Dash Mini Waffle Maker Review: 8 Months of Weekend Breakfasts

When my husband and I sold the house on Larkspur and moved into this two-bedroom condo, I gave away three appliances for every one I kept. The stand mixer went to my daughter. The bread machine went to a neighbor. But the Dash Mini Waffle Maker, the little red one, that one came with me, and it's been on my counter or in the cabinet beside it every single day since. Eight months now, and I still make waffles most Saturdays.

I want to tell you upfront that I paid around $13 for mine, and I've gotten more use out of it than appliances that cost ten times as much. That's not a marketing line, that's just what happened in my kitchen. I've had food processors sit untouched for a year and this thing gets used weekly.

How I've Used It

My routine is simple. Saturday mornings, my husband Gary likes one waffle, I like one waffle, and that's it, we're not a big-batch household anymore. Before this, I was either firing up a full Belgian waffle iron for two waffles and drowning in cleanup, or skipping waffles altogether because it felt like too much fuss for two people. This little machine solved that problem completely.

I keep a small container of dry pancake mix in the cabinet above it and just add water, or on lazier weekends I use a boxed mix. It takes about four minutes for the machine to preheat and maybe three minutes per waffle after that. Start to finish, two waffles, under fifteen minutes including cleanup. That's the whole reason it stayed when so much else got donated.

I've also used it for hash browns twice, pressed frozen shredded potatoes in with a little oil, and they came out crispy on the ridges. My granddaughter Emma, she's seven, thinks this is the best thing in my kitchen because she gets her own tiny waffle shaped exactly like the ones in her cartoons. That's not a scientific data point, but it matters to me.

There was also a stretch this past winter where Gary was recovering from a knee replacement and standing at the stove for long stretches wasn't easy for either of us. This little waffle maker sits at counter height right by a stool, so I could park myself there, pour, flip the latch, and be done. It sounds like a small thing, but when you're tired and one of you is hurting, small things that don't ask much of you matter a lot.

What Else I've Made in It

Once I realized this thing wasn't just a one-trick appliance, I started experimenting more than I expected to. Cornbread batter works surprisingly well, it comes out with crisp edges and a soft middle, and it's become my go-to when I want a small side without heating the oven for a whole pan. I've also done a boxed brownie mix in it once, more out of curiosity than anything, and while it wasn't quite as tidy as a real brownie pan, it made a fun little treat for Emma that she still asks about.

Leftover mashed potatoes pressed into a hash brown patty is probably my favorite discovery, crispy outside, creamy inside, and it uses up something that would otherwise sit in the fridge going soft. I've read online that people make grilled cheese in these too, though I haven't tried it myself, mostly because my little toaster oven already handles that job fine. Still, it's nice knowing the option is there on a rainy afternoon when I don't feel like dirtying a pan.

The Build and How It's Held Up

It's small, about the size of a large saucer standing on its side, maybe six inches across. The nonstick plate is a single waffle shape, not a grid of four like the bigger irons, so you get one waffle at a time. After eight months of near-weekly use, the nonstick coating still releases the waffle cleanly with just a light spritz of cooking spray. I haven't seen any flaking or wear, which honestly surprised me given the price.

The latch is a simple metal clip on the front, and I was worried early on it might loosen with repeated use, but it still closes snug. The cord is short, maybe two feet, which I actually like because it doesn't dangle off my counter into the sink area the way my old toaster's cord did.

There's an indicator light that switches from red to green when it's preheated, and that light has stayed reliable the whole time. No flickering, no false signals telling me it's ready when it isn't.

The outer shell is plastic, not metal, and I'll admit that made me a little nervous when I first unboxed it. It felt light in my hands, almost too light. But it's never gotten hot to the touch on the outside, even after four or five waffles back to back, and the housing hasn't warped or discolored near the vents the way some cheaper plastic appliances do after a summer of use near a warm window.

Where It Sits in a Small Kitchen

This is the part that matters most to me, honestly, more than the waffles themselves. My kitchen here has maybe six feet of counter total, and every appliance has to earn its spot. The Dash mini waffle maker takes up less room than my toaster. I actually store it standing upright in the narrow gap between my microwave cart and the wall, and it still comes out easily when I want it.

Compare that to the Belgian waffle iron I used to own, which was heavy, needed both hands to lift out of a lower cabinet, and honestly discouraged me from making waffles on a whim because of the hassle. This one I can decide at 8am that I want a waffle and have it ready before the coffee finishes brewing.

I've noticed the same thing at my daughter's place, she lives in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen barely bigger than mine, and she keeps hers tucked on a shelf above the microwave. Neither of us would have kept a full-size waffle iron in a kitchen this size. It just wouldn't have made the cut the way this one did.

Cleanup, the Honest Version

Cleanup is where a lot of appliances lose me, because I don't have a dishwasher in this condo, everything gets hand washed. The waffle maker's plate isn't removable, which was a small disappointment when I first got it, I prefer removable plates for real dunking. But because the nonstick surface is so effective, I usually just wipe it down with a damp cloth once it's cooled, and that's enough most days.

On the rare occasion batter overflows, and it will if you're heavy-handed with the ladle, a little bit hardens on the edges and needs a soft brush or a toothpick to get into the grid lines. I keep an old toothbrush under my sink just for this. It's a minor chore, maybe two minutes, not a deal breaker.

I've also learned not to use cooking spray with a heavy propellant, the aerosol kind can build up a sticky film on the grid over time if you use it every single time. Now I only spray it every third or fourth waffle, and honestly the nonstick surface handles most batches fine on its own. That change alone cut my cleanup time nearly in half.

Alternatives I Considered

Before buying this one, I looked at a couple of other mini waffle makers with cartoon character shapes and novelty designs. I passed on those because I wanted something that felt like a real kitchen tool, not a toy, even though I do make Emma's waffles look pretty fun with a little whipped cream.

I also seriously considered just keeping my old full-size Belgian iron and using it less often. I go into that comparison in more depth in a separate piece if you want the full breakdown, but the short version is that a bigger iron makes sense if you're regularly feeding four or more people. For two of us, it was overkill sitting in a cabinet I could barely reach.

There's also a slightly larger version of this same Dash line that makes a four-inch waffle instead of the smaller size I have. I stuck with mine because it matched my portions better, but if you tend to want a heartier single waffle rather than a snack-sized one, it's worth knowing that option exists before you buy. I looked at a stainless steel option too, heavier build, higher price, and honestly more than I needed for two people who just want a Saturday waffle without a production.

I can decide at 8am that I want a waffle and have it ready before the coffee finishes brewing. That's the whole appeal in one sentence.

Who This Is For

If you're cooking for one or two, especially in a smaller kitchen where every appliance has to justify its cabinet space, this is close to ideal. It's also a smart pick for anyone who wants waffles occasionally but doesn't want to commit counter real estate to a machine that only gets used on holidays. My daughter keeps one in her dