Chef’sChoice 840 WafflePro Taste / Texture Select Waffle Maker Traditional Five of Hearts Easy to Clean Nonstick Plates, 5-Slice, Silver

I use this waffler when I want something with a traditional American sized grid pattern. Yes, the indents are shaped different, but the ratio of batter to air is about the same as an old fashioned American pre-belgian waffle. At 1100 watts this unit is more powerful than a lot of current units in the price class. I have an old Toastmaster that has 1200 watts (it's predecessor was 1400) and a Villaware round classic waffler that has 1000, both of which will crisp a waffle, as will this one, but I also have a number of lower wattage modern units that can generally only produce softer and doughier waffles unless the fat and/or sugar content in the batter is high. This unit will produce a crisp exterior and soft interior, or a uniform crunchier version, as advertised. I also have the M850, a larger 1750 watt square belgian unit with an LED countdown timer. That unit is my favorite, and worth the extra money to me for the extra texture capability the higher wattage provides, but I think for most casual wafflers this unit would be fine. The digital LED timer of the M850 is nice, but not worth the extra money alone. Only go for the more expensive M850 unit if you need the higher wattage. Of course, this model is the heart shaped waffle version, which is an alternative to the large belgian grid pattern. There is no M850 version of the hearts at this time. So, if you want to stay away from the large grid patterned belgian waffles, this unit is the best from Chef's Choice at this time. I haven't tried the M840B yet so I'm not sure how it compares to this unit. It appears to be the same waffler with a different grid pattern, so I presume it offers similar performance.Overall this unit does a nice job and is fast. No problems so far. I just wish they made a larger and higher wattage model as they do with the belgian style.

The engineering behind waffle makers is not at the tolerances heart pacemakers but like a pacer, you know when have a bad one. This is a well designed and manufactured kitchen device. It does the big things right like temp control, responsive crust adjustment and cleanup. It also does the little things right like a locking lid, stable upright storage and a good instruction manual. There are fancier table size ones, ones that make a better waffle and cheaper disposable ones.. but this is a great device and good value.

My husband loves waffles. He likes them crisp on the outside, moist on the inside. With my 25-year old GE waffle iron, I'd make extra-large batches once every two months and freeze them for reheating them, on demand, one-by-one in the toaster oven. Alas, I dropped the GE, broke it's handle, and decided that it was time for a new waffle iron.I did my homework. I checked out equipment reviews on Cooks Illustrated and read all of the reviews for every non-Belgian waffle iron here on Amazon. This Chef's Choice M840 won the day. Here are the reasons why I hate it and am sentencing it to Goodwill after only a week and two waffle-making attempts.1. It's extremely easy to overfill. After a few attempts at calibrating the pour, I started to get it right. BUT see #2.2. It's virtually impossible to clean. No part of this waffle iron is detachable nor can any of it be put under water. As a result, when the buttery batter oozes all over the machine, there is no way to get it out of the cracks and crevices of the machine. In addition, little crumbs linger in the clover-shaped iron plates and, short of getting out my vacuum cleaner to remove them, they were still there the second time I used the machine. Ick!3. As another reviewer pointed out, the paint is very cheap. On the first paper-towel rubdown (I cannot in good conscience call it a cleaning), the paint for the directional copy rubbed off.4. (This is a good point.) The waffles cook fast. (BUT, see #6.)5. (This is another good point.) The maker has a "ding" to notify you when the waffle is done.6. (This is the death sentence.) It makes really skinny waffles. (I'm not talking about the clover shape. I'm talking about the depth of the waffle.) Belgian waffles for us are about two times too thick for us. On the other hand, these waffles were about half as thick as the ones we've come to think of as "normal". It's OK when you eat them straight from the waffle-iron; however, after freezing and reheating in a toaster oven, they have the consistency of crackers.I'm so sad.