How Waffle!

In 1908, a firm named Griswold Manufacturing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania,  designed a cast-iron waffle iron, meant to be used, we believe, over a gas or propane flame.  Somehow it found its way to the Gladstone Mercantile, in Gladstone, NM, in 2016, where it was seen by Don.

“We don’t need it, Don.”

“But it would be so cool to use on our cabin stove, and Diana loves waffles.”

“Don, we do not have any place to store it.”

“But it would be so fun to have.”

“It isn’t going to work, Don.”

But I lost, and within about two minutes, we had a 1908 waffle iron tucked into the already packed car.  We carted the contraption back to Wichita, where Don read how to condition cast iron.  Three hours later, on a hot summer day, he had oiled and baked the waffle iron, causing smoke to infiltrate the house. Despite the fact that it was 90+ degrees outside, we were running the whole house fan to get rid of the smell and the smoke.  But the waffle iron did look perfect and ready to use.

Fast forward to 2018. The cabin addition is complete, and Diana has come to visit.  Don pulls out the waffle iron to see how it works.

He makes his signature (ha) waffle batter (Pioneer mix), and with his sous chef, Diana, he begins to cook waffles.  They have no idea what they were doing, but Don keeps testing the batter to see if he could open the waffle iron, and suddenly it breaks free.  The first side looks good.

He flips over the iron and cooks the other side about the same amount time.  It does not come out quite as easily – perhaps a little too much time – but it is still better than any of the electric waffle irons we have owned..  By the time he cooks the batch of batter, he has it down to perfection, and those waffles just slide out.

I do not mind eating a little crow with my waffles.