Cuisinart WMR-CA Classic vs Euro Cuisine WM520 Side-by-Side Comparison
Can’t pick between the Cuisinart WMR-CA Classic and the Euro Cuisine WM520? Check out our short comparison and see which is more suitable for you.
Specifications
Design
The Cuisinart WMR-CA offers a great design and build quality, boasting a glossy metal top lid. The waffle plates are coated with a layer of Teflon non-stick, which has proven itself to work quite effectively during our cooking tests. We’ve never had to deal with sticky waffles or batter residues throughout the review phase.
Although simplistic, its control panel is very simple to use.
The Euro Cuisine WM520 has a luxe, chrome-plated housing. It gives the waffle maker a very luxurious appearance.
Though overall construction is sound, the flimsy lid hinges could do some refinement. Positioned on top of the lid is an intuitive control panel that pairs a dial for adjusting browning levels with two indicator lights (one for power, one for the ready status of the waffle maker).
Usability Comparison
Unlike its easy-to-use control panel, the control panel of the WMR-CA can be difficult to deal with for some people due to the dim indicator lights. They can be very hard to see under bright lighting.
The Cuisinart WMR-CA did decently well during safety tests. Most of the surfaces on the waffle maker are cool to the touch, even after several cooking sessions.
The Euro Cuisine WM520's sole control input is the browning control dial, which lets you set the desired browning level by tuning it. Two indicator lights at the top inform you how far along your food is in cooking. Once you're finished cooking, the non-stick coating on the plates helps simplify cleaning.
Unfortunately, it didn't fare well in our safety test due to an alarmingly hot handle. Still, that doesn't detract from its overall ease of use and convenience.
Performance Test
The WMR-CA mostly fell short of expectations, struggling to produce anything but unsatisfyingly burnt and flavorless waffles in our tests with the self-mixed waffle recipe. Its performance ratings were thankfully redeemed in later tests with pre-mixed Birch Benders mix, where it pulled out all the stops and amazed us with surprisingly tasty results.
Using the Euro Cuisine WM520, we were pleased with its consistent performance throughout our tests. Although not of five-star quality, the fluffy waffles would still be an ideal accompaniment to any breakfast table.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Affordable
- Did a great job in our test with Birch Benders mix
- Fast cooking time
- Compact and lightweight design makes it easy to store
- Did a passable job in our self-mixed recipe test
- Luxurious design with chrome lid
- Easy to use control panel with clicky, responsive browning level dial
- Eco-friendly PTFE and PFOA-free ceramic coating on the plates
- Excellent cleanability
- Poor performance on self-mixed recipe
- Heating element is too strong and can easily burn waffles
- Dim indicator lights
- Loose lid hinges
- The rubber screw protectors can be easily lost
- Many surfaces of the waffle maker became scorching hot after two-three cooking sessions
Conclusion
The biggest selling point of the Cuisinart WMR-CA Classic is that it can help you cook diner-style waffles. Also known as the classic-style or American-style waffle, this waffle is thinner and has smaller pockets than a Belgian waffle. On the up side, it cooks faster because of its smaller size. It’s also the one most Americans have grown up eating, making it a nostalgia-inducing treat!
On the other hand, the Euro Cuisine WM520 makes Norwegian-style waffles. The cooking plates are imprinted with a heart-shaped pattern, and the resulting waffle will also assume this unique, beautiful shape.
The Norwegian heart waffles will be awesome to have on the table during festive times, like Christmas or Thanksgiving. But nothing is stopping you from serving them for breakfast or daily meals!
So, it mainly comes down to what type of waffle you’d prefer: classic-style (Cuisinart WMR-CA) or Norwegian (Euro Cuisine WM520).
Behind the Comparison
Matthew Lee is a writer and editor for HealthyKitchen101. With over 8 years working for various outlets and agencies, specializing in tech review and other subjects of note, such as current affairs.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
