Presto FlipSide Review

Truly fluffy Belgian waffles on the cheap may seem like a pipe dream, but the Presto FlipSide utilizes a unique hinged design to deliver on that promise with much less of the extra materials and cost of most other machines.

The FlipSide's fluffy Belgian waffles.

Near Perfect Belgian Waffles

The Presto FlipSide's namesake flipping feature makes it the least expensive model we've found that can make truly impressive and fluffy Belgian-style waffles. The results are very fluffy, have deep pockets, and can definitely match pace with the waffles you get at your favorite diner. The only small complaint we have with these waffles is that one side does tend to come out noticeably more crispy than the other. However, we highly doubt this is going to ruin anyone's morning, and just let the syrup soak in a bit and both sides will be equally crispy.

Simple to Use

The Presto FlipSide's cooking process is quite straightforward. Just turn it on and wait for the pre-heat to turn red. Then pour a cup of batter onto the iron, close the machine, and flip the whole thing over 180˚, which ensures a very even spread of batter. There aren't any automatic indicators to let you know when the waffle is done, like many other machines have. However, there is a built-in time, which the manual suggests you set to 4 minutes. Once the timer is done you can open the machine and remove the waffle.

The flipping action is simple...

Stores Discreetly, But Takes Up Space

One of the great things about the Presto FlipSide is that it can lock in a verticle position for storage, providing it with the smallest storage profile of any of the models we tested. The downside to the hinge is that the Presto FlipSide actually takes up more counter space than most models when actually in use. This most likely is not going to be an issue, but if your waffle making is part of a crowded food prep extravaganza, you may find yourself pushing a bunch of stuff out of the way every time you need to flip the machine to load a new waffle.

...but takes up a lot of counter space.

Some Condensation Issues

Again, this si a small complaint, but we did notice that the exterior of the Presto FlipSide tends to build up a decent amount of condensation while in use. However, keeping a towel handing and doing a quick wipe down between waffles pretty much eliminates this problem. Other than condensation, we generally found the Presto FlipSide to be easy to clean. Its non-stick irons are fairly effective and tend to only need some wiping down in between uses. Unfortunately, these irons are not removable, so bigger messes take a bit more effort to clean, but we found thing actually sticking and charring on the irons to be a rare occurrence.

Value

Considering its performance and user-friendliness, we think this is a fantastic value. The only other budget model that comes close is the Cuisinart WMR-CA Round Classic. However, the Presto FlipSide is still a decent cut above this model and is well worth the extra money.

Conclusion