Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

To help balance some of the negative reviews,(do people read instructions before they use appliances, I wonder?) I'll add my 2 cents. I made my first waffles (with this product) last night using Stonewall Farms Pancake and Waffle Mix. I doubled the recipe on the canister and got 3 perfectly browned, crispy, fluffy, delicious waffles. I used exactly 1 cup on the first 2 and a little shy on the 3rd. All 3 came out perfect. As to the timer: it's handy. I, of course, have other timers in my kitchen, but it was convenient to (following the instructions) pour in the batter, set the timer, then flip the waffle. Just that small amount of time before flipping may make a difference, if not--oh, well. It's just a count-down timer. It does beep when the set amount of time is reached (four times, I think.) The thing is, when making waffles, you don't really go by the amount of time, you watch for the steaming to stop. What is convenient about the timer is, not only that it is conveniently right in front of you when you're pouring and flipping, but when it beeps it brings your attention back to the waffle maker in time for you to watch the steam. I thought it was kind of a nice little extra. I've never before seen a waffle maker with a timer. If you don't like it, don't use it. It has no affect on the on/off function--good thing because cooking time is going to vary according to several factors including what batter you are using. This was the easiest waffle making experience I've ever had. I was very impressed. Really easy clean-up, too. You just wipe it out--if there is any thing to wipe out. The instructions tell you that if there is a little bit of cooked batter stuck somewhere, you just put a little cooking oil on it to soften it, then wipe it off. I didn't get to experiment with this. Nothing stuck. The waffles came out perfectly. I did, as instructed, brush the grids with cooking oil after it had first pre-heated. It is recommended, for even browning, to use oil rather than spray. I did not need to re-apply it and won't unless waffles begin to stick. I'm usually kind of compulsive about hot soap and water, but in the case of the waffle iron, as long as there is no material in the grids, any germs will be killed during the initial heating up process. With this kind of simplicity and success, we will be having waffles much more frequently than ever before. If you have any of the problems I have read described here, and if you have read and followed the instructions, you must have a faulty product and should return it for a replacement. If mine develops problems or dies early, I will update my review. Until then, I highly recommend this product. I couldn't be more satisfied.