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Black and Decker WMD200B Double vs Hamilton Beach 26031 Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)6.2/10
- Design (20%)8.8/10
- Ease of Use (30%)9.2/10
- Performance (50%)6.9/10
- Design (20%)9.7/10
- Ease of Use (30%)9.7/10
The most remarkable difference between the Hamilton Beach 26031 and the Black and Decker WMD200B Double waffle maker lies in their designs. The latter is a single-sided waffle maker, while the WMD200B has a double-sided design.
If you live alone or don't need to cook a lot of waffles, the Hamilton beach 26031 makes more sense. Meanwhile, the WMD200 B's double-sided design, which allows you to cook two waffles at once, is a better fit for large families.
Performance-wise, the Hamilton Beach 26031 can cook more evenly than the WMD200B. While the waffles produced by both models were good in our test, the Black and Decker tended to overlook the waffle's underside. Hence, the Hamilton Beach received a higher performance test score than the WMD200B.
The overall design of both waffle makers is good. However, the WMD200B does not have a temperature control dial, which limits its usability significantly.
Black and Decker Double Flip Waffle Maker’s Performance
- Self-Mixed Recipe (50%)6.1/10
- Birch Benders Mix (50%)6.3/10
- Self-Mixed Recipe (50%)6.8/10
- Birch Benders Mix (50%)7.1/10
Self-Mixed Recipe
- Heat Level: N/A
- Cooking Time: 5 minutes
The WMD200B’s performance was disappointing in this test. With the updated recipe, we had expected it to show better results. Unfortunately, the coloration, texture, and taste were still acceptable at best and mediocre at worst.
Color (35%) — 5.25/10
- Color result: Very dark brown (Top)—Very light gold (Bottom)
- Color distribution: Uneven
The BLACK+DECKER WMD200B still suffered from uneven heating, a problem we already noticed in the first rounds of testing. The top side of the waffle was so well-cooked that some spots looked charred. Meanwhile, the bottom was several shades lighter. The odd difference in coloring made the waffle look very unappealing.
Texture (25%) — 6.5/10
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Medium level. Bubbles were beginning to form but hadn’t finished developing
The aeration rate was low. Nonetheless, we still saw plenty of air bubbles spread throughout the interior of the waffle. And while there was a degree of mushiness to the waffle, it wasn’t so bad to the point of being limp and soggy.
Taste (40%) — 6.5/10
- Taste: Sweet and flavorful. A hint of bitterness from the burnt spots.
- Mouthfeel: Soft. Burnt spots give the waffle a dry texture.
Flavor-wise, our chef gave the waffle a passable score. Although the flavors were there, the bitterness from the burnt top crust ruined the overall taste profile of the waffle. Plus, the unremarkable texture of the waffle didn’t do the WMD200B any good in this section.
- Heat Level: Between 1 and 2
- Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Right away, we assessed the color of the waffle to be fairly disappointing. The color distribution was uneven, with light and dark spots mingling randomly on the crust. Texturally, the waffle was also unremarkable. The aeration rate was minimal, resulting in a rather dense waffle. But scoring picked up slightly in the taste department. Our chef rated the Hamilton Beach’s waffle sufficiently tasty for breakfasts and other light meals.
Color (35%) —6.3/10
- Color result: Dark brown (Both)
- Color distribution: Even
Both sides have roughly the same color shading. However, as a whole, both sides have uneven coloration. We noticed one side of the waffle tends to be more cooked than the rest of the waffle to the point of having a dark brown tone. Fortunately, this discolored patch wasn’t so cooked that it’s charred.
Dark spots tend to concentrate inside the wells of the waffle, too, giving the waffle a mottled appearance.
Texture (25%) — 7/10
- Texture: Excellent
- Aeration level: High, the interior was filled with large air cavities
The waffle’s interior doesn’t aerate well. Cutting it open, we observed the core to have a very dense structure with few air bubbles. The result is a sub-par waffle with a mushy texture rather than a soft, fluffy consistency like we hoped.
Taste (40%) — 7/10
- Flavor: Sweet with hints of bitterness at charred spots
- Mouthfeel: Soft, dry at charred spots
The taste was great, according to our chef. The Hamilton Beach 26031 was able to bring out the full flavor profile of the recipe. The waffle was buttery and sweet, with a hint of saltiness. Unfortunately, our chef assessed that it hadn't reached the point of being "restaurant-quality". Still, it will suffice for people wanting to cook quick breakfasts with this waffle maker.
