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BELLA 13991 Classic vs DASH No-Drip Belgian Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.0/10
- Design (20%)7.8/10
- Ease of Use (30%)6.8/10
- Performance (50%)6.7/10
- Design (20%)8.7/10
- Ease of Use (30%)9.6/10
If it’s a Belgian waffle maker that you’re after, the Bella 13991 Classic Belgian waffle maker is one of the better choices out there. This model’s cooking performance was one of the best in our database. According to our chef, the waffles made in this waffle maker were decently tasty. They weren’t restaurant-grade, mind you, but the Belgian waffles made by the Bella 13991 should be good enough for breakfasts and daily meals.
Being a mid-range model, the Bella 13991 also comes with various extra features, like a flippable design to help the waffle cook more evenly.
On the other hand, the DASH No-Drip Belgian is built for bulk cooking. It has a large set of waffle plates that can cook four 4-inch square waffles at the same time. For those with large families or who have to cook large batches of waffles regularly, the DASH No-Drip Belgian waffle maker will make for a good investment.
Bella Rotating Waffle Maker’s Performance
- Self-Mixed Recipe (50%)6.9/10
- Birch Benders Mix (50%)7.2/10
- Self-Mixed Recipe (50%)6.5/10
- Birch Benders Mix (50%)6.9/10
Self-Mixed Recipe
- Heat Level: Maximum
- Cooking Time: 7 minutes
The coloration was decent despite the waffle’s wells looking slightly burnt, and some spots on the crust looked undercooked. It received only a passable grade due to having a low aeration rate. Fortunately, it picked up the slack with its tastiness.
Color (6.25) — 35%
- Color tone: Very dark brown - Light brown (both)
- Color distribution: Even
The crust was a bit dark, but there were no signs of charring. Dark spots mostly focused within the wells of the waffle. Outside the wells, the waffle mostly had a pretty light brown color.
But since it was darker than ideal, we couldn’t give it a higher score than a “good” 6.25.
Texture (6) — 25%
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Medium; air bubbles have begun filling the interior of the waffle. However, their sizes were small, and their numbers were few.
Air bubbles have begun to fill the interior of the waffle. Unfortunately, they haven’t developed to their full sizes just yet. All the bubbles we saw were small, concentrating mostly near the crust, while the core of the waffle was dense.
Taste (8) — 40%
- Flavor: Sweet with a buttery aftertaste
- Mouthfeel: Slightly mushy
Our chef rated the waffle highly, citing its sweet flavor and buttery aftertaste. And though the mouthfeel was a bit underwhelming, it didn’t seriously affect the waffle’s quality.
- Heat Level: N/A
- Cooking Time: 3 minutes
The coloration of the waffle wasn’t great but still passable. There were some prominent burnt spots on the crust that introduced a degree of bitterness and dryness to the waffle. The interior of the waffle was soft, which garnered a good score from us. However, it was still slightly mushy. And taste-wise, our chef judged the waffle to be flavorful, despite the bitter aftertaste that the burnt spots on the waffle produced.
Color (35%) — 5
- Color tone: Very dark brown (Both)
- Color distribution: Uneven
There were prominent dark spots on both faces of the waffle. They mainly concentrated inside the wells and on the right side. On the left side, the coloring was light.
The uneven color distribution and the burnt spots ruined the waffle’s aesthetic. But since the burnt spots weren’t charred black and the light spots weren’t so pale that they looked undercooked, the waffle still passed this part of the test.
Texture (25%) — 7
- Texture: Good
- Aeration level: Medium, small bubbles were filling the interior of the waffle, but large cavities hadn’t formed yet
The texture of the waffle was soft and spongy, which was a pleasant surprise considering the half-burnt state of the crust. Additionally, though not numerous, there were a lot of tiny air bubbles and cavities within the waffle, which explained its softness.
Unfortunately, the waffle's interior was still developing, so the consistency was slightly mushy.
