Great Belgian Waffle Iron
The Great Belgian Waffle Iron is a commercial grade, hand finished, heavy duty waffle iron. Exactly like our GAWI. The Great Belgian WI shares many features with The Great American Waffle Iron. They both use the same base, the same ball joint, and the same stay cool spring handles. For waffle irons manufactured and shipped from our facility after July 15, the paddles are interchangeable. The Great Belgian WI produces a waffle that is 1 inch thick, compared to the GAWI that produces a half inch thick waffle. This waffle iron is a bit thicker, and a bit heavier. The entire assembly weighs in at 16 pounds. This mass makes for exceptionally even heating. Ideal cooking temperature is between 400-430. (Be sure to increase the heat a small amount after pouring your first waffle.) Using an infrared thermometer eliminates guesswork. With practice, though, many accomplished wafflers judge the heat of their waffle iron by the sizzle made with a few drops of water flicked onto the waffle iron. If you are an introvert and a “yes” person, don’t let friends and family know that you own this waffle iron. You will receive more invitations to come over and help make breakfast, dinner, etc. than you can handle. The Lion gracing the front of this waffle iron is inspired by the Belgian Coat of Arms. It holds symbolic meaning for Belgians like the shielded eagle holds for those of us in the USA. Start with a good waffle recipe from our website. If you have a great recipe that you’d like to share, please email it to us. (Yes, several of our product photos are set in the Grand Platz in Brussls.)
- This multi-generational cook piece pays homage to the 100+ year old waffle makers still in use around the country.
- Lifetime warranty covering materials and workmanship.
- Produced with more mass than traditional cast iron waffle makers to ensure that every waffle is cooked quickly and evenly, providing a beautiful release every time. There is more thermal mass, so the waffle iron has a shorter recovery time between waffles.
- Classic ball and socket joint is fun to use.
- Excellent results on gas, coil top, and glass top stoves. Compatible with most induction ranges, but not Bosch and some LG. (Test that the field will excite a metal surface 3/4's of an inch above the burner.)
- Made in America by American craftsmen
- The Great Belgian Waffle Iron is cast in a US Industrial foundry using modern technology. It is hand finished in Tennessee and seasoned using certified Kosher grapeseed oil. You will see some minor tooling marks where the casting is cleaned up by hand in our workshop. Because our foundry uses a very fine grained sand, the surface texture is very smooth, and you may see minor sandshifts or other, minor variations. Each piece is ready to make your family superb waffles for generations.
- Every piece starts with Tony’s simple artwork
- Actual artists and CAD engineers somehow magically figure out what I meant to draw and transform my ideas into actual, usable 2D and 3D artwork.
- Each piece is tested via extensive computer modeling for appropriate draft and to insure that tooling is accurate in the pattern shop.
- All of our pieces are cast in the US with a combination of iron ore and recycled metal.
- Every batch of iron is tested with a spectral analyzer to insure proper and safe metallurgy and contents.
- Basic cleanup is performed at the foundry
- Final clean up, fitment, and seasoning is performed at our facility in Tennessee.
- We season with grapeseed oil.
Our cast iron products are warranted, period. If there is ever a defect in craftsmanship, or material failure from normal wear and tear, we will opt to replace it with like kind and quality or refund the purchase price to the original owner or one traced descendant. This warranty does require proper use and care. The owner will pay return shipping. Appalachian Cast Iron will be responsible for shipping back to customer. Before shipping to Appalachian Cast Iron, the customer must contact us and get an RGA (return goods authorization.)
- If your piece came seasoned from our factory, it is ready to use. My wife always does a quick wash with any new cookware and we will not be offended if you do, too. Dawn or other mild dish soap is fine. Warm on stove top or in oven for a few minutes afterwards.
- If your piece came unseasoned, it was coated with a food grade rust preventative oil, most likely grapeseed oil. You will need to season your cook ware by coating with your favorite seasoning oil choice and baking at an appropriate temperature for at least an hour. There are hundreds of articles on the web about how to do this.
- In addition to grapeseed oil, I have seasoned my waffle irons with spray on PAM, as well as BuzzyWaxx. We only use grapeseed oil in our production facility.
- After cooking, you may simply wash out with hot water and a scrub brush. For particularly oily or flavorful meals, a few drops of dish soap may be helpful in preventing “ghost flavors” from showing up next meal.
