Waffle iron light.

[David Farber]

This is an old waffle iron. Maybe over 20 years old. It heats up, but there
is some indicator light which I think means the waffle is done. I am not a
waffle type person so I have not personally had any experience using it. I
have been told that the light sometimes will stay on when it is supposed to
be off, and other times, won't come on at all. There is a control knob
underneath the handle. Here is a pic of it.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/farberbear/Fix_it_stuff/Waffler.html

I can't find any make or model info on it. There are some logo-like wavy
lines that look like a scripted, lower case "L" on the top of it. There is
some writing toward the front of it but some of the letters are faded away
and I can't figure out what that is either. Is the light just a switched
temperature sensor?

--
David Farber
David Farber's Service Center
L.A., CA

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I think the way it works is like unto the following...

Pouring batter on the grill causes its temperature to drop, in turn causing
the thermostat to turn on the heating coils -- and the light. When the grill
returns to full temperature, the light goes off.

 

[D Yuniskis]

David Farber wrote:

This is an old waffle iron. Maybe over 20 years old. It heats up, but there
is some indicator light which I think means the waffle is done. I am not a
waffle type person so I have not personally had any experience using it. I
have been told that the light sometimes will stay on when it is supposed to
be off, and other times, won't come on at all. There is a control knob
underneath the handle. Here is a pic of it.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/farberbear/Fix_it_stuff/Waffler.html

I can't find any make or model info on it. There are some logo-like wavy
lines that look like a scripted, lower case "L" on the top of it. There is
some writing toward the front of it but some of the letters are faded away
and I can't figure out what that is either. Is the light just a switched
temperature sensor?

I have a pizelle iron that is similar. The indicator simply
indicates when the heating elements are receiving power
(i.e., when the temperature sensor is "calling for" heat
*and* the unit is plugged in).

Its role, as such, is more of "the iron is now up to temperature".

 

[hr(bob) hofmann@att.net]

On Dec 28, 6:00 pm, "William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgee...@comcast.net>
wrote:

I think the way it works is like unto the following...

Pouring batter on the grill causes its temperature to drop, in turn causing
the thermostat to turn on the heating coils -- and the light. When the grill
returns to full temperature, the light goes off.

Mix up some batter and try it out, or turn it over and undo the screws
that should be on the bottom to hold the thing together.

 

[David Farber]

D Yuniskis wrote:

David Farber wrote:
This is an old waffle iron. Maybe over 20 years old. It heats up,
but there is some indicator light which I think means the waffle is
done. I am not a waffle type person so I have not personally had any
experience using it. I have been told that the light sometimes will
stay on when it is supposed to be off, and other times, won't come
on at all. There is a control knob underneath the handle. Here is a
pic of it.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/farberbear/Fix_it_stuff/Waffler.html

I can't find any make or model info on it. There are some logo-like
wavy lines that look like a scripted, lower case "L" on the top of
it. There is some writing toward the front of it but some of the
letters are faded away and I can't figure out what that is either.
Is the light just a switched temperature sensor?

I have a pizelle iron that is similar. The indicator simply
indicates when the heating elements are receiving power
(i.e., when the temperature sensor is "calling for" heat
*and* the unit is plugged in).

Its role, as such, is more of "the iron is now up to temperature".

Makes perfect sense to me. I guess it would take a little more than a
temperature switch to sense exactly when the waffle was done cooking.

Thanks for your reply.
--
David Farber
David Farber's Service Center
L.A., CA

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I have a pizelle iron that is similar. The indicator simply
indicates when the heating elements are receiving power
(i.e., when the temperature sensor is "calling for" heat
*and* the unit is plugged in).
Its role, as such, is more of "the iron is now up to temperature".

Makes perfect sense to me. I guess it would take a little more than a
temperature switch to sense exactly when the waffle was done cooking.

That is, indeed, common sense... But I remember my father making waffles on
a waffle iron -- and the light was supposed to indicate when the waffles
were done.

Remember, you can't see the waffle cooking, so you don't want to raise the
lid until the waffle is likely done.

Here are the instructions for a Toastmaster Belgian Waffle maker.
(http://dl.owneriq.net/b/b8396b95-f7b5-47a0-9e29-8739d0eeae28.pdf) Note
instruction #3.
USING YOUR APPLIANCE

1. Before using, wipe cooking surface with a damp cloth and dry. Lightly
coat grids with vegetable shortening and close lid.

