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Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker In-depth Review
Presto Flipside Specifications
Overall Verdict
With the Flipside 03510, Presto has succeeded at what it set out to do: create a flippable waffle maker that’s more compact and unique-looking than its competitors. It easily stands out among other waffle makers with more traditional designs.
Unfortunately, its distinctive, easy-to-use design is the only highlight of the Presto. It is hamstrung by mediocre cooking performance as well as disappointing build quality. It’s a good purchase for the price, but many alternatives in this price range offer better performance and build quality than the Presto.
Things We Like
- Unique ‘flip-side’ design
- Far more compact than other flip waffle makers
- Includes a timer with an audible alarm
- The safety rating is high
Things We Don’t Like
- Mediocre cooking performance with a tendency to char the waffle
- Poor build quality
- Certain spots on the waffle maker are difficult to clean
- Updated Sep 14, 2022:
Converted to Test Methodology v1.1
- Updated Aug 19, 2022:
Review published.
The Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker (03510) has, what is quite possibly, the most unique design we have ever seen. Instead of having a rotating body mounted on top of a tall frame, the Presto 03510 flips from side to side. The result is a flippable waffle maker without the extra bulk.
Its compact design, combined with its affordability, makes it the darling of the sales charts.
But whether the waffle maker lives up to the marketing spread is another story. We have thoroughly tested the waffle maker in our lab; unfortunately, the results weren’t encouraging.
Presto Waffle Maker’s Performance: More than Meets the Eyes
In our self-mixed recipe test, the Presto’s performance was lackluster at best. The waffles were disappointing, with a blackened, charred coloring and little to no flavor or texture.
The Presto performed much better with the new Birch Benders waffle mix in later test rounds. The coloration was great, and our chef judged the resulting waffles as being tasty. But it’s not perfect: the texture was deemed as needing improvement.
6.0Self-Mixed Recipe
The Presto waffle maker did a mediocre job in this test. The crust was overdone, as evidenced by the dark coloring of the crust. Though there were quite a few air bubbles and cavities in the waffle’s interior, they weren’t large enough to give it the ideal consistency we were looking for. As for the taste, the bitterness of the carbonized crust carried over the tongue with each bite due to the burnt crust.
Color (35%) — 5.5/10
- Color tone: Charred black (Both)
- Color distribution: Even
The Presto has very strong heating elements. Combined with the lack of any temperature control function, the outer crust of the waffle was close to being burnt. The wells on the waffle have very dark brown coloring. Some of which were approaching the point of blackening.
The bottom of the waffle was lighter in color, but the wells were still dark brown.
Texture (25%) - 6/10
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Low; the aeration process had begun, but the air bubbles were still too small
The intense heat cooked the batter enough to kick-start the aeration process. But, by the 5-minute mark, the air bubbles were still tiny. Excess moisture was still present inside the waffle, making the waffle very mushy.
Taste (40%) - 6.5/10
- Flavor: Sweet and buttery, but bitter from the overcooked crust
- Mouthfeel: Dry on the outside, mushy on the inside
The desired sweetness of the sugar and the buttery aftertaste of the batter was there. But unfortunately, the bitterness of the charred spots on the crust ruined the tasting experience.
The crust felt dry on the tongue, which was an off-putting contrast against the mushy core.
7.0Birch Benders Mix
The Presto did a great job on this test. After 6 minutes and 30 seconds, the waffle came out with a beautiful, light brown crust. Taste-testing the waffle, our chef considered it to be very flavorful. However, the texture was a bit too spongy due to a low aeration rate.
Color (35%) — 7.25/10
- Color result: Light brown (Both)
- Color distribution: Even
The waffle’s coloration was great. Both sides sported a brown, crispy crust that was light in the middle and gradually darkened the farther it got from the center. Inside of the wells, the batter was cooked to a dark brown. Fortunately, none of the wells were charred.
Texture (25%) — 5/10
- Texture: Mediocre
- Aeration level: Low, few air bubbles
For texture, it didn’t score highly due to a low aeration rate. Air bubbles were small in size and few in number, resulting in a fairly dense-looking interior that indicated mushiness. And indeed, the waffle’s texture was quite mediocre.
Taste (40%) — 8/10
- Flavor: Savory, slightly sweet
- Mouthfeel: Mushy due to the waffle’s underdeveloped interior
Our chef rated the waffle as flavorful: savory, and pleasantly sweet. But the mushy mouthfeel detracted from the tasting experience.
Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker’s Design
The Presto 03510 waffle maker's overall build quality is reasonable, made from solid materials like stainless steel. However, we have spotted many dents and gaps in the body, indicating shabby workmanship. Its waffle plates seem well-built, but the non-stick coating could be improved. We had to deal with sticky waffles a few times during the tests. The control panel is bare-bone without a browning control knob.
In The Box
- Presto Flipside waffle maker
- Instruction manuals
The shipping box is simplistic. Inside, you will find the waffle maker and the user manual. No extra accessory is included.
Dimensions & Weight of the Presto 03510 Ceramic Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker
Its compact size sets the Presto 03510 apart from every other flip waffle maker. Thanks to its unique design, the waffle maker measures only 4.4 inches tall (on its side). That’s less than half as tall as the more “traditional” flippable models like the Hamilton Beach 26031, which measures 8.7 inches in height.
