The first U.S. patent for a waffle iron was granted in 1869.
American inventor Cornelius Swartwout received the patent on August 24, 1869, for an improved stovetop waffle iron. His design used hinged cast-iron plates and a handle that made it safer and easier to open, close, turn, and remove from a hot stove.
The patent did not mark the invention of waffle irons themselves. Similar hinged irons had been used in Europe for centuries, with some early examples dating to the 1400s. Older irons were often held over an open fire and could feature elaborate religious, heraldic, or decorative patterns.
Swartwout’s invention is especially associated with National Waffle Day in the United States, observed on August 24. A common mix-up is confusing this 1869 stovetop patent with the later electric waffle makers that became common in American kitchens during the 20th century.