Taste (40%) — 7.5
- Flavor: Sweet and rich, but with a hint of bitterness due to burnt spots on the crust
- Mouthfeel: Soft and pliant, dry at the burnt spots
Though it didn't look quite as appealing, our chef judged the waffle as flavorful. The mouthfeel was great (soft and pliant). But, as we mentioned earlier, the burnt spots were dry, tough, and bitter in the mouth. Due to the bitterness, we knocked a few points off for this section.
Birch Benders Mix
- Heat Level: Maximum
- Cooking Time: 8 minutes
In this test, the Bella waffle maker did a slightly better job, but not by a lot.
Coloration is visibly improved with a more even, prettier coloration. Unfortunately, because the waffle is peppered with air pockets, it has several discolored spots. The texture is decent, but its aeration level is still low, resulting in a mushy texture. The mushy texture is one of the reasons why our chef didn't give the waffle a high score on the taste test.
Color (8/10) — 35%
- Color tone: Light gold (Both)
- Color distribution: Even
The crust on both sides of the waffle maker had a beautiful golden-brown color. On the crust were large formations of air bubbles, which had a pale yellow color of undercooked batter. Besides ruining the overall look of the waffle, they also messed with the color palette.
Texture (7.8/10) — 25%
- Texture: Good
- Aeration level: Medium; air bubbles have begun to develop, but they haven’t reached their maximum sizes
The waffle has filled out well with a thick, soft interior. It has a medium aeration rate, evidenced by the many tiny air bubbles within its core. The bubbles were in the process of forming and expanding, but the aeration process was cut short before it could reach completion. Thus, while the waffle was soft and spongy, it was still too moist on the inside to receive a higher score.
Taste (6/10) — 40%
- Flavor: Sweet and slightly savory, cloying in undercooked parts
- Mouthfeel: Soft and spongy for the most parts, mushy in certain spots
As a whole, the waffle’s flavor profile was decent. It had the signature sweet and slightly savory taste of the Birch Benders mix. However, certain parts of the waffle were undercooked and gave it an off-putting cloying taste, which negatively impacted its scoring on this test.
- Heat Level: N/A
- Cooking Time: 5 minutes
The waffle was mediocre in all aspects: the coloration and texture were acceptable but weren’t outstanding. Taste-wise, according to our chef, it was palatable and relatively flavorful. The spongy mouthfeel, however, prevented it from getting a better score.
Color (35%) — 6.5/10
- Color tone: Very light gold (Both)
- Color distribution: Even
The waffle has the appearance of being undercooked with its pale gold crust. Some of the wells on the waffle were dark brown, slightly improving its look. But, as a whole, we still found the coloration to be poor.
Texture (25%) - 6.5/10
- Texture: Soft and pliant, lacks crispiness
- Aeration level: Medium
The waffle was nicely aerated but compared to some of the better waffles we have tested (like that of the Cuisinart WAF-F20P1), the air pockets were quite small few in number.
Still, despite the room for improvement, the waffle was soft and pliant. It was a bit limp and there was little to no crispiness but not to the point of being gooey.
Taste (40%) - 7.5/10
- Flavor: Sweet and slightly salty
- Mouthfeel: Fluffy and soft
Our chef gave the waffle a “Good” score. It was flavorful: the sweet and slightly salty flavor of the Birch Benders mix goes very well with the soft texture of the waffle. However, the waffle could use some crispiness in the crust, which would have improved its score significantly.
Bella Stainless Steel Waffle Maker’s Design
- Build Quality (60%)7.0/10
- Waffle Plates (30%)9.0/10
- Control Panel (10%)8.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- Waffle Plates (30%)10/10
- Control Panel (10%)0/10
What’s in the Box of the Bella 13991 Rotating Waffle Maker?
- Bella Classic Rotating Waffle Maker (13991)
- User manual
- Drip tray
The box includes the waffle maker, a user manual, and a drip tray.