However, while it is more compact vertically, the waffle maker takes up a lot of counter space. As you flip it back and forth, the waffle maker requires a working area two times its length (around 25 inches on both sides of the waffle maker).
When it’s time to store it away, you need to grab it by the handle and lift the body upright. Then, there is a “vertical lock” — a red piece of plastic attached to the base — that you can use to keep it standing vertically.
It brings the waffle maker’s height to 11.5 inches. In return, its length is reduced to just 4.5 inches.
6.0Build Quality
Build quality is great, but it could be better in some respects. The body of the waffle maker is made from solid stainless steel. Its metallic gleam gives the waffle maker a beautiful, premium look.
The base is made from plastic. It looked sturdy at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, we observed many design and manufacturing flaws.
At the bottom of the handle, two big dents can be seen. They were already there when we took it out of the box, so it’s likely to be a manufacturing defect.
In addition to the damaged handle, a large gap can be seen in the joints that connect the waffle maker’s body with the base. The way that they’re unevenly set made us suspicious of bad workmanship.
8.0Waffle Plates
The waffle maker comes with a pair of ceramic plates coated with a layer of non-stick. Each measures 7.5 inches in diameter and has a small moat running around the perimeter of the plate to catch spilled batter.
The non-stick coating works most of the time. But, every so often, a waffle would stick to the plates, and we would have to pry it out with utensils.
6.0Control Panel
A large red light is situated on one side of the waffle. When you plug the waffle in, the light will glow red. Once the waffle plates have reached the right temperature, the light will turn off.
Underneath the light is a timer with a digital screen. You can set the countdown via the small button underneath the screen. The corresponding numbers will appear on the display. Once the countdown is completed, a small speaker will alarm you.
Note that the timer only keeps the time. It won’t shut down or control the waffle maker for you. The timer is a separate component from the waffle maker and operates on batteries. So, even if you unplug the unit, the timer will still work.
Presto Flipside Waffle Maker’s Power Cord
The power cord is very long, measuring over 36.5 inches. There’s no cable management feature. When we need to put it away and into storage, we have to wrap the cord around the waffle maker's body.
Accessories: N/A
The Presto waffle maker does not come with any accessories.
Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker Review: Ease of Use
The Presto waffle maker is easy to use overall. You may initially feel slightly unfamiliar with its flipping function, but you'll get a grip on it in only a few minutes.
Safety is handled very well in the Presto waffle maker. We measured the surface temperatures of parts that the user regularly has to touch, such as the handle.
None of these parts get dangerously hot — they're uncomfortably warm at best.
It doesn't perform too impressively in our cleanability tests because its plastic exterior tends to grip dried batter.
9.5Handling
Handling is great. The hinges – of the lid and the flipping mechanism — are built exceptionally well. The lid opens and closes without wobbling. We can flip the waffle maker back and forth fluidly, too.
The handle is made up of two halves. Each half is built into the two lids of the waffle maker. You just need to split them apart when you want to open up the lid.
When you need to flip or carry the waffle maker around, bring the two halves together to make a complete handle.
Our only issue is with the timer. Even after reading the manual, it’s still hard to use and imprecise. So, for all of our tests, we use our timer rather than the built-in one. Fortunately, this is a minor annoyance.
9.8Safety
Safety is excellent for the Presto waffle maker.
We recorded a top-side temperature of 167°F. While the temperature is dangerous, you’re never meant to touch the top of any waffle maker. Thus, the figure here doesn’t affect scoring much.
The base and the handle are both at room temperature. They were found to have a temperature of 95°F and 94°F, respectively.
7.5Cleanability
Cleaning the waffle maker is easy for the most part. We rarely have to clean the plates, thanks to the non-stick coating. However, as aforementioned, the coating can sometimes fail and leave sticky remains on the plates. Fortunately, the residues can be easily removed with some vigorous scrubbing.
Certain parts of the waffle maker are challenging to clean, like the inside of the handle. The dried batter can bind to the plastic here very tightly. We could not scrub droplets of dried batter off even after applying mild detergent.
10Indicator Light Visibility
The indicator light to the side of the waffle maker was very bright. It’s easy to see even under studio lighting.
Compared to Other Waffle Makers
The Presto is, without a doubt, the most unique flippable waffle maker we have tested. We haven’t seen the 180° flipping mechanism being featured anywhere else. It is part of the reason the Presto was chosen to be featured on our best to buy listing as the “best flip-side waffle maker.”
If you need to search for other Belgian-style alternatives, you can check out this list of the top Belgian-style waffle makers we have tested to date.
But we understand how the Presto can feel clunky for some people. In that case, you can look at traditional flippable designs, like the Cuisinart WAF-F20P1, the BLACK+DECKER WMD200B, or the Bella 13991 waffle maker.
About your guide
Matthew is one of the writers at Healthy Kitchen 101. Working as part of the Review Team, he directly contributes to the production of content for the site’s Product Review pages. Much like the other members of staff, he strives to bring you the most authentic and accurate reviews of kitchen appliances as possible.
Lap Vo is head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (the RTR) at Healthy Kitchen 101. He is responsible for designing and overseeing the testing of kitchen tools and appliances.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef who believes that joy is the secret ingredient to delicious food. At Healthy Recipes 101, Tuyet personally tests and simplifies every recipe, ensuring maximum flavor with minimal effort. With a background at prestigious French restaurants P’TI Saigon and Le Corto, Tuyet knows how to make every dish exceptional.