I'm very disappointed. One side of the waffle iron is stopped being non-stick. I used it fewer than 10 times over a 2-yr period, and never used an abrasive cleaner. I expected so much more from this!We vacation with our grandkids in a place with no electricity, but a gas powered stove and refrigerator. This year I took this waffle iron and it made beautiful tasty waffles. I first sprayed the waffle iron with olive oil before scoping the batter in. I always use Bob's Red Mill Pancake mix, which (according to my family) is the best.I've read over some of the negative reviews before making my final decisions on this item because I mostly saw a lot of potential and promise into what I could do with this product (saving money by whipping my own personal batter and possibly spiking the recipe with protein powder or some other supplements. This review will not cover this attempt as it's purpose was to simply make waffles without taking up too much space and to be incredibly easy to clean and maintain). What I didn't like about the electric waffle makers is the idea over how bulky and prone to being broken they are if they are either bumped or dropped from the counter. The folks that designed this product clearly had this in mind, they made their item from superior materials and it's what you're paying for here.It calls for vegetable oil to be painted as an optional choice; but I usually use whatever cooking oil that I have in the kitchen like canola oil that I would use for eggs or pancakes, and it turned out just fine for me (I initially thought my first batter was oily, and it didn't require the oil since the two pans are coated with a nonstick material and so easy to separate, and reassemble during cooking without oven mitts or gloves. I left a lot of room on the stovetop to work). With my first batter, I was able to whip up 16 waffles (some of them were not complete, while others overflowed when I put too much in; but these things come with practice); no problem and no fuss, and at a fraction of the price of buying commercial waffles buying the ingredients individually and mixing them into a thick batter. For a normal batter from the time that you start with the ingredients from scratch to the time you are done, you're looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes (and if you're really efficient, you could also add the clean-up period to that timing also). Clean-up is virtually fuss free as the item is already coated with a non-stick material; but since it's aluminum, you wouldn't dare stick it in the dishwasher or the detergent will oxidize the Aluminum.The price seems a little high compared to the electric waffle makers; but you're paying for something that is very well made and efficient when it takes only 3-4 minutes per waffle, it's easy to stack your waffles on a nearby plate (does feel old fashioned), and repeat the process that is only limited by how much waffle batter you have. You can make some crazy good waffles with this item, and still be incredibly sanitary that nobody's going to get sick with the next batter when it's easy to disassemble (there's only two pieces) and thoroughly scrub & rinse out as necessary as you need too. This items is well worth the price compared to electric waffle makers. Now my folks want one after seeing this item in action and the results.Love this waffle iron. My new favorite and I have vowed to use this every weekend for family breakfasts. I have not tried another iron before so I cannot compare. But with all the good things about this iron, why get another? I did much research and this is probably the best stovetop iron out there right now.PROS:Easy to useEasy to cleanFlat, takes up no space when stored, can be tucked awayMakes 4 thick waffles with very deep wells for toppingSturdy construction, should last unless plastic handles break offPlastic handles stay coolGreat control over cooking temp on stove topWaffle release beautifully, no stickingHeavy iron cooks and browns evenlyReleases beautifully, no stickingCONS:This could be a lifetime tool if it didn't have the non-stick surface and also if the cast aluminum ran the length of the handles. So even if the plastic comes off, there would be aluminum underneath.I wowed my family at the first use. I just followed the Belgium Waffle recipe that came with the packaging. It was so easy and tasty. If you don't have a recipe in mind, try that one first. I recommend doubling the sugar as it only calls for 1 tablespoon. And then experiment with how much batter to add. If you watched the video on Amazon, they instruct that you add one cup of batter in the center of the pan. And the batter is suppose do spread when you put the top piece down. That is not what happened for me no matter how I tried.I warned the two sides of the iron on separate burners on med-low. I increased the batter to 1 1/3 or 1 1/2 cup starting out in the center and the going out into filling most of the for squares. I put the top piece on and immediately flip. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Then flip and cook for 1 minute (up to 2 minutes if it didn't brown the first time because the speed of how I scoop and drop the batter changes). This ensures an evenly toasted crunch on both sides. You can check the browning as frequently as you want by slightly opening the iron while cooking. Make sure to only do this after the initial 2 minutes when the batter is almost completely cooked.If your batter overflows, but is not dripping, just let it cook. You can easily peel it off when it's cooked. You try to wipe it, you will smear it and the residue will be harder to clean off. Should you insist on cleaning it, just pick up the iron and take it over to the kitchen sink and wipe with a damp cloth and try to get it all off before returning to stove.Now that I've got the technique down, I'm going to try other recipes. Especially recreating the liege waffles of Belgium!I’m not usually one to write a review and submit photos but for this product I felt on must! I love this waffle iron! It was so easy to use and we had minimal cleanup. We had no drips, or overflowing. The waffles were light and fluffy and had a crisp crust. I used the following recipe: 2 cups Bisquick, 1 1/4 cup club soda, one egg, 1/4 cup of oil. Whisk together the club soda egg and oil. Gradually add in the Bisquick. Let the batter rest while you heat your waffle iron. Generously brush the sides of your waffle iron with vegetable oil. Cook your waffle on medium low heat for 90 seconds on each side before checking. Patience is required when cooking waffles, resist the urge to peek. Watching the steam dissipate will help you gauge when the waffle is done and it’s time to peek. It’s fun to use, and the BEST part is that it is made in the USA making it worth the extra money!Great waffle iron. Had bought an electric one, but it never seemed to get hot enough and the waffles used to stick and come out a little soggy, so I decided to try a traditional stove top iron (just like Nigella used to make her waffles :-)). I was SO surprised at the difference. The waffle iron was fantastic and produced crisp brown waffles, no sticking. I think the trick is to get the iron nice and hot and spray with oil...then let any excess oil pour away...then cook and turn every minute or two. Let the waffles cook a while before taking a peek..i think if you look too early the waffles may stick because they haven't had a chance to crisp. Highly recommend this iron.Makes pancakes with shallow waffle dents on one side. But with a proper waffle iron you get (deep) dents on both sides and much crispier results - I returned this and bought this excellent Great waffle maker. This makes lovely thick waffles just like I paid too much for in Bruges, I brushed it with melted butter and the waffles came out perfectly every time with no sticking.Highly recommended. I am very glad I decided to buy this and not an electric waffle maker, great waffles and takes up hardly any space in my kitchen.Worked beautifully one time, then the non-stick coating started coming off (hand washed only, we don't have a dishwasher) and every single time after that it was nothing but trouble. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong but the recipe is one I've used for years. Enough already, it's goingGreat addition to the cooking cabinet for this family. This is sturdy, easy to wash and makes great waffles. It is non-stick, but it works best if you add some oil or butter and get it really hot before adding the batter. We had a few 'misses' early on adding the batter too early. Shipped very fast.