# Anyone use an original cast iron waffle maker? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591 "2012-02-12T05:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591/1 "2012-02-12T05:50:00Z")
I scored a Cast-Iron Waffle Maker MFG By Wagner MFG Co. Sidney, OH for $15 today at an estate sale. It looks like the one [here](http://www.antiqueshoppefl.com/articles/july09/cast%20iron0709.htm). It has a base ring, so can put it over the stovetop gas flame. Not quite sure how to cook with it. As in, how high of a temp, do I need to really warm up the cast iron, use a runny or thick batter, should I add extra oil, spray with PAM first, how long to cook the waffle, etc. Any hints from someone that’s actually used something similiar would be appreciated. I’m starting a cast iron collection. I’ve got a standard 14" skillet and a La Crueset grill pan. I grew up with a cast of cast iron that we used camping and for making big ol’ batches of beans or chili. Recently, I came across THE way to season cast iron using flax oil. This truely is the bee’s knees as far as seasoning cast iron is concerned. Here’s the blog post: [Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To | Sheryl's Blog](http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/) ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591/2 "2012-02-12T07:31:01Z")
I love cast iron and I am way jealous of your score. Now I must find one for myself. Seems like probably trial and error will end up being the best way to figure it out. I would definitely heat it to the point where a drop of water sizzles before adding the batter, but other than that I don’t really know. I don’t cook waffles because I don’t have a waffle iron, but all my pancakes are done on my cast iron griddle. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591/3 "2012-02-12T08:12:40Z")
I love cast iron, too. In fact, I have similar corn stick and heart pans like the ones on your link. I’d say pre-heat and maybe a touch of oil (I find that PAM tends to gunk things up sometimes)…definitely heated until water dances on the surface. UT ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591/4 "2012-02-12T17:37:00Z")
Our roomie loves cast iron and has a fair number of pieces, going to send her the link to the article, she would love the heart shaped pan! I can’t do cast iron, it puts too much dietary iron into my system and I _suffer_ badly, I get my cast iron fix in the form of la creuset. I collect the red and flame ones. [my next purchase will be the tagine pan in red or flame with my amazon mechanical turk earnings] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-use-an-original-cast-iron-waffle-maker/612591/5 "2012-02-12T18:25:20Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > I scored a Cast-Iron Waffle Maker MFG By Wagner MFG Co. Sidney, OH for $15 today at an estate sale. It looks like the one [here](http://www.antiqueshoppefl.com/articles/july09/cast%20iron0709.htm). It has a base ring, so can put it over the stovetop gas flame. Mine looks the same, though I don’t recall the maker. (Could be Griswold, but I’m not going to dig it out right now to look. Might be someone else.) Though I frequently cook on cast iron, I’ve never used the waffle maker. I tend to like savoury breakfasts (potatoes, eggs, sausages, bacon, various hot sauces, biscuits and gravy, biscuits and chipped beef gravy – that sort of thing) and if I want sweet then pancakes don’t require a special pan. But the real reason I’ve never used it is because I assume it is meant to be used over a flame. (Why would I assume that? Wood-burning stoves didn’t have open flames on the cook-top.) I’m not entirely sure how to use it on an electric range. If anyone can give me pointers on how to use it on an electric range, I’d appreciate it – and give it a try. (Not today, though. Today will be chorizo-and-potato burritos.)