- Cornbread at 435 Fahrenheit is a best first use for a new skillet. Grocery store bacon has a high sugar content and will cause sticking and seasoning issues for a new skillet. Use your skillet for a while and allow the seasoning to build before you cook bacon in it.
- After your seasoning has built up, you can cook mildly acidic foods. The longer acidic foods are in contact with your cast iron, the more likely they are to harm your seasoning. So, if you need to add to your seasoning, wash and dry thoroughly. Warm the piece on your stove top, or in oven for a minute or two. Add your preferred seasoning oil. Wipe off as much oil as you can. Bake in oven above smoke point of the oil for an hour.
Long Term Storage:
- If you have a seasonal home or camper, coat your cast iron well with a cooking spray before leaving unattended for long periods. It may be quite sticky when you return months later. That’s ok. Bake at high temperature for an hour, and the sticky portion will harden, maybe even flake off. After the piece cools enough to handle with your bare hands, scrub under hot water and with stiff bristle brush and soap, lightly re-oil and return to service. This process may seem a little different from other types of cookware, but it will prevent rust. Seasoning is equal parts rust prevention as much as a natural non-stick coating. Much of the non-stick properties of cast iron are equal parts cooking technique, good surface texture, and seasoning.
Another great idea for long term storage is to vacuum bag your clean and dry cast iron pieces. If there is no moisture or Oxygen, corrosion will not take place.
- If you do encounter rust on your cast iron piece: spot rust can be scrubbed off with an SOS or Scotch brite pad, or even Bar Keeper’s Friend. Don’t scrub too hard, though, and leave marks. For heavier rust, you can soak the piece in 50/50 water and vinegar. After soaking, rinse thoroughly, dry, heat, and re-season.
- Do not clean by placing in fire or embers.
- It is OK to clean Appalachian Cast Iron pieces in a gas grill. Just remember to heat slowly.
- Place in a cold grill
- Light grill and set to 250 degrees for 20 minutes
- Increase heat by 100 degrees every 5-10 minutes until you reach 600 plus degrees. Leave for 1 hour.
- Reduce heat to low for an hour.
- Turn off grill and let grill return to ambient temperature before opening.
- The pre-heat and cool down process is critical to keep from warping your pieces. Do not rush.
- Even though the Cleaning cycle on your oven will not hurt your cast iron, we do not recommend using the self-cleaning cycle. Most oven manufacturers specify that the racks be removed prior to self-cleaning.
- Dishwashers??? Yeah, DON'T DO THAT!!!
To Use Your Appalachian Cast Iron Great American Waffle Iron or Jeweled cook ware:
- Preheat your skillet or waffle maker thoroughly. Start on a low heat. After a few minutes you can increase your heat as needed.
- DANGER! DANGER! Rapid increase in temperature can cause warpage or cracks due to the center of the pan expanding faster than the perimeter. Something is going to give.
- High heat use in cast iron is rarely needed. I do use medium high heat when searing a roast. First, I preheat appropriately to a medium / low temperature, then once I place the roast in the skillet, or Dutch oven, I increase the heat to medium high to quickly replace the heat transferring to the roast. If it starts to smoke that’s hot enough, back off a tad.
If you are new to cast iron cooking, you are starting a wonderful cooking tradition. There are millions of wonderful cast iron cooks that will be glad to share their experience and help you along the way.
If you are an experienced cast iron cook, thank you for trying our products. We do not claim to produce the best cast iron cookware. There are several wonderful companies out there and that claim is a very tall order. Our humble hope is simple, that while using, you will smile, and have a new favorite.
The Great Belgian Waffle Iron is a commercial grade, hand finished, heavy duty waffle iron. Exactly like our GAWI. The Great Belgian WI shares many features with The Great American Waffle Iron. They both use the same base, the same ball joint, and the same stay cool spring handles. For waffle irons manufactured and shipped from our facility after July 15, the paddles are interchangeable. The Great Belgian WI produces a waffle that is 1 inch thick, compared to the GAWI that produces a half inch thick waffle. This waffle iron is a bit thicker, and a bit heavier. The entire assembly weighs in at 16 pounds. This mass makes for exceptionally even heating. Ideal cooking temperature is between 400-430. (Be sure to increase the heat a small amount after pouring your first waffle.) Using an infrared thermometer eliminates guesswork. With practice, though, many accomplished wafflers judge the heat of their waffle iron by the sizzle made with a few drops of water flicked onto the waffle iron. If you are an introvert and a “yes” person, don’t let friends and family know that you own this waffle iron. You will receive more invitations to come over and help make breakfast, dinner, etc. than you can handle. The Lion gracing the front of this waffle iron is inspired by the Belgian Coat of Arms. It holds symbolic meaning for Belgians like the shielded eagle holds for those of us in the USA. Start with a good waffle recipe from our website. If you have a great recipe that you’d like to share, please email it to us. (Yes, several of our product photos are set in the Grand Platz in Brussls.)
