Waffle Iron w/ High Base

[garlin]

Hey Steve!  That is great and isn't it  :o, to get Griswold's instructions, "from the early 20's"  for baking waffle. Where did you come up with them? My heart is beating so fast I can hardly type. Man! could you post them some were no this forum? What good info to come up with it; must be from your collection?
That is my next quest is to find out about the stoves of the early part of 1900's. This question of the High and Low base Waffle Irons has got it's hooks in me. Thank you Steve for your in put into this subject. When I come up with some knowledge on the stoves I will past it on and will expect some feedback.

Howard ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

Griswold's instructions for baking waffle. Where did you come up with them? My heart is beating so fast I can hardly type. Man! could you post them some were no this forum?

Does anyone have an original Griswold pamphlet and/or hang tag that came with their waffle irons who can post it here?  Maybe it already has been posted somewhere on this site??  I don't have a scanner or way to post mine currently.  It's a zerox copy I made years ago and has useful information for seasoning the irons and baking waffles.

Maybe we should have a section in the members part where original literature is scanned and posted.  I know that Tom N. has done this with his Andresen catalog info.  Problem is that I can't see it from the PDF file so it's of no use to me and my Mac but is great info.
Steve

[Tom Neitzel]

Steve, you should be able to read a PDF file with your Mac, it ought to just show up.  Maybe they are way too big.  I can make a small test one.

tom

[Steve_Stephens]

Tom,
Usually no trouble with PDF files but maybe yours are too large.  If I remember they caused my computer to freeze up.  Tried twice and then gave up.  I think it's more my computer than the file which is a problem.  I don't really understand PDF's anyway.  Why  not just put the catalog up another way if that is possible.  Scrolling down a PDF is slow and awkward, too, but maybe that is my computer again?
Steve

[gt]

Steve,

I have been using a 314/315 waffle iron with a low base for about a year and a half and never though about flipping the hot side right away – I’m going to try it next time.  I also have often wondered what the actual Griswold instructions were for this iron.

Thanks Gary

[Steve_Stephens]

Gary,
To flip right away you need a fairly high temperature on the side you pour the batter on.  When my iron is just beginning to smoke when I open it that's when I pour in the batter and flip in several seconds when the batter starts to firm up some so it doesn't run or drip out a side.  Griswold advises only to get the iron "thoroughly heated and pour batter in center of pan.  Close pan, bake on one side, turn and bake on other side.  Raise upper half and remove waffle with a fork".  No specific times or temperatures are given so some experimentation is left up to the operator.  After removing the waffle the lower pan is continuing to heat until it's ready for the next shot of batter.  I am only flipping once per waffle so two consequetive waffles never get poured in the same half of the iron.
Steve

[gt]

Ok Steve thanks, but it seems like you would always pour into the same side from what you are saying.  I must be missing something. For example:

1. If you remove a finished waffle with side A down then pour into side A but flip right away (now side B is down) and cook 1.5 minutes.

2. Now flip back to side A and cook another 1.5 minutes.

Isn't side A now down when you pour again?

Sorry about all the detail here but I use my waffle iron often and just want to learn the best way to use it.

Gary

[NJKane]

Wow... never thought so much detail would go into waffle making. I am sure confused as to all the flipping and temperature taking going on in these here whereabouts! (chuckle)
Anyway for what its worth.... from this here newbie CI user. I just went by trial and error with my wagner 1910 high base 8" waffle iron. Seems after about xxxxx amount of tries and lots of *&%$#$#@^!"+@#!!.......... FINALLY by george I think I might have found the knack.... its really not that complicated.. but then again... oh geezz I'll just save that story for another day...

[Steve_Stephens]

Gary, like this:
Waffle iron is hot but side A is down and is somewhat hotter than side B which is up.  Pour batter on side A and flip right away.  Now side B is down and getting hotter and cooking waffle but side A was already hotter than side B so side A is also cooking its side of the waffle while being on top.  So the 1.5 minute, or whatever the time is for your stove and iron, is cooking side B of the waffle while side B is down and is also cooking side A of the waffle with side A up.  Then open waffle iron, remove waffle, leave side B down to keep heating more until it just smokes when the iron is opened.  The pour batter on side B and flip iron...and so on.
I know we are all making this seem more complicated than it is.  A demo would make it look simple.  How do I do a movie?
Steve

[gt]

Oh ok, I've always flipped one additional time during the cooking but I see what you mean now.  I'd sure like to get a good procedure down for this.  What I've done is kind of random and my wife and grandkids give  me a strange look when one side is near burnt and the other side is not quite done.

Thanks Gary

[Greg Stahl]

I know we are all making this seem more complicated than it is.  A demo would make it look simple.  How do I do a movie?
Steve

need a digital camcorder and then it it is easy ;)

[gt]

Steve,

Just wanted to report that I made waffles today per your one flip method described above.  It worked like a charm - simple, quick, and consistent.

