I'm a chef. I've used many different brands of waffle makers. This is by far the best I've ever used. I'm very impressed with it. It's the most expensive I've ever used, but I think it's worth it. I'm sure it'll last me a lifetime, but if I do have something burn out on it or malfunction, it's completely repairable. I like that. Nowadays, you usually have to throw away the appliance and have to buy a new one, if it breaks... Also, made in USA. The non-stick is very good. No oil needed - I know that's hard to believe, right? Even the instructions recommend to use a light coat of oil. But, it's not needed at all... It's real easy to clean because it really doesn't get dirty... Excess splooge comes out the back and I pour it back into my batter cup... The excess container catcher in the back is really the only thing that needs to be washed off a little. Pops on and off easily... Makes great Belgian Waffles folks! :)Cleaned ALLCLAD grill and then used Avacado oil on bread to season the grills on #6 setting. The bread was well done and delicious too with honey. Then we made Kodak waffles with egg, milk and Avacado oil with a touch of kosher salt and pepper on #5 setting. Perfect waffles, and the overflow vessel worked to a tee. Did the same today , but with Buttermilk ingredients. Wonderful again. No need to add oil to the grills. Next I wanna make chicken and waffles from scratch…no pun.My old Toastmaster Waffle Baker (442A) needed to be replaced. It makes a classic 7 inch round American-style waffle, and had been purchased in 1987. Would have preferred to either fix it (DIY) or buy another one just like it. However, could I could not find any (new electrical) replacement parts, and could not find any new Toastmaster waffle makers like my old one. For over a half century, most small appliance manufacturers have refused to sell any replacement parts to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) handyman types. They want you to ship failed products back to them for service and spend overly priced parts & labor costs. Most manufacturers will not even provide any cost estimate until after you have sent them your failed unit. So in most cases, it is cheaper to throw out the failed product and buy a new one.[All flip style waffle makers were rejected because this is just a bulky and un-useful feature and having no real benefit for home units. The flip design may be of some use/help with some commercial waffle makers having very high temperature heating elements with extremely fast cooking times.]I wanted to get another waffle maker that makes a classic round waffle because I never liked the Belgian-style waffles. The holes in Belgian waffles are too big and too deep. However, there are very few classic round American-style models on the market today to pick from. Cuisinart makes a classic style round waffle maker (Retail Price: $29.99). But its 5-setting browning control felt very cheaply designed having imprecise settings. So after much searching in stores and on-line, decided to buy an All-Clad 99012GT Classic Round Waffle Maker.A January 2012 Good Housekeeping review had given an All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker (model: 99012 costing $200 at the time) their top "A" rating on an A to F grading scale. However, despite this unit having more "bells & whistles" than my old Toastmaster 442A waffle baker, it didn't quite live up to my old waffle maker - which I rate at 5 stars on a 1 to 5 star scale.Since different Waffle Makers (makes & models) heat up at differing rates and temperatures, I was also hoping that the All-Clad waffle maker would include a basic and simple waffle recipe that was specially developed for it. At my request, All-Clad Representative emailed me a copy of their recipe booklet. First one received was for their square (Belgian?) waffle maker. The rep then sent me a recipe booklet for their round classic waffle maker (which made 7-1/2 inch diameter waffles). All recipes in both booklets were identical except for the amount of batter used per waffle and the recommended baking times. All of their recipes were a bit exotic (e.g. Buttermilk Waffles, Chocolate Waffles, Yeasted Waffles, Waffled French Toast, & Sour Cream-Blueberry Waffles) instead of just a sample basic & simple waffle recipe.Pros:1) Makes classic round American-style waffles (6-1/2 inch diameter).2) Has 7 distinct browning settings for making soft to crispy waffles depending on the setting selected (#7 for highest & #1 for lowest) and time allowed for baking. Control knob can be positioned between clicked settings.3) Setting control is located in the front, and has an off position. (Some manufactures have their setting control located in poor places, or have to be unplugged to turn them off.)4) A light comes on & a beep sound chimes when unit has reached its proper baking temperature.5) Another light comes on & a beep sound chimes again when the waffle is done.6) Unit has a very aesthetic design with its stainless steel body.7) Unit has two safety catches (metal levers) that allow it to be locked closed for being stored in a vertical position. This saves shelf space.8) Non-stick baking plates allow waffles to be removed without sticking, and should not need to be cleaned after every use. Baking plates will become "seasoned" if the waffles come out completely and the plates do not need to be wash frequently.9) Waffles bake fairly evenly, especially on lower settings & after the first waffle during a baking session.10) Waffle maker's base has a rubber pad that prevents the unit from slipping around while opening & closing it. It also is designed for wrapping the cord around for storage. But the pug end hangs free so a wrapped cord can easily become unwound.Cons:1) High Cost (but you can easily pay double or triple for other waffle makers).2) Has Teflon non-stick coating instead of a ceramic non-stick coating.3) Waffle baking plates open like a clamshell as the waffle expands during baking. My old Toastmaster unit was designed to allow the baking plates to open parallel to each other as the waffle expanded during baking.4) Unit didn't come with any sample waffle recipes.5) Baking plates cannot be removed for easy cleaning.6) Cannot buy any replacement plates (Teflon coatings always fail eventually) or different types or shaped baking plates (e.g. Pizzelle Baker, Round Heart Waffler, etc.).7) Waffles bake a bit darker in the center than at the outer edges at the higher settings (especially for number 7, 6, & 5 settings). This was more noticeable with the top baking plate. And less noticeable after the first waffle produced since the baking plate temperatures are more uniform for latter waffles during a baking session.8) There are no insulated side-handles (like my old Toastmaster 442A waffle maker has). Pot holders are needed to move a hot maker out of the way after you are finished making waffles.9) Replacement parts are not sold to customers and some assembly screws & fasteners are hidden - Thus, the unit is NOT Do-It-Yourself (DIY) friendly.10) The two safety catches (metal levers) for locking plates closed get too hot to touch during baking - so you need to remember to unlock them before turning the waffle maker on. But unit can be left unlocked if it is stored horizontally, and can still be easily unlocked by using pot holders when theses catches are too hot to touch.I got this 5 years ago as my first Father’s Day gift. I used it to make waffles every once in a while until my first child was old enough to “help” make them. I’ve been making waffles with my kids just about every Saturday for the past 3 years. This was my dream before having kids. This waffle maker has helped make it a reality. Yes there’s been some wear after all these years (The screw covers fell off long ago, and I’ve given up trying to keep the rubber feet on), but it still gets hot, and makes waffles. My tip is to only spray oil on before pouring in the batter for the first waffle. Any more than that and it’ll be too oily. I enjoy our family’s memories with this waffle maker.I Don’t understand why this product is selling in Australia as it’s US standard voltage and plug, plus there is no matching adopter or special instructions….. waste of time!This product is expensive, but, well worth it. Very well built, extremely well designed and very large and deep crevices for Belgian waffles !Waffle maker looked very sturdy but alas is only 110V and not 110-250V like ost appliances so had to return it. Glad I read the manual before plugging it in. The website should mention this fact - not suitable to use in Australia.There is a large dent on the cover of the waffle maker when I open the box.Product is made in China, All-Clad is supposed to be made in USA.It is also way overpriced compared to another seller!The waffle maker arrived early. The waffles are crispy, golden and light. I would highly recommend the All-Clad waffle maker.