2. Plug into any 120 V ~ 60 Hz outlet. The indicator light will come on
telling you the unit is heating. Initially, some smoking may occur. This is
normal for newly manufactured appliances and will not occur after the first
few uses.

3. When indicator light goes off, immediately raise lid and pour
approximately 2/3 cup batter on lower grid. Close the lid. Indicator light
will come on during baking process. The amount of batter required may vary
with recipe or brand of mix. Any waffle recipe or mix may be used.

4. When light goes off the second time, gently lift lid to check for
brownness. If lid shows resistance to lifting, the waffle may not be quite
done. Close top and watch for steaming to stop before checking again.

5. Remove waffle when browned. If a second waffle is desired, pour batter
immediately and close lid. If you prefer a darker and crisper waffle, close
lid and let cook 1-2 minutes longer.

 

[Andrew Erickson]

In article <4b393567$0$19458$bd467cd0@news.dslextreme.com>,
"David Farber" <farberbear.unspam@aol.com> wrote:

This is an old waffle iron. Maybe over 20 years old. It heats up, but there
is some indicator light which I think means the waffle is done. I am not a
waffle type person so I have not personally had any experience using it. I
have been told that the light sometimes will stay on when it is supposed to
be off, and other times, won't come on at all. There is a control knob
underneath the handle. Here is a pic of it.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/farberbear/Fix_it_stuff/Waffler.html

I can't find any make or model info on it. There are some logo-like wavy
lines that look like a scripted, lower case "L" on the top of it. There is
some writing toward the front of it but some of the letters are faded away
and I can't figure out what that is either. Is the light just a switched
temperature sensor?

On my waffle iron, a pretty old model, the "light" is just a little
window thingy through which you can see the heating element's glow.
Hence, it's on when the heating element is on and vice-versa. The
control knob adjusts the setpoint for a thermostatic control. I suppose
more modern ones may be a bit fancier and have an actual neon bulb or
other separate indicator for the light, wired with the heating element;
it would certainly be a bit brighter and easier to see.

--
Andrew Erickson

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot

 

[D Yuniskis]

Hi Andrew,

Andrew Erickson wrote:

In article <4b393567$0$19458$bd467cd0@news.dslextreme.com>,
"David Farber" <farberbear.unspam@aol.com> wrote:

This is an old waffle iron. Maybe over 20 years old. It heats up, but there
is some indicator light which I think means the waffle is done. I am not a
waffle type person so I have not personally had any experience using it. I
have been told that the light sometimes will stay on when it is supposed to
be off, and other times, won't come on at all. There is a control knob
underneath the handle. Here is a pic of it.
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/farberbear/Fix_it_stuff/Waffler.html

I can't find any make or model info on it. There are some logo-like wavy
lines that look like a scripted, lower case "L" on the top of it. There is
some writing toward the front of it but some of the letters are faded away
and I can't figure out what that is either. Is the light just a switched
temperature sensor?

On my waffle iron, a pretty old model, the "light" is just a little
window thingy through which you can see the heating element's glow.

Exactly. Little more than a plastic "jewel" (mine is faceted
enough that you can't really "see" through it -- like the
textured glass of a bathroom shower door)

Hence, it's on when the heating element is on and vice-versa. The
control knob adjusts the setpoint for a thermostatic control. I suppose

My pizzelle iron doesn't have a temperature control. Hence, the
"indicator" is essential to getting things right!

You don't start using the iron until the indicator (coils) have
turned off. Otherwise, all of that "cooking mass" is too cold
to do the job.

And, if you manage to cook too many pizzelles too quickly and
steal too much heat from the iron, you learn to watch the
indicator to ensure it is back at temperature before continuing
(pizzelle batter is very thin -- 30 seconds to bake. So, extending
bake time by 5 seconds can leave you with *toasted* wafers. OTOH,
if the iron isn't up to temperature, the 30 seconds may be 5 seconds
too *quick* -- leaving you with mush!)

more modern ones may be a bit fancier and have an actual neon bulb or
other separate indicator for the light, wired with the heating element;
it would certainly be a bit brighter and easier to see.

