# Hotel Waffle Makers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929 "2006-04-24T02:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/1 "2006-04-24T02:34:59Z")
Why do waffle makers at hotels HAVE to flip upside down to start the timer? Why can’t the lid just close like a waffle maker at your home? Is this some kind of safety feature? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/2 "2006-04-24T02:37:55Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Why do waffle makers at hotels HAVE to flip upside down to start the timer? Why can’t the lid just close like a waffle maker at your home? Is this some kind of safety feature? - Jinx …? I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels and not a single one ever had a waffle maker. Although I would imagine a waffle maker you had to flip would force you to be more careful with the batter, hence safer. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/3 "2006-04-24T02:56:14Z")
I would assume that the OP must be staying in some sort of hotel with a kitchen attached to it. If not, I’m going to call up the Motel 6 people and ask for a cast iron skilet. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/4 "2006-04-24T03:03:26Z")
The one’s I’ve seen have been in hotels with free breakfasts in some sort of breakfast area. Too cheap for a cook making them, but better than places with only doughnuts and cereal. Perhaps the reason is to keep them from going on accidentally? The ones I’ve seen are like the OP mentioned - one reason I stay away from them. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/5 "2006-04-24T03:25:58Z")
Waffle makers have become a fixture in many hotels and motels that advertise “extended” or “deluxe” continental breakfasts. This phenomenon apparently started in the pricier hotels but has now spread to the middle-of-the-road chains. There is usually a breakfast room in or adjacent to the lobby, and the breakfast spread often includes not only doughnuts, pastry, milk, coffee, and juice but also oatmeal, bagels, bread for toast, frozen French toast, cereals, fruit, and the aforementioned do-it-yourself waffles. Some places even have eggs and sausage. The rotary feature of the waffle maker ensures even cooking of the thicker Belgian waffles. Krups, Cuisinart, and Waring market these as “professional” waffle makers. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/6 "2006-04-24T04:40:14Z")
These hotel do-it-yourself waffle makers make decent waffles. There are usually measured cups of batter next to the device. I’ve always assumed that the turn-over is actually done to start the cooking process. After all, there’s never an actual switch that turns the device on (perhaps it’s always on?). When the timed cooking is done, there’s a bell or light to let you know the waffle’s ready. At that point, you flip it over again and take out your waffle. Hmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/7 "2006-04-24T11:39:26Z")
Flipping it over only starts a timer. The thing is always _on_ – they’ve got to be hot when you pour in the batter. It was one of these hotel waffle makers the convinced me to get one for the house – two bucks at the Salvation Army store. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-waffle-makers/353929/8 "2006-04-24T19:24:37Z")
Flipping also evenly distributes the batter. If you make your own waffles and have even poured too little batter, you probably have seen those mutant waffles that have the raw batter look and feel you see in the sides of thick panckes. It’s the crispiness on the outside and the moistness on the indisde that make a good waffle.