as time moved on
In 1869 Cornelius Swarthout (of New York) patents the waffle iron.
In 1926, Charles M. Cole comes up with a waffle iron that runs by electricity and can cook two waffles at once.
In 1939, the "Twin-O-Matic" is designed by Karl Ratliff for the New York World's fair. It includes both a thermometer and a thermostat, but is based on Cole's design.
In 1953 frozen waffles are sold in grocery stores for the first time.
In 1964 Maurice Vermersch introduces the Brussels waffle recipe at (yet another) New York World's Fair. It catches on, becoming what is now known as the Belgium waffle.
Some things never change
Even though the technology surrounding waffles has changed over time, the basic recipe for waffles is essentially the same. Flour, milk, eggs, butter and oil are the basic components to any delicious waffle. The typically American waffle is made with baking soda, while the Belgian waffle is made with yeast.
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