Gary

[Duke Gilleland]

Guess I'm gonna have to finally break down and get myself a waffle iron just to see if I can do it.  [smiley=unsure.gif]

[Steve_Stephens]

Guess I'm gonna have to finally break down and get myself a waffle iron just to see if I can do it.  [smiley=unsure.gif]

You can Duke.  Might take some experimentation to get it down pat and on your stove but it's really easy.  I use my iron several times a month and have for 30 years.  Bet I've gone through a 55 gallon drum (or equivalent) of real maple syrup from Costco.  If you encounter any problems or questions email me or put up a post.  Everyone who likes waffles should have their own iron waffle iron and use it.  Look for a Griswold 314/315 pattern number irons or a Hearts Star, or an Andresen heart shaped iron as being about the best three irons out there.  I always recomment a high frame but others seem to like the low one.

Gary, glad it worked out so well for you.

Steve

[garlin]

Yes the gas flames being vented to the side or horizontally to the burner was an improvement to the gas stove(about 1918-1926). The given reason for this improvement,
"The gas flames are not applied directly to the bottom of the skillet or cookware which cut down on the destructive flame of the burner and gives a larger distribution area of heat. In doing so the gas burner become more efficient", Ref Fisher&Paykal Engineering
. "Early gas stoves" A vertical flame applied so much heat directly to the bottom of the cookware that it started to malt and deteriorate the material ( not good for cast iron). So there is a reason for a high base waffle Iron. Get the iron up and away from the destructive flames. A reason for a high bases and heat regulators being manufactured for the early gas stove. As C.B. Williams and Harry Riva stated  WILLIAMS ," I think the reason for the "side shooters" that Steve mentioned is more even heat distribution, or not directing the flame directly at the bottom of a pot."  ,        RIVA "It seemed like there were a lot of flame tamers and heat regulators being made to get the food being cooked away from the flame?",

The Vapor stove
"The early Vapor stove when compared to the early gas stove were very inefficient and are so today. Drew backs: Low heat, equals low temperatures, equals to slow heating, equals slower cooking", (which may be a plus).....,"Not likely to get hot enough to start to deteriorate the cast iron,  but if you want to melt down cast and could keep the system pressure up long enough, maybe, you could start to deteriorate the burners of the stove not the cast iron skillet," Ref Fisher&Paykal Engineering not there expertise.

So there we have it and it would appear to me that the High Base Waffle Iron was manufactured as a logical improvement to, a great selling point for the housewife's and cooks of the day, to get the cookware out of the direct deteriorating heat of the early gas stoves, but not Vapor stoves. (I have ran into some Griswold advertisements that indicated "Vapor" stoves with there High Base Waffle Irons, I think this was just to cover a larger audience to sell to. (I do not know this for a fact but, I think that it is a good assumption.)  I thank all of the responses, you hit some part of this answer in your replies. I do know that they brought up many new question to be answers.
You may agree or disagree with this findings but for myself it makes scents, it is logical reasoning for the manufacturing of a High Base Waffle Irons.

Thank you
Howard g. Cutler

[Duke Gilleland]

Score so far: first I thought i wanted a high frame; then I wanted a low frame; now I'm back to a high frame. Just trying to be oractical and get the best "bang" or waffle for the buck. All post helpful!

[Steve_Stephens]

Hey Duke,
Many of the quality Griswold and some other irons are pretty cheap at around $25 to 60 so you can get one of each height frame.  You might even get an American pattern Griswold iron and an Andresen Heart Pattern iron where both will work on each other's base so you can switch around as your mood goes.

Howard,
Thanks for all your info.  Re: the flame tamers of the past, they were, I think, made to use on a gas flame to keep some foods from scorching such as oatmeal, etc.  I don't think it was to keep the bottom of the cooking pot away from the flame to stop corrosion or damage to the pot.  I guess that gas stoves are not the best at simmering, especially the larger sized burners.  I still think the high frames were only to get the irons up and away from the gas flame so as to equalize the heat more evenly and not create a hot spot in the middle of the waffle iron.  A lot of what you wrote does make sense.

Steve

[gt]

Steve,

Could you tell me the part numbers for high bases that will work with my 314/315 waffle iron pair.  I have good luck with my low base but after all this discussion I just have to try a high base.

Thanks Gary

[garlin]

Steve
I think and from what I can gather the problem that Griswold had was in the gas stove melting and deteriorating the cast iron cookware. I see we can agree that for what reason or what engineering problem the high base corrected, the high base did get the iron out of the direct heat. I can comprehend it would work somewhat like the side or horizontal burner by giving a larger distribution area of heat at the upper part of the gas flame, and the upper flame may have been more controllable on the early gas stoves. If as you are saying (not to put words in your mouth) the engineering problem was hot spots in the waffle iron from the direct heat, burning your waffles on a gas stove would be a big problem and if it was for deteriorating the cast iron why then didn't Griswold make a high base skillet? Know the real reason, would he please stand up. Thank you Steve

Howard g. Cutler

[Steve_Stephens]

Howard,
I don't think it was the irons getting so hot that they melted or were harmed but that there was a hot (relatively hot, that is) spot in the center of the iron compared with the outside of the iron so the waffles would not cook as evenly as with a high frame.  Burning waffles means not leaving them in the irons too long or getting the irons hotter than they should be.  If the iron is too hot just turn down the gas some.

All I really know is from my 30+ years experience in making waffles on both high and low frames and many different makes and sizes.  I definitely prefer the high frame on my electric coil stove.  I have never used one of these irons on an old gas stove so no experience there.  Made Griswold waffles this morning and also on Wednesday.  I use my irons several times a month and have for those 30 years.

Steve