This one was way before my time – almost 10 years, but I still grew up with a jaffle maker and seeing one again brings back memories filled with delicious ingredients. It also brings back memories of frustration and burning smells, but that could have been more to do with the chef than the jaffle maker.
Back in the late 80s and 90s my mother used to have a gigantic plastic jaffle maker, such was the style of the time. One day it vanished, and Iβm not surprised. It canβt have been that sturdy, and we used it a lot, mainly for putting tinned spaghetti in a jaffle or spiced mince. Those jaffles were pretty fantastic, but it also took a keen eye and some talent to make sure the jaffle was perfectly made with no splits or spills. We were one of apparently more than six million households which own jaffle makers.
For those that think only the original could achieve the best results, look no further than the Breville Original β74. This is the classic design, made by the company that invented the jaffle iron. It looks pretty damn swish. I got a big double jaffle maker last year and Jen told me very clearly which lake I could jump into if I thought that thing had earned a place on the kitchen counter top. But this one is different – itβs so good looking that she actually wants to keep it displayed so people can bask in its retro good looks.
For me, I couldnβt give a *&^% what it looks like, I just want it to produce good, clean jaffles. And Iβm sure it does, I just canβt do them largely because of my severe lack of coordination skills even when it comes to the most simple of tasks. I always overfill the damn thing but thatβs not the fault of the Breville Original β74.
So, functions. Right, well, it switches on, slices bread, warms it and produces a jaffle. It isnβt rocket science. There are no switches or modes or anything else like that. You plug the shiny silver device into a socket, load it up with bread, load the bread up with a filling and then slam it shut. Lock the latch, wait until the green light comes on and then take out the sealed, toasted goodness without burning your fingers.
Itβs cheap ($99.95), it works. Simple. There are almost endless possibilities in terms of fillings. It even comes with a box of recipe cards. The only small drama is that this being the original, you can only make four halves at any one time, so feeding a few people is out. If you want to do that, upgrade to the Breville Original 4-slice… if youβre allowed to.
More information: Breville
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My mother used to own a jaffle maker. But not any more. I haven’t really felt the need to have one but now looking at the Breville Original β74, I think I will give it a try.