- DASH No-Drip Belgian waffle maker
- Instruction manuals and leaflets
The shipping box contained the waffle maker, instruction manuals, and leaflets. This waffle maker does not come with any accessories.
Dimensions
- Length:16.7" (42.4 cm)
- Width:7.7" (19.6 cm)
- Height:7.3" (18.5 cm)
- Weight:5.2 lbs (2.4 kg)
The Bella 13991 is more difficult to store due to its rotating design, which brings its height to 7.3 inches. Fortunately, Bella makes storage less annoying by making the handle foldable. The waffle maker's footprint can be reduced with the handle folded and the body rotated vertically.
- Length:6.3" (16.0 cm)
- Width:5.0" (12.7 cm)
- Height:2.5" (6.4 cm)
- Weight:8.0 lbs (3.6 kg)
Due to its bulky frame, the DASH DNMWM400AQ takes up a lot of room on the countertop. It is heavy to boot at 8 pounds. Unless you just leave the waffle maker on the countertop, finding somewhere to store it could be a problem.
Build Quality
The Bella 13991's body is made from stainless steel with a mirror finish, which gives it a somewhat premium look. However, we noticed that the mirror finish could be smudged easily and is highly susceptible to scratches. However, a much more serious issue was the extremely loose lid hinge. Whenever it's opened or adjusted, the lid wobbles dangerously.
Overall build quality is good despite the cheap-looking design. The unit was spotless when first taken out of the box (no scratches, scrapes, or dents). Every detail is well-built and solid. The hinges have very little travel, so the lid doesn’t wobble when we shake it.
Waffle Plates
- Number of Plates:2
- Grid Pattern:Belgian-style
- Plate Area:44.18 inch2
- Plate Length:7.5" (19.1 cm)
- Plate Width:7.5" (19.1 cm)
- Material:Cast aluminum
- Non Stick Coating:Yes
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The waffle plates are cast aluminum coated with a layer of PFOA-free Teflon. In all of our tests, the non-stick coating worked perfectly. The waffles slid cleanly off the plates without leaving messy residue behind.
A small anti-spill moat runs around the perimeter of each plate. The moat is too small to catch big spills, which isn’t particularly helpful.
- Number of Plates:2
- Grid Pattern:Belgian-style
- Plate Area:69.6 inch2
- Plate Length:8.7" (22.1 cm)
- Plate Width:8.0" (20.3 cm)
- Material:Aluminum
- Non Stick Coating:Yes
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The plates are the most impressive part of this waffle maker. They are made from aluminum and coated with a Teflon non-stick layer. During our performance tests, the coating worked very well. It didn't take much effort to coax a cooked waffle off the plates.
The plates are divided into four equal quadrants, each measuring around 4 inches.
DASH have built large gaps onto the lines that divvy up the plates to form "links" between the four waffles. You can shear off these links with your hands and separate the waffles. However, these gaps are troublesome if you want to pour enough batter to fill one section and cook a single waffle. The waffle will form stubby lumps that you must cut off if you want a symmetric waffle.
Attached to either side of the waffle plates are large trenches. In the event of a batter spill, the trenches will catch the excess and stop them from flowing out of the machine. The plates are smartly designed with four "ventilation holes'' on each side to discourage the liquid batter from flowing through the machine's front or back.
Control Panel
- Indicator Lights:Yes
- Audible Alarm:No
- Timer:No
- Browning Control:Yes
The temperature dial turns smoothly but doesn’t have any specific temperature notches or settings. Instead, there are only “Min” and a “Max” labels on either side. The user can tune the dial to any arbitrary point in between.
You will find a red POWER button under the dial, which shines when you plug in the waffle maker. The blue READY button beside it will light up when the plates are thoroughly heated and ready for use.
- Indicator Lights:Yes
- Audible Alarm:No
- Timer:No
- Browning Control:No
The DASH No-Drip Belgian waffle maker does not come with any control feature. It has a pair of indicator lights at the top so that you can monitor the cooking process, but that’s it.