For a pizzelle iron, you never venture far from the iron
(since its a 30 second "event"). So, the indicator is
always staring you in the face.

How long does it take to bake waffles? I am sure their
hefty thickness must dramatically increase cooking time.
But, is it really long enough to venture far from the iron?

 

[Andrew Erickson]

In article <hhdqea$7c7$1@speranza.aioe.org>,
D Yuniskis <not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote:

Hi Andrew,

Andrew Erickson wrote:

On my waffle iron, a pretty old model, the "light" is just a little
window thingy through which you can see the heating element's glow.

Exactly. Little more than a plastic "jewel" (mine is faceted
enough that you can't really "see" through it -- like the
textured glass of a bathroom shower door)

Precisely the same sort of thing for me--a multi-faceted slightly cloudy
plastic widget. (I don't know if it started out slightly cloudy or has
merely aged that way--but in either case, it's only the glow that's
visible.)

For a pizzelle iron, you never venture far from the iron
(since its a 30 second "event"). So, the indicator is
always staring you in the face.

How long does it take to bake waffles? I am sure their
hefty thickness must dramatically increase cooking time.
But, is it really long enough to venture far from the iron?

I can't say I have a precise timing, but it's somewhere around a few
(maybe five?) minutes. It does vary a fair bit for different waffle
irons (depending upon the depth of the waffles) and probably the precise
batter used, too. Commercial irons are probably somewhat quicker.

--
Andrew Erickson

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot

 

[D Yuniskis]

Hi Andrew,

Andrew Erickson wrote:

How long does it take to bake waffles? I am sure their
hefty thickness must dramatically increase cooking time.
But, is it really long enough to venture far from the iron?

I can't say I have a precise timing, but it's somewhere around a few
(maybe five?) minutes. It does vary a fair bit for different waffle
irons (depending upon the depth of the waffles) and probably the precise
batter used, too. Commercial irons are probably somewhat quicker.

Ah, OK. So, there is a fair bit of "mass" represented by
the waffle batter. Is it enough to noticeably cool the
iron (i.e., does the light come on as soon as you slo
the batter into the iron and then stay on for a fair
length of time as the iron tries to reheat itself)?

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

How long does it take to bake waffles?

A couple of minutes with an electric waffle iron.

But, is it really long enough to venture far from the iron?

Only for a short period of time. I had an (old!) GE waffle iron that
had both a thermostat control knob (it could make more than waffles)
and an indicator light. Toward the end of its life, the indicator
became somewhat inaccurate, and it was necessary to run the unit
through more than one cycle to get properly made waffles out of it.

I always brushed the griddles down with oil to keep the waffles from
sticking, and that was good enough to let me open it up to check on
the progress the waffles were making.

I suppose the thermostat was just out of adjustment if anything. I
almost tried adjusting it despite the stern notice on top of the
shielded box it was in. But the unit had other problems (in
particular, it had filled up with this hard to remove grease over the
years) and it seemed like one of the elements was getting ready to
burn out, so I replaced the whole unit with a newer one. It had to be
at least 30 years old.

William

 

[Andrew Erickson]

In article <hhe9eu$olg$1@speranza.aioe.org>,
D Yuniskis <not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote:

Hi Andrew,

Andrew Erickson wrote:

How long does it take to bake waffles? I am sure their
hefty thickness must dramatically increase cooking time.
But, is it really long enough to venture far from the iron?

I can't say I have a precise timing, but it's somewhere around a few
(maybe five?) minutes. It does vary a fair bit for different waffle
irons (depending upon the depth of the waffles) and probably the precise
batter used, too. Commercial irons are probably somewhat quicker.

Ah, OK. So, there is a fair bit of "mass" represented by
the waffle batter. Is it enough to noticeably cool the
iron (i.e., does the light come on as soon as you slo
the batter into the iron and then stay on for a fair
length of time as the iron tries to reheat itself)?

The light/heater does come on pretty much immediately upon introducing
waffle batter; I don't know how much of that is from the batter itself
and how much is heat loss from exposing the grid to the air. At least
on my iron, the thermostat has little hysteresis, and so reacts quite
quickly to small changes.

Being hungry, I decided to run an experiment in the name of science. On
a setting between medium and medium-high, it took about 8 minutes to
cook a waffle (which is, of course, the same as the reheat time, since
the "waffle done" indicator is the heater turning off). In this
experiment, the sample size was 2, and the resulting waffles were a
lovely (and toothsome) golden brown.

