What utensil cooks waffle batter between two hinged patterned plates?

A waffle iron cooks waffle batter between two hinged patterned plates.

The cook pours batter onto the heated lower plate and closes the upper plate over it. The two surfaces cook the batter from both sides while pressing it into the iron’s grid. This produces the waffle’s characteristic ridges and pockets, which also hold butter, syrup, fruit, cream, or savory toppings.

A waffle iron can be a stovetop utensil or an electric appliance. Traditional versions were heated over a fire or stove, while modern electric models usually include built-in heating elements, a latch, and sometimes a timer or temperature control. Despite those technological changes, the basic design remains the same: two shaped plates joined by a hinge.

A waffle iron is not simply a frying pan with a pattern. A frying pan cooks on one broad surface and generally leaves batter flat, whereas the waffle iron shapes and browns both sides simultaneously. Similar pressing technology is also used for wafer-like foods, but the deep grid is especially associated with waffles.