Bella Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker’s Power Cord
- Plug Style:Type A (Flat Blade Attachment Plug)
- Length:2.2 ft (0.7 m)
- Cable Management:No
The power cord is relatively short, so you may have to use an extension cord. There is no cable management feature on the Bella 13991.
- Plug Style:Type A (Flat Blade Attachment Plug)
- Length:2.3 ft (0.7 m)
- Cable Management:Yes
The power cable of the unit is fairly long, at 31.5 inches. You most likely won’t need an extension cord for it.
There is a grommet built onto the back foot of the waffle maker. The cord can be wrapped around it for easier storage.
Accessories
- Material:Plastic
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
A drip tray accompanies the waffle maker in the shipping box. It slides in underneath the waffle maker’s body. The tray does a great job of catching spilled batter. It is removable and dishwasher-safe.
- Material:N/A
- Removable:N/A
- Dishwasher Safe:N/A
The DASH waffle maker does not come with any accessories.
Bella Rotating Waffle Maker Review
- Handling (25%)3.0/10
- Safety (40%)8.0/10
- Cleanability (25%)9.5/10
- Indicator Light Visibility (5%)10/10
- Handling (25%)9.5/10
- Safety (40%)9.2/10
- Cleanability (25%)10/10
- Indicator Light Visibility (10%)10/10
Handling
It failed the handling test due to the dangerously loose lid. Whenever we started a new waffle, we had to hold the lid with one hand while pouring with the other. If we dared remove that stabilizing hand, the lid had a good chance of snapping shut unexpectedly.
Except for this critical issue, the Bella 13991 is easy to use. The control panel is simple, and the waffle maker turns smoothly. A lock is built into the handle and keeps the lid securely shut when the waffle maker is flipped.
The DASH waffle maker is easy to handle. As we said earlier, the lack of a control panel makes using it as straightforward as can be. You can start using it without having to read the user’s manual at all.
The lid can be opened and closed via the large handle at the front, which doesn’t heat up at all despite being made from plastic.
Safety
- Top Side Temperature:153°F
- Bottom Side Temperature:85°F
- Handle Temperature:90°F
The unsteady lid is a serious safety issue. Fortunately, aside from the lid, we didn’t find any other significant safety problems.
The top of the lid got warm — but not dangerously so — at 147°F.
Both the handle and the base remained cool to the touch. The measured temperatures in these areas were respectively 90° and 85° after several rounds of testings.
- Top Side Temperature:202.3°F
- Bottom Side Temperature:151.5°F
- Handle Temperature:120°F
Safety is great for this particular model. After several continuous cooking sessions, using a thermometer, we found that most of the waffle maker’s surfaces were still at acceptable levels. Especially the handle, which was only warm to the touch, not scorching hot.
Top side temperature was recorded at 202°F.
The temperature at the bottom, around the front foot of the unit, was at 151°F.
In the areas surrounding the handle, we recorded a relatively cool temperature of 120°F, which was merely warm.
Cleanability
The Bella 13991 is very easy to clean. Though it’s prone to fingerprint smudges and scratches, the metal surfaces can be cleaned and polished with mild detergent. The waffle plates only need to be wiped down with paper towels every once in a while to get rid of waffle debris. We also don't find it difficult to scrub dried batter off the plastic parts of the waffle maker.
When a spill happens, the large drip tray can catch every droplet. The tray can be washed by hand or loaded into a dishwasher.
The large anti-spill channels to the side of the waffle maker are very effective at catching excess batter. We noticed that these channels are easier to clean than the add-on drip tray that many waffle makers use these days.
The non-stick coating of the waffle plates further improves cleanability. We never encountered one sticky waffle throughout the performance test phase.
Indicator Light Visibility
The lights are very dim. It’s almost impossible to see them from afar under harsh lighting. Even with some ambient lights turned off, the indicator lights are still faint.
The indicator lights are bright enough to be clearly visible under studio lighting.