The handful of commercial waffle irons I can recall seeing use a
separate timer, and presumably have more powerful heating elements to
better keep the iron up to temperature.

--
Andrew Erickson

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot

 

[D Yuniskis]

Andrew Erickson wrote:

How long does it take to bake waffles?

Being hungry, I decided to run an experiment in the name of science. On

Ha! Be thankful we weren't discussing how long it takes
to roast a SIDE OF BEEF! ;-)

a setting between medium and medium-high, it took about 8 minutes to
cook a waffle (which is, of course, the same as the reheat time, since
the "waffle done" indicator is the heater turning off). In this
experiment, the sample size was 2, and the resulting waffles were a
lovely (and toothsome) golden brown.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

No one has addressed at length (I've only covered it briefly) the basic
issue -- the counter-intuitiveness of the way waffles are cooked while the
grill is /returning/ to its "correct" temperature. Most forms of cooking are
normally done at constant temperature.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

No one has addressed at length (I've only covered it briefly)
the basic issue -- the counter-intuitiveness of the way
waffles are cooked while the grill is /returning/ to its "correct"
temperature. Most forms of cooking are normally done at
constant temperature.

But, is that *intentional* or just a consequence of the way the
device was hysterically made?

I don't know!!! You tell me!!! Why would anyone get upset over making
waffles??? There's really no need for it!!! You don't want to go running
around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off!!! (Unless you're
making chicken and waffles!!!) It would be too, too dangerous!!!

Waffles are one of the few quick-cooking foods that cannot be seen while
they're cooking, so some quasi-automated cooking system seems necessary. If
the grill has a sufficiently low thermal mass to cool quickly when the
batter falls on it, and the heating elements deliver the right amount of
heat to restore the temperature and cook the waffles by the time the
thermostat kicks out again, you have, in effect, a timing mechanism that
adds nothing to the cost of the unit.

While we're on the issue of thermostats... Most (if not all) modern toaster
ovens have dropped the conventional double-thermostat system for making
toast. You now set a mechanical timer of questionable utility. (There are
two toast symbols at the extremes, and no marks between.) I carelessly
burned some bread the other morning; had the sprinkler system gone off, I'd
still be drying out the condo.

Does anyone know how to remove smoke stains from glass? I've tried any
number of strong organic solvents (including MEK), and nothing -- not even
citrus solvent -- seems to dissolve it very well.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

You need the "hot knife" from HHGTTG! (Now *that* was cool!)

Hot knife? In which episode/book?

Does anyone know how to remove smoke stains from glass? I've
tried any number of strong organic solvents (including MEK), and
nothing -- not even citrus solvent -- seems to dissolve it very well.

Try vinegar, water and copious amounts of elbow grease?

Don't have any vinegar, but I might try a bit of Sno Bol -- it's mostly HCl.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

1. Oven cleaner -- especially if this is mainly the inside of the
toaster oven door.

2. Powdered cleanser (or baking soda might do) takes a bit of
elbow grease, but can get most stains off of most glass or ceramic
things. (These may cloud the glass a tiny bit by its grinding action,
so I wouldn't suggest it for house windows without checking beforehand,
but it should be fine for appliance door windows which aren't expected
to be crystal clear.)

3. Scrubbing Bubbles or similar bathroom cleaner works wonders on
tobacco smoke stains; it might work here, too. It's also nice because
it's generally compatible with most plastics, where other solvents and
such are often not usable.

Good suggestions. I'd been thinking of Soft Scrub, because the calcium
carbonate (chalk) in it doesn't scratch. I'll try #1 and #3 if it doesn't
work.

 

[D Yuniskis]

Hi William,

William Sommerwerck wrote:

No one has addressed at length (I've only covered it briefly) the basic
issue -- the counter-intuitiveness of the way waffles are cooked while the
grill is /returning/ to its "correct" temperature. Most forms of cooking are
normally done at constant temperature.

But, is that *intentional* or just a consequence of the way the
device was hysterically made?

I.e., adding mass to the grill plates and increasing the capabilities
of the heating elements would allow the iron to operate in more
of a constant temperature mode (I am assuming that the energy
required to cook it *can* be delivered from a 20A outlet).

