Waffle Maker What Have&#39;s and What Not&#39;s

!±8± Waffle Maker What Have's and What Not's

For regular eaters like you and I, something as unassuming as a cast iron waffle maker usually entails nothing but a bunch of inch-thick, deep-pocketed treats for the bliss and enjoyment of the whole family. Yet as this more often than not underrated piece of wonder lies at the ready beside your favorite coffee maker, you would be amazed that it goes down along the annals of history as an innovative breakthrough than transcended even slavery and continental gaps...

In The Beginning There Were None (Well, Almost)

Indeed, almost none, except for the wit and smarts of some Europeans who in one morning during the 15th century or so teamed up with their friendly neighborhood blacksmiths to come up with a kitchen utensil that would perk up their usual morning routine dominated by less than spectacular and bland bread that, well, made their breakfasts nothing but bland (and none the less fueled their brilliant minds to be motivated in light of lack of appetizing motivations en route to the waffle iron-but I am getting ahead of the story here.). And so goes the story with the development of the, yes you guessed it right, waffle iron of the design which up to this point in time is still vague as to the original designer between the blacksmiths and the disgruntled European food lovers. But some accounts insinuate that the Italians were as a matter of fact seen with such so called waffle irons in making their waffle cookies.

Digression aside, the point of the matter is that from its humble and unassuming beginnings, the waffle maker (or earlier known as the waffle iron) quickly emerged from obscurity as by then the latest craze to hit European shores (or kitchens, whichever you prefer). Soon enough it began to replace the bland bread on breakfast with its rich and delicious taste that effortlessly delighted every single European mornings thereafter. Mind you, that was even before the introduction of the inch-thick, deep-pocketed waffles.

The waffle maker would finally embark on world domination as Thomas Jefferson incidentally brought home a commercial one from his visit to France. Henceforth from its ridiculous popularity in Europe, the waffle maker never looked back (well, obviously, metaphorically speaking) as it began its transatlantic invasion in a fashion that would only be paralleled by the Beatles during their mophead era centuries thereafter... but then again I digress once more.

Enter the Mystery That Was Cast Iron

And so since its early days both waffle makers and irons alike already have a staggering demand that ought to be filled up daily. With electricity being introduced only during the recent centuries, it is understandable that a kitchen utensil could only be so durable and long-lasting albeit the wear and tear that regular high temperature and rust exposure readily have in store. As such, it is but logical that blacksmiths clad these delicate and delightful wonders with a component known to be an agent against the above mentioned threats-that is, cast iron.

With its primary component of resistance to wear and tear as well as deformation, cast iron proved to be the ideal protective agent that would make such frequently used utensils last one generation after another with good condition and performance to boast of still.

Cast iron is produced by way of melting pig iron, usually mingled with a percentage of scrap steel and scrap iron. It is then afterwards rigorously put under a series of processes so as to ensure decontamination from a number of components such as sulfur and phosphorus. Silicon and carbon content are then decreased to customized levels ranging from 1 to 3% and 2 to 3.5% respectively. After which, a number of other elements are added before entering the final stage of production by way of casting.

From Slavery and Culinary Arts to Commercialization and Frozen Waffles

Since slavery have been as rampant and widespread at the time of the waffle maker's introduction in America, it has already been customary that the African-American slaves do all the cooking-and this included being in front of the open fire oven waiting to flip waffles. Before the dawn of electricity, automatic commercial waffle makers were merely the stuff of dreams. As such, African-Americans have to be always on the ready to check on temperatures and time the flipping to pin point precision mastered only through trial and error. Indeed, the African-Americans became well-versed experts with regards waffle making that the first African-American authored cookbook even contained a waffle recipe.

However, time indeed flies fast and the turn of the last two centuries would prove pivotal to the ongoing appetizing revolution that is the waffle. Such are the succeeding breakthroughs that in 1869, a New Yorker named Cornelius Swarthout patented the waffle iron. Upon the birth of electricity, furthermore, Charles M. Cole invented the first ever electric waffle iron in 1926-it can cook two waffles simultaneously. And then by the year 1939, the "Twin-O-Matic" was introduced by designer Karl Ratliff in lieu of the New York World Fair. He took a leaf from Cole's monumental design and integrated both a thermostat as well as a thermometer. Two decades after Ratliff's New York World Fair showcase, the first ever frozen waffles variety was introduced to groceries in 1959.

With everything said and done, it is apparent that the cast iron waffle maker is more than just an underrated space-eater in the kitchen counter. With history serving as its spotlight, it is seemingly more than just a capricious work of man to serve as yet another agent of gluttony. It is a catalyst for a cultural revolution-that is, at least for regular eaters like you and I.