Birch Benders Mix
- Heat Level: N/A
- Cooking Time: 7 minutes 30 seconds
Coloration is better with a more eye-catching golden brown tone. The color is distributed uniformly across the whole waffle. Despite not having a high aeration level, the waffle still attains a soft and spongy texture, albeit slightly mushy. Our chef rated the waffle’s taste as good, citing its sweet flavor. But she clocked a few points due to the taste of raw batter still being present.
Color (35%) — 6.3/10
- Color result: Golden brown (Top) - Pale gold (Bottom)
- Color distribution: Even
In the pre-made mix test the coloration was better compared to our self-made recipe. The top side achieved a beautiful golden brown color that was spread evenly throughout the waffle. The indents had slightly darker coloring, but they weren’t burnt or charred.
The bottom of the waffle was a lot less impressive. It had a pale yellow, almost white color, which seemed to point to the waffle being undercooked.
Interestingly, the same disparity in coloration between the two sides of the waffle can be observed in other performance tests that we’ve done with the WMD200B.
Texture (25%) — 5/10
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Low level, bubbles were tiny in size.
The aeration level is low. The waffle was filled with small bubbles, which created a soft and spongy texture. However, because the batter hadn’t been fully developed, the core of the waffle still felt a little mushy and moist when touched.
Taste (40%) — 7/10
- Taste: Sweet and flavorful, but with a hint of raw batter due to the undercooked bottom
- Texture: Soft at the top, pulpy at the bottom.
Our chef rated the waffle “good”. The WMD200B brought out the waffle's sweet and slightly savory flavor.
Unfortunately, the undercooked bottom impacted the mouthfeel of the waffle, which was pulpy compared to the soft and consistent top side.
- Heat Level: Between 1 and 2
- Cooking Time: 5 minutes
The coloration of the waffle made using the Birch Benders mix was a very light gold tone, giving it an undercooked-looking appearance. And indeed, the interior wasn’t as developed as the last waffle made in the test with the self-made recipe. However, our chef rated this waffle to be tastier overall.
Color (35%) — 6.5/10
- Color result: Very light gold (Both)
- Color distribution: Uneven
At these optimal conditions, the pre-made mix gave us a more attractively colored waffle than did our self-made recipe. It had a nicer blonde tone that looked much more inviting. However, the color uniformity isn’t as good as we had hoped. The waffle maker was unable to maintain an even color throughout — one half looked lighter than the other.
Texture (25%) — 6.5/10
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Medium, air bubbles could be seen, but haven’t fully bloomed to their full sizes
Texture was significantly improved compared to the waffle produced using our self-made batter. The inside of the waffle appeared well-developed, with air bubbles filling out the waffle’s structure. That resulted in a very soft and pliable waffle. However, it wasn’t aerated enough to hide the slight mushy texture.
Taste (40%) — 8/10
- Flavor: Sweet, no hint of bitterness
- Mouthfeel: Soft and pliant, slightly mushy
Our chef awarded the Hamilton Beach 26031 a good score for this category. The aesthetically-pleasing coloring and the soft texture made for a pleasant tasting experience. In terms of flavor, the waffle was sweet. Since it didn’t have any charred patches, that flavor profile was consistent and never bitter. Unfortunately, the slight mushiness of the waffle negatively impacted its scoring a little.
Black and Decker Double Flip Waffle Maker’s Design
- Build Quality (60%)10/10
- Waffle Plates (30%)9.5/10
- Control Panel (10%)0/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- Waffle Plates (30%)10/10
- Control Panel (10%)10/10
What’s In the Box of the Black and Decker Rotating Waffle Maker?
- Waffle maker
- Drip tray
- User manual
In the shipping box, you will find the waffle maker, a drip tray, and a user manual. Everything is nicely packaged in plastic wraps and foam blocks.
- Waffle maker’s body
- Two (2) Belgian-style grid plates
- One (1) removable drip tray
- User manual
Within the shipping box, you get the waffle maker itself, two (2) removable Belgian-style waffle plates, a drip tray, and the manual.
The waffle maker comes wrapped in a protective plastic bag with some thick foam blocks as padding. Other accessories are only wrapped in plastic without extra padding.
