****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I like the puzzele iron very much. The cookies are. Cooked very quickly. The shipping was also quick. The only problem is that there is a tiny scratch on the burner and I hope it does not rust. I live 30 miles from UPS and will not drive due to gas prices. So I guess I will have to keep.I chose the Chef's Choice Express Bake based on the great reviews I read before making my decision on which one to buy. The price is moderate, and I hoped all the glowing reviews would be true. They were. Our very first batch was perfect, and it only took a couple to fine tune the amount of time needed for each baking cycle.We do not use the classic recipes as my husband has cancer and we must be very careful of refined flours and heat damaged fats. Bryanna Clark Grogan published a Pizzelle Cracker recipe on her site, which prompted me to buy this, so my husband could have crackers again. They turned out perfect on the first try! Whole grains, olive oil, nut milk, salt and baking powder-very clean and healthy! This is so much easier than making crackers in the oven and trying to roll out the dough to consistant thickness.We did find it necessary to let them crisp in the oven at 170 for 15-18 min. They then stay fresh and crisp until finished. The crackers take 1 minute to bake, then toward the end, I cut it to 50 seconds, as it seems the iron gets a little hotter as it is used.I try to keep these crackers on hand a good deal of the time, as they are excellent with soup, as a snack spread with all fruit jam or organic apple butter, or just plain.We also use Bryanna's recipe for the sweeter cookie type; I use coconut oil in those, and half whole wheat flour. Again, perfect, delicious and healthier than most cookies. These take about 40 seconds at the beginning and then we cut it to 30, and then to 25 toward the end. We have flavored these with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg-delicious. I now have some anise oil and will try a batch with that soon. We find them absolutely delicious spread with a thin layer of whipped cream (We use coconut whipped cream) and drizzeled with a little chocolate for a special treat.I would buy this again, and would also give it as a gift to anyone wanting to to do this kind of cooking. I highly recommend it for moderate price and great performance.Always used a heavy iron so this is soooo much easier. Also use the same recipe I've used for years although it comes with a recipeThis is my second ChefsChoice pizzel maker.LOVE this make and model.. Tried others…. They say thin .. not so much. Actually quite thick for pizzels. One only cooked half the cookie!!BUT ChefsChoice is exactly what they say it is. Does what it says it will. You will not be dissatisfied with this appliance. Must admit, almost sent back. The first batch of pizzels, the lid would not lock down. Debated to return or not. Gave it one more try… Voila!! Locked and loaded!!Highly recommend this pizzel maker. Thinnest, Crispiest, loveliest pizzels ever.Can’t go wrong with this pizzel maker!!Great purchaseIf you’d like pitel’s you will love this product. It is easy to use easily stored makes great pit cells. Easy to clean and will be purchasing the extra piece to make ice cream cones. Highly recommendI purchased this item after my old one (literally about 50 years old) finally bit the dust. It was my mom's iron and I kept the tradition alive for many Christmases. Unfortunately, in 2021 it met its demise. I tried another pizzelle iron first and returned it. It cooked so unevenly that I couldn't see any hope for a good cookie. This one is definitely better than the first one....but I am still having some problems judging the timing correctly. At least they came out thin and crispy...that's a plus. And they taste good! I hope with a little more time, I'll be able to get the pizzelles a bit more even.I absolutely love this machine. It is so simple to use and maintain. The basic Pizzelle recipe that came in the box works well every time. It makes 70 pizzelles, but I cut it in half. I would describe the taste of a pizzelle, as a bit like a fortune cookie, and even more like a good ice cream cone, though not exactly like either.I have also experimented adding blueberries (tasted good but not so crisp) and maple syrup. I have also thrown in cinnamon. I purchased anise for a biscotti taste, but have not tried it yet. With this latest batch, I melted sweet chocolate and butter and cut back on the sugar. Delicious and crisp!What I like is that the thinness of each cookie takes care of my sugar craving and common sense tells me that I am consuming few calories with each cookie. (Don't know for sure) I admit that it's not exactly dieting when I add ice cream for a sandwich. I have not tried the recipe for cannoli yet, though I have played with the enclosed wooden dowl to shape a pizzelle to fit the filling. Easy! And, from pulling out the ingredients to the final pizzelle takes just a bit longer than an hour.Lastly, I confess to being on a pizzelle making kick. I do not know if it will last but I do know that going by what I would have paid in the store for packages of pizzelle, I have already paid for the machine.I found a great gluten free recipe and this is about as simple as it can get. I love this product. My husband is challenged with several dietary constrictions and these cookies are a simple grab-and-go tidbit. They freeze well and are versatile for adding toppings or rolling and filling with fruit. Cleanup is a breeze. It never required more than a wipe down with a paper towel, even when I burnt a couple. They take 20 to 25 seconds to cook (two at a time) and the recipe I use makes 3 dozen. It's faster than baking a cookie in the oven and almost as fast as no-bakes. So fun!!The product works fine and is non-stick and baked the pizelle in 20 seconds or so. I tried the recipe in the booklet and found it was too thick (too much butter and sugar). I will go back to the old recipe from my old Vitantonio pizelle maker. I would have liked a prettier design for the pizelle, something more round and curly as opposed to the straighter lines and angles in this one. But it does the job! Note, it does not stand vertically on its own though you could store it vertically propped up between other things.Works well, BUT........The first two times it popped open and shot the pizzelles out onto the floor. The third time it did the same thing but also broke off the plastic bar that the top latches on to.Not overly concerned because it still works.Still haven’t read the instructions to see if the latch is only for storage??? Anyway it still makes excellent pizzellesThis item is what you'd expect from Chef's Choice. Very easy to use, simple to clean and it heats up fast and keeps it's temperature. I found it to be a great value.Bought this item for my daughter for Christmas, she and her husband make pizelles every year. It's his family tradition, now they have two which means more pizelles for all of us. Thus item I'm told is the best pizelle maker around.Purchased on behalf of my stepdad for my mom for Christmas. It will likely end up in the basement with the rest of the worlds one use appliances, but until then I'm enjoying her Dutch cookies!
