Choosing the Best Commercial Waffle Maker for Your Operation
Waffles are a popular feature at hotels, buffets, and diners, but modern menus have elevated this humble breakfast favorite beyond the brunching hour. Though square Belgian waffles topped with butter and syrup remain a classic interpretation, waffles can be baked to golden perfection and used in place of bread in sandwiches or turned into trendy waffle pops with the right equipment. Square, round, single, double, or specialty – commercial waffle makers are designed to bake dozens of waffles each hour, whether you're serving breakfast in a restaurant dining room or piling waffle cones high with ice cream scoops. Below, you'll find some of our most popular options for baking waffles in every style.
Best Commercial Waffle Makers for American and Belgian Waffles
Though similar in shape, American waffles are significantly thinner and have shallower pockets than Belgian waffles. The equipment used to make them reflects this difference, but both types of waffle makers are designed with round grids measuring about 7 inches in diameter.
Classic Belgian Waffle Makers
The Waring WW250BX waffle maker can bake as many as 120 Belgian waffles per hour with its side-by-side setup and two sets of rotating, nonstick plates. Need to bake two waffles at once but don't have much counterspace to spare? Try the Waring WW200, which has a stacked design, but keep in mind its lower output – just 50 waffles per hour compared to the WW250BX's 120.
Operations with lower hourly demand should consider the Adcraft BWM-7/R waffle maker, which bakes as many as 20 Belgian waffles per hour with rotating, nonstick plates. This budget-friendly option is also useful as a supplemental waffle maker in busier establishments, but its low output means it won't be the best commercial Belgian waffle maker for establishments with high-volume demand for waffles.
Classic American Waffle Makers
Another option for operations meeting low-volume demand, the Nemco 7000A waffle maker can bake 20 waffles per hour and has a floating hinge that enables the top grid to rise during the cooking process to limit dough spillage.
For double the output, try the Star SWBD waffle maker, designed with twin aluminum grids and fixed plates that deliver heat evenly across batter. If fixed plates are your preferred setup but your operation doesn't require that much output, the Star SWBS waffle maker is the single version of this design.
Best Commercial Waffle Makers for Specialty Waffles
If your menu goes beyond traditional waffle dishes or you simply want to make a meal more memorable by serving waffles in a unique presentation, these specialty options might be the best commercial waffle maker for your operation.
Brussels Waffle Maker
Want to set your dishes apart with the square shape of a Brussels waffle? The Krampouz KWM18.1BR46620 has rotating cast iron plates that can bake one 6-inch Brussels waffle at a time.
Liege Waffle Maker
The Equipex GES20/1 makes Liege waffles, which are irregularly shaped with a smaller grid pattern than other styles, and would be a great fit in hotels and other concepts preparing made-to-order meals.
Waffle Cone Baker
The Gold Medal 5020 giant waffle cone baker makes it simple for employees to serve freshly baked waffle cones each day, a feature that can help ice cream parlors set themselves apart from the competition.
Bubble Waffles
The Waring WBW300X waffle maker produces 25 memorable and trendy bubble waffles in an hour, so chefs can create one-of-a-kind desserts or brunch indulgences. These waffles can even be folded into cones to further elevate ice cream scoops.
Mini Waffles
The Waring WMB400X waffle maker makes 100 miniature Belgian waffles each hour. This creative alternative to traditional waffles can help an otherwise unremarkable meal leave an impression or be used to create smaller waffles more appropriately sized for individual appetizer or dessert servings.
Waffles on a Stick
Also known as "waffle pops," the treats created with the Equipex GES80 waffle maker are a great fit for operations serving customers on the go from food trucks, concession stands, or pop-ups at festivals and fairs.