While simple plastic wrap is okay for the plastic drip tray and manual, we felt some concern for the waffle plates. Since they’re made from brittle ceramic, we would appreciate a little padding for them too.
Dimensions
- Length:13.0" (33.0 cm)
- Width:7.5" (19.1 cm)
- Height:7.0" (17.8 cm)
- Weight:7.3 lbs (3.3 kg)
The body is bulkier and larger than standard models, which might make storage a challenge. The WMD200B is heavier, too. At 7.25 pounds, it is easily twice the weight of your average waffle maker. Most of the additional weight comes from the extra pair of waffle plates.
- Length:16.5" (41.9 cm)
- Width:8.0" (20.3 cm)
- Height:8.7" (22.1 cm)
- Weight:3.1 lbs (1.4 kg)
Because the Hamilton Beach 26031 is a flip-style waffle maker, it is taller than your average non-flip model. At just over 9 inches tall, there’s ample clearance for the plates to smoothly turn.
The machine weighs 3.06 pounds, which is about average for a waffle maker.
For easier storage, it comes with a foldable handle.
Build Quality
The exterior of the waffle maker is made from black plastic. While durability is a definite concern, plastic is lighter and less thermally conductive, thus safer than metal.
Other parts of the waffle maker, like the base, the handle, and the hinges, are all solidly constructed. We especially like the metal-clad cabling connecting the heating elements and electronics. The metal cladding ensures durability and protects from electrical leakage.
The housing of the Hamilton Beach 26031 is made from brushed stainless steel. All other parts, including the control panel, handle, and raised base, are black plastic. There are rubber feet at the bottom to keep the waffle maker from slipping.
The numerous plastic parts in the 26031’s design are a drawback in terms of durability. The important components like the handle lock, spin lock, and waffle plate latches are made of simple molded plastic. They may not last as long as metal or metal-reinforced parts and are more prone to breakage or cracking.
Waffle Plates
- Number of Plates:4
- Grid Pattern:Belgian-style
- Plate Area:36.32 inches
- Plate Length:6.8" (17.3 cm)
- Plate Width:6.8" (17.3 cm)
- Material:Cast iron
- Non Stick Coating:Yes
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The waffle plates are made from cast iron and boast a layer of proprietary non-stick coating. BLACK+DECKER hasn’t elaborated much on its non-stick formula. However, they did tell us that the coating is: “stable, inert, non-reactive, and PFOA-free”.
The waffle plates are not removable.
- Number of Plates:2
- Grid Pattern:Belgian-style
- Plate Area:50.27 inch2
- Plate Length:8.0" (20.3 cm)
- Plate Width:8.0" (20.3 cm)
- Material:Cast aluminum
- Non Stick Coating:Yes
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The set of waffle plates is made from cast aluminum and is coated in a layer of ceramic non-stick (Durathon®). The non-stick layer works excellently. We’ve never had to deal with a stick in all of our tests. Even the batch that came out undercooked and was still semi-liquid didn’t stick to the plates.
With the 26031 model, the two plates are copper-colored. If you get the 26030 model, the plates will be black. The difference between them is purely aesthetic. Both have the same design and identical performance.
Both plates are removable and are dishwasher-safe. You can remove the plates by working the yellow latches at the front of the waffle maker.
Control Panel
- Indicator Lights:Yes
- Audible Alarm:No
- Timer:No
- Browning Control:No
The BLACK+DECKER WMD200B does not come with a control panel.
Instead, it has a series of indicator lights. One is a red POWER light, which comes when you plug in the waffle maker. The other is a green READY Light, which lights up when the waffle maker reaches the correct cooking temperature.
You will find the lights at the waffle maker's top and bottom.
As it lacks any real control features, we cannot give it any points for this section.
- Indicator Lights:Yes
- Audible Alarm:No
- Timer:No
- Browning Control:Yes
For such a nice waffle maker, the control panel is very simplistic.
There are two indicator lights: a red POWER light and a green READY light. The POWER indicator turns on when the waffle maker is plugged in. Once it reaches the optimal cooking temperature, the READY light will illuminate. The latter will continuously cycle on and off during cooking as temperature fluctuates.
A second READY button can be found on the underside of the housing. It’s there for when you flip the waffle maker.
Underneath the indicator lights is the browning control dial. There are four settings: MIN, 1, 2, and 3. Each corresponds to a browning level, with MIN being the lightest and 3 being the darkest.
