Easy to use aNd even easier to clean! A delight to make waffles in!I replaced another Hamilton Beach waffle maker with removable grids with this one. The former one got impossible to clean, the grids becoming permanently stained. This one, even though the grids are not removable, seems to clean up easier and better. The former one had copper-colored grids and this one has dark gray grids that look like Teflon. The waffles are slightly thinner than my former Belgian waffle maker, but I'm okay with that. It takes a little less batter to make each waffle, but they come out crisp and cooked exactly as I think they should be.My husband bought me this waffle iron after years of dealing with a messy, almost uncleanable, and awkwardly bulky waffle maker that we just never got around to replacing. We really noticed the necessity for a change when we stayed a couple nights in a hotel and used the waffle maker they had there, which is very similar to this in structure but was made for hospitality use. I would have to say that this one is even better than the one we used at the hotel. I never really liked making waffles because it was so messy and hard to use but this waffle maker has made it unbelievably easy. I mix up my batter, plug it in and spray it with a light layer of ghee spray, when the light turns green I pour in the batter and flip. Within minutes I have an absolutely perfect waffle. The waffle iron even has a dial that you can turn for crispness. I enjoy a very crisp waffle and my children prefer soft, so this feature is one of those nice little additions that can make a product really great. One of my favorite things about the waffle maker is the very easy to clean drip tray. I’m going to be honest, I don’t have the steadiest of hands and I can easily make a mess with batter, but not only is the waffle maker it’s self easy to clean but the drip tray prevents any huge messes under the maker. I also like the versatility of the maker. I have used it to make grilled cheese sandwiches, which seem to be a food that couldn’t be any easier to make but this waffle maker does it and my kids love the way they look. As far as the aesthetics of the waffle maker, it’s a very sleek stainless steel with black accents. It fits on my counter easily and is very convenient to pick up or move. Overall this an absolutely great product for a great price. I couldn’t be happier with it and would purchase it ten times over.Easy to use and clean! This is a regular waffle maker, so it will not make deep Belgian ones. I set mine to the number 2 setting as I felt like that would be a good middle ground for results. It came out exactly as I hoped but if you like yours crisper and browner, choose 3. My photos show the messy process of making these waffles and how it overflowed. It did this every time that i made one. I'm almost 90% certain it's because the mix I used called for eggs. If you use a basic mix that only requires water and oil, this wouldn't happen as much or not as bad. Despite this, its very easy to clean! You have to make sure you rinse the plate underneath before the batter dries and wipe the sides with a wet cloth or sponge. I buttered the inside so there was absolutely no sticking to heating plates. This was my first waffle maker and yes, I chose one with a rotating option because I too experienced the greatness of hotel continental breakfast waffles.****Update 12/11-I guess making a mess with this is inevitable. I tried a mix that doesn't include eggs but the texture came out too crunchy and it didn't taste as good. Less mess, but there still was some to clean in the end. There's also a lot of heat/steam that comes from this so it's best to use this in a open area. I don't know if it's the coating or newness of the waffle maker but it smells like a sulphuric chemical smell when turned on.I always either over flow or under fill the plates and I'm not sure if there's a secret method around this. So with all that being said, I've decided to deduct 1 start but I still like it and will continue to use it unless it gets dramatically worse overnight!I used this machine a couple of times. On the highest setting, the machine makes good crisp waffles that are soft on the inside. The light informing me the waffle is ready is accurate. Although I so far like this machine, I give it 3 stars for the following reasons.1) The waffles appear flatter than my former waffle maker. I like my waffles thicker.2) The machine doesn't cook as evenly as my former waffle maker. There are darker areas in the waffle. My other machine cooked more uniformly.3) Cleaning the machine is a challenge because the plates are not removable. This brand does make one with removeable plates, but I decided against if after reading the reviews of the other model.4) The volume of the waffle, the amount of mix it takes, is less than my previous machine. Putting in the same amount of batter, as measured by weight, causes the batter to ooze out of the machine.5) This machine is more expensive then others out there. I bought it because the reviews indicate this machine can crisp a waffle, which it can do.I liked my other waffle maker, but after several years, it got too dirty using cooking spray and needed replacement.I bought this after researching many others and if you are looking to balance price and quality this would be it. My first batch came out very well. The drip plate is a great little feature. It is easy to clean but would be better if the actual waffle plates were removable.NOTE: many of these reviews say it's great you can pop the plates out to clean them but that is NOT this model. I'm not sure why the confusion but part of the reason I ordered this was to have removable plates, so take note when you read the other reviews.Oherwise this is a great appliance and it makes evenly browned, fluffy waffles. You control the time so you can have crispy if you choose.I think using the right mix and keeping the iron clean and oil free is the key to success in this case. This iron was fantastic in the beginning. I used krusteaz waffle mix and even aunt jemima waffle mix to make perfect plain, blueberry, and chocolate chip waffles - I keep the dial half way between one and two.I'm not sure what went wrong after a couple months - oiling the iron when the waffles started getting sticky, using pancake mix (modified for waffles), or just an appliance malfunction. The waffles split in half, stuck to each side of the iron. Last go, I cleaned the iron well and went back to krusteaz waffle mix - I was able to get the waffles out in one piece though not entirely effortlessly - we'll have to see next time. Problem is, waffle mix is hard to find here in Canada.Update: After use on about 10 occasions I am certain that the non-stick surface degraded and now makes nothing but a mess - see picture.It works great thus far. I had a problem with the first one I ordered as a Christmas gift for someone and it stopped heating within two weeks of opening the box. I started a return hoping Amazon would let me get a replacement since I do not own a printer that works so returning was going to be difficult. However to my great surprise Amazon sent me a replacement with out asking for the return so I threw it away and am enjoying a new Belgian Waffle maker free of charge. Thank you Amazon. I will be sure to continue as a customer.This is pretty much everything that I wanted. It works great and makes really good Belgian waffles with a crispy outside and fluffy inside granted that you use a good recipie (I recommend you use the one from Genius Kitchen). I haven't had any mechanical issues with it and the controls work nicely. The only flaw about it is that it is really hard to clean. The plates don't come out like some other waffle makers so you have to find a way to wash the plates while not getting the electronics parts not wet. Other than that, I have had it for about a year now and it works like a champ.Ive personally never used one of these before, so on my first attempt it was failure at no blame to the company or appliance. I added blueberries into the mix and accidentally over filled it. I didn't expect the blueberries to explode out the sides and spray all over everything within a foot radius. So. Lession learned. I tried it again with the blueberries and added less batter. The waffles turned out good. They didnt stick to the inside at all but it stayed in due to the pressure of expanding while cooking. Im very glad there is a drip tray. Only the outside edges of the waffle maker needed to be cleaned afterwards and everything within a foot radius. I wasn't too trusting or sure of how to use the flipping part of it but it worked. Fill, close, turn and wait until the green light on the other side turns on to let you know the waffles done. 2 was a bit too crispy for me.