GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Waffle Iron
MSRP: $24.95 (BUY NOW)
WEIGHT: 31.9 oz
DIMENSIONS: 8.8” x 6.1” x 1.8”
MATERIAL: Non-Stick Coated Aluminum
INCLUDES: 1 Two Square Waffle Maker, 2 removable locking handles
Who wants boring old pancakes when you can make adventure WAFFLES?! Yes, waffles in the outdoors, no electrical outlet required.
The concept is simple really, fire up your camp stove, heat up your waffle iron, and get to cookin’. As you are using a flame to bake your waffles, and not evenly distributed electric heat, you will need to move your iron around a bit while cooking, flipping it over, and moving the heat center to both ends. Depending on the batter you use (I like to keep it simple with the boxed variety), your cook times will vary. Paying attention to your ‘sample waffle’ will usually give you all the feedback you need to adjust your cooking regime.
As most things in ‘VanLife’ need to have two or more uses, I quickly realized that this bad boy would be perfect as a Panini press! Buttered bread, meat in the center of two slices of cheese, press down and let the fire work its magic.
Overall, cleaning up the press is a breeze. Just a quick wipe down with a paper towel, or rinse with water and you’re good to go. If your melted cheese has had an out of body experience, and has crisped up on the waffle iron, it can be a bit pesky to remove with just water. Rolling up a paper towel into a point, and a little bit of patience does the trick.
For storage, I saved the cardboard box and plastic the iron came in. This has kept it safe from dinging up the rest of my cookware, or itself, and keeps everything together.
The Benefits of Aluminum:
-Quick to cool down after cooking (great for a fast clean up and breakdown)
-Easy to clean
-Super light
The Downsides Of Aluminum:
-Not as easy to get consistent and even heat throughout the entire iron
-Risk of nicking the coating
Making the waffle iron out of cast iron would solve those problems, however you then have the added weight, and it would be more difficult to clean.
The Final Word:
For the price, ease, and overall joy this product will add to your outdoor dining experience, I say BUY.