In stock at an introductory price of $95, the #10 Jeweled Skillet is designed for the cook that wants a superior “as cast” finish that seasons quickly, is more naturally non-stick, and captures the eye when presenting at the table. With an exceptionally smooth as cast surface, reminiscent of vintage pieces, our skillet does not need milling to give you an exceptionally smooth cooking surface. 5 Lbs. 10" across the top, 7.75" cook surface. A shade under 17" from handle end to handle end. Carat weight of 8646 with an estimated 2520 facets. Castings are in stock. Production and processing typically takes 2 days to 2 weeks.
Your perfect waffle starts with The Great American Waffle Iron, a hand finished piece made for the patriot, the family that enjoys quality food, the cook, the baker, the traditionalist, the historian, the story teller. Particularly suited for the person that loves to cook for those they love. Our updated artwork is now recessed. You may see some images on our website featuring our first production run with raised artwork. Functionality is the same. You will truly enjoy crafting the perfect waffle for people you love with this non-toxic, traditional, cast waffle iron. We preseason with grapeseed oil (certified Kosher) and do NOT use any PFOA's or Teflon. You will find great recipes on our website. An infrared thermometer (point and shoot) assists in your initial efforts to heat and cook at the preferred 400 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. With your right, open palm, simply lift the stay cool spring handles, then rotate. Rotating every minute or so keeps both paddles evenly heated.
Tooling is complete for this Pre-Order item and we are waiting our turn at the foundry. At an introductory price of $69, the #8 Jeweled Skillet is designed for the cook that wants a superior “as cast” finish that seasons quickly, is more naturally non-stick, and captures the eye when presenting at the table. With an exceptionally smooth as cast surface, reminiscent of vintage pieces, our skillet does not need milling to give you an exceptionally smooth cooking surface. 3 Lbs. 8" across the top, 6" cook surface. A shade under 13" from the handle end. As of June 2, we are expecting castings to be delivered within a couple of weeks. Now accepting pre-orders. These orders are expected to ship within a month.
Our Partnership Skillet is limited to less than 100 pieces. They are clearly marked with a capital "P" under the handle (be sure to click the pictures and view additional images. You can find the P under the handle.) Normal production skillets will not have this mark. Your decision to purchase a Partnership skillet is particularly appreciated. Partnership skillets are on hand and ready to ship. 8" across the top, 6" cook surface. A shade under 13" from handle end to handle end. 3 Lbs. Our part number JS09171787, stands for Jeweled Skillet and the date code is September 17, 1787, the date members of the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the Constitution. All of our cast pieces have a date code as part of their part number representing an important date in US history.
Our Partnership Skillet is only available in limited quantities and is clearly marked with a capital "P." Normal production skillets will not have this mark. Your decision to purchase a Partnership skillet is particularly appreciated. Partnership skillets are on hand and being processed. 10" across the top, 7.75" cook surface. A shade under 17" from handle end to handle end. Carat weight of 8646 (5 lbs. ) with an estimated 2520 facets.
Our leather handle cover is produced in house and is a great helper when using your waffle iron or pulling your Jeweled Skillet from the oven. We produce these in house and are sure you will love them. (Yes, you can use them on other brands of cookware, too. We won't tell.) The design is a fold over seam design and is very ergonomic. There is stitching down one side and the bottom. The other side remains open so that the piece is semi-open and easier to use. We use the thickest leather we could source and still execute the fold. Product testers have been amazed at its resistance to heat. The 4.5 inch version works great with the waffle maker. It is useful with the skillet as well. The 5.5 inch handle cover is recommended if you have only purchased the skillet, it provides a fuller grip.
Our paring knife is made by Dexter Russel, one of the last main line producers of cutlery in the USA. Tony personally has a couple of their large cleavers for BBQ duty, and several spatulas, but the paring knife gets used multiple time a day.
and the ability to buy "FIRST RUN" products before they are available to the public.