However, heating elements have typically been flimsy in this
type of appliance (are those in George Foreman's Grill any
better?).

On the other hand, waffle *batter* may not take kindly to
a very hot grill and may *prefer* being gradually brought
up to temperature. E.g., many cookies like a "slow" oven
while others prefer a very hot one.

Pizzelles seem to like a reasonably hot oven -- no doubt to
contribute to their "crunchiness" (a "soggy" pizzelle would
be received with about as much enthusiasm as soggy potato
chips!)

 

[D Yuniskis]

Hi William,

William Sommerwerck wrote:

No one has addressed at length (I've only covered it briefly)
the basic issue -- the counter-intuitiveness of the way
waffles are cooked while the grill is /returning/ to its "correct"
temperature. Most forms of cooking are normally done at
constant temperature.

But, is that *intentional* or just a consequence of the way the
device was hysterically made?

I don't know!!! You tell me!!! Why would anyone get upset over making
waffles??? There's really no need for it!!! You don't want to go running
around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off!!! (Unless you're
making chicken and waffles!!!) It would be too, too dangerous!!!

Waffles are one of the few quick-cooking foods that cannot be seen while
they're cooking, so some quasi-automated cooking system seems necessary. If

I'm not sure I agree with your reasoning -- necessary vs. desirable.
Consider that you probably only make a few waffles at a time. And,
apparently, the time involved is long enough that small variations
in timing have (probably) minimal effect on the finished product.

Contrast this with pizzelles: you make 50 or more at a time
and the difference between 25 seconds and 35 seconds is enough to
go from "raw" to "burned". Add to that, the variations due to a
"cold iron" and *this* surely seems more the appliance for which
automated cooking would be more "necessary"! :>

(that's not mentioning the truly *old* technique of using the
stovetop as the heat source!)

the grill has a sufficiently low thermal mass to cool quickly when the
batter falls on it, and the heating elements deliver the right amount of
heat to restore the temperature and cook the waffles by the time the
thermostat kicks out again, you have, in effect, a timing mechanism that
adds nothing to the cost of the unit.

While we're on the issue of thermostats... Most (if not all) modern toaster
ovens have dropped the conventional double-thermostat system for making

Correct. Though that had recently devolved to a single thermostat.

toast. You now set a mechanical timer of questionable utility. (There are

Ours is electronic. I often jokingly "play" with it as if it was
some sort of alien communication device (it has a dozen or more
LEDs and all sorts of buttons on it -- way too comlicated for
something designed to BURN BREAD!)

You need the "hot knife" from HHGTTG! (now *that* was cool!)

two toast symbols at the extremes, and no marks between.) I carelessly
burned some bread the other morning; had the sprinkler system gone off, I'd
still be drying out the condo.

Does anyone know how to remove smoke stains from glass? I've tried any
number of strong organic solvents (including MEK), and nothing -- not even
citrus solvent -- seems to dissolve it very well.

Try vinegar, water and copious amounts of elbow grease?

 

[Andrew Erickson]

In article <hhl8ko$hje$1@news.eternal-september.org>,
"William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

While we're on the issue of thermostats... Most (if not all) modern toaster
ovens have dropped the conventional double-thermostat system for making
toast. You now set a mechanical timer of questionable utility. (There are
two toast symbols at the extremes, and no marks between.) I carelessly
burned some bread the other morning; had the sprinkler system gone off, I'd
still be drying out the condo.

Does anyone know how to remove smoke stains from glass? I've tried any
number of strong organic solvents (including MEK), and nothing -- not even
citrus solvent -- seems to dissolve it very well.

Three options I'd try:

1. Oven cleaner -- especially if this is mainly the inside of the
toaster oven door.

2. Powdered cleanser (or baking soda might do) takes a bit of elbow
grease, but can get most stains off of most glass or ceramic things.
(These may cloud the glass a tiny bit by its grinding action, so I
wouldn't suggest it for house windows without checking beforehand, but
it should be fine for appliance door windows which aren't expected to be
crystal clear.)

3. Scrubbing bubbles or similar bathroom cleaner works wonders on
tobacco smoke stains; it might work here, too. It's also nice because
it's generally compatible with most plastics, where other solvents and
such are often not usable.

--
Andrew Erickson

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot