The Easiest Way to Clean Your Electric Waffle Iron

One thing I do not like about myself is my tendency to get intensely into something, only to abandon it with little to no warning. If you've been reading Lifehacker for any appreciable amount of time, you have seen me do this with several columns. But I feel a resurgence coming on with Will It Waffle?. After I waffled those mozz sticks the other day, I felt renewed, invigorated, and excited about waffling. Then I remembered I had to clean the waffle iron.

Cleaning an electric waffle iron is normally tedious, thanks to all the ridges. I also tend to waffle greasy, cheesy, or sticky things, which does not help. I used to get in there with wet paper towels, cotton swabs, and pastry brushes, but I figured out a better, easier, more entertaining way to clean the thing.

This new cleaning method begins much like my old one: I plug the waffle maker in, set the heat to high, then prop it up on its side over some paper towels so the grease can drip down and away from the waffling grates. Next--and this is the new and exciting part--I spray the waffle maker with a water bottle, making sure the stream is as aggressive as possible. (Do not set it to "mist.") The water steam-cleans the nonstick coating and dislodges all the greasy, grimy stuff and burnt bits, washing them away and onto the paper towels, all without Q-tips.

Is it "safe" to set your electric waffle maker on its side like that? Depends who you ask. A fire marshal would probably disapprove, but as long as you lean it up against something sturdy, and keep an eye on it at all times, you should be fine. Once the waffle iron is clean, set it back on its bottom and let cool completely before storing.