Tips for Keeping Waffles Crisp

[hungry prof]

Anybody have any tips on keeping waffles crisp? We're having people over for brunch tomorrow. I'm planning on making waffles, but I'm going to need to make some a bit ahead just to keep up with demand when people arrive. In the past, I've been able to keep them warm in a low oven, but they also inevitably seem to turn limp in that warm oven. Anybody have any secrets?

[zoramargolis]

you've described the reason that waffles must be eaten immediately, when they come out of the waffle iron. When I am feeding waffles to the family, I break them into segments and serve each person a piece as they come out, then start another and divvy it up when it is done. I eat on the fly, as each waffle takes 5 minutes to bake. It's a really impractical dish to try to serve to a crowd. My suggestion--1) go out and buy a couple more cheap waffle irons, so you can cook several at a time and hope you don't flip a breaker in your electical panel or 2) make pancakes, which do quite nicely, held in a warm oven while you make the others.

[monavano]

Anybody have any tips on keeping waffles crisp? We're having people over for brunch tomorrow. I'm planning on making waffles, but I'm going to need to make some a bit ahead just to keep up with demand when people arrive. In the past, I've been able to keep them warm in a low oven, but they also inevitably seem to turn limp in that warm oven. Anybody have any secrets?

You might try placing the ready waffles on baking/cooling racks and putting them into a warm oven. That way, they won't steam and just may keep their crispness.

It's definitely difficult to fully make a waffle breakfast completely ahead-you'll have to man the waffle iron and keep up with demand.

How many are you serving?

as an aside-I toast my leftover waffles to reheat. Hot, crisp, but sometimes a wee bit darker than I'd like. It makes due.

[monavano]

You might try placing the ready waffles on baking/cooling racks and putting them into a warm oven. That way, they won't steam and just may keep their crispness.

It's definitely difficult to fully make a waffle breakfast completely ahead-you'll have to man the waffle iron and keep up with demand.

How many are you serving?

as an aside-I toast my leftover waffles to reheat. Hot, crisp, but sometimes a wee bit darker than I'd like. It makes due.

Similar to Zora's suggestion-dole out waffles to your guests one at a time. If you intend to make 2 waffles per person, say, give each person one to get them started, then another as the next batch is done. That way, everyone can start to eat at the same time.

[hungry prof]

Thanks for the tips. It's not so many people that I can't make them and serve immediately, but it would have made things a bit easier if I could have made a few ahead. I'm also making a frittata, so that should hold over the really ravenous folks until their waffles are ready.

[squidsdc]

When I was young, we'd always make waffles (a little underdone) and freeze them to be eaten during the school week for breakfast--reheated in the toaster oven perfectly. I guess whomever invented the "Eggo" did the same thing, but knew how to make $ on the idea!

Monovano's suggestion to use baking racks in the oven would be similar to the toaster oven, and would probably work fine if you find you do need to make some in advance. Just remember to take them out of the iron a little early so won't darken too much in the oven.

[mdt]

Keeping them in a heated (low) oven in a SINGLE layer on the oven racks or a cooling rack keeps them nice and crispy. If you have a convection oven all the better.

[hungry prof]

Cool. We have a convection oven, and I'll try putting them in directly on the oven racks. Thanks again.