Black and Decker Double Flip Waffle Maker’s Power Cord
- Plug Style:Type A (Flat Blade Attachment Plug)
- Length:2.0 ft (0.6 m)
- Cable Management:No
The power cord is very short, measuring only around 24 inches. Be sure to keep the waffle maker close to a power outlet. If not, use an extension cord.
There’s no cable management feature on the waffle maker.
- Plug Style:Type A (Flat Blade Attachment Plug)
- Length:2.2 ft (0.7 m)
- Cable Management:No
The power cord is quite short. It may be inconvenient if your kitchen doesn’t have many power outlets. In that case, an extension cord will prove useful.
Accessories
- Material:Plastic
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The BLACK+DECKER WMD200B comes with a plastic drip tray.
- Material:Plastic
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The drip tray is removable and goes into a slot directly under the waffle maker’s body. It is made from a lightweight, heat-resistant plastic. The tray is dishwasher-safe.
Black and Decker Double Waffle Maker Review
- Handling (25%)9.5/10
- Safety (40%)10/10
- Cleanability (25%)8.5/10
- Indicator Light Visibility (10%)7.0/10
- Handling (25%)9.5/10
- Safety (40%)10/10
- Cleanability (25%)9.5/10
- Indicator Light Visibility (10%)9.0/10
Handling
The large handle allows for an easier and more comfortable grip. Located right within the handle is the lid lock. It can be engaged or disengaged with a push or pull motion, respectively.
WMD200B is rotatable. The rotating mechanism of our review unit worked smoothly.
The Hamilton Beach 26031 handles well. Opening the waffle maker is simple, and the baking chamber's turning motion is smooth.
The only problem we encountered while testing this model was the lid-locking mechanism. When you flip the waffle maker back and forth, there’s a lock to prevent you from opening the lid during the turn or while it’s upside-down. Sometimes, the lid would remain locked in place even when we flipped the waffle maker upright and returned it to its original position.
Luckily, it’s not a difficult problem to solve. Just jiggle the lid a little, and the lock will disengage.
Safety
- Top Side Temperature:144°F
- Bottom Side Temperature:86°F
- Handle Temperature:87°F
The top side of the waffle maker can get quite hot after a few cooking sessions. We measured a peak temperature of 144°F, hot enough to cause a minor burn injury.
All other parts remained cool to the touch. The handle was 87°F, and the base of the waffle maker was 86°F.
- Top Side Temperature:142°F
- Bottom Side Temperature:90°F
- Handle Temperature:88°F
We assessed the safety level of this waffle maker to be high. The top side doesn’t get too hot during or after cooking. Thanks to the elongated handle, you can open and close the lid without heat from the waffle plates radiating onto your hand the way many other models do.
After a few cooking sessions, we recorded a temperature of 152.2°F in the control panel section. It’s merely warm, not hot.
The other parts, like the base and the handle, remained at room temperature. They were perfectly safe to touch.
Cleanability
Most parts of the BLACK+DECKER WMD200B are easy to clean. But some awkward spots may give you trouble, such as the tiny nooks next to the handle. Liquid waffle batter can drip inside and dry out within. The size of the corner makes it very difficult to guide a towel inside and scrub out the dried mess.
The included drip tray makes dealing with batter spillages a lot easier.
In terms of cleanability, the Hamilton Beach 26031 gets a rare near-perfect score.
The included drip tray does a great job at catching spilled waffle batter. Since it is made from smooth plastic, dried batter doesn’t stick to the tray. It can be washed off easily with water alone — no soap required.
You can remove the waffle plates and put them into a dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher, just rinse them with tap water. The non-stick layer should prevent dried batter and debris from collecting, so a cursory wash is usually all that’s needed to get them spick and span again.
We were able to clean the waffle maker’s body and most of its parts with only tissues and a dry cloth. The only section that was a challenge to clean was the space around the waffle-plate latches. Dried batter can infiltrate deep into the tiny details surrounding the latches, making it very hard to clean thoroughly.
Indicator Light Visibility
The indicator lights were bright enough to see from across the room under normal lighting conditions. Under studio lighting, they became very difficult to see from afar. We had to walk up to the waffle maker to view the lights.
All three indicator lights (two on top and one on the bottom) are bright. In low-light or normal lighting conditions, the bulbs can be seen clearly. Even under harsh studio lighting, we still didn’t have any issue with them.