How to Clean an Electric Waffle Iron
I cooked real waffles in the waffle iron exactly once, but I waffled many other foods, some of which were quite greasy , sticky, or otherwise aggressively dirty . The electric waffle maker cannot be washed in the sink and cannot be simply wiped clean, thanks to its many grooves, depressions and plateaus. But even the fattest and coolest waffle iron can be washed. You just need paper towels, cotton swabs, and (possibly) a baking brush.
Drain the fat first
If your waffle delicacy contains meat, cheese, or a combination of both, a significant amount of fat will end up on the wire rack, where it will harden if left to cool. You can remove streaks of cold, set fat from the grates with a cotton swab, but it’s much easier to turn the hot waffle iron on its side and let the oil drain onto folded paper towels. Once most of it drains off, you can wipe off the remaining oil with a fresh paper towel, then fold it up and apply to particularly greasy crevices.
Remove debris with a cotton swab.
Burnt cheese and batter can be quite sticky, but these small pieces can usually be removed with a cotton swab. If there really is something stuck there, you can use a wooden chopstick without scratching the non-stick coating.
Wipe with a pastry brush
After you’ve degreased, wiped down, and removed all the stuck-on nonsense, you may still find that your waffle iron is strewn with nasty crumbs that slip away from both the paper towel and the cotton swab. But they are not suitable for a pastry brush. Just flip the waffle iron on its side and slide the detritus off your precious appliance.
If all else fails, steam clean
If things are really awful, sticky, and stuck, you can use the heat of a waffle iron and a damp paper towel to create a small steam bath. Heat the waffle iron to medium, then pat it dry with a paper towel and remove it (you want it moist but not dripping). Tuck it in a bunch and gently wipe down the wire rack of the waffle iron, being careful not to burn yourself with the steam. Use tongs to hold the paper towel if you are shy. Use cotton swabs to clean all corners and grooves (if necessary), let the waffle iron cool, then apply the last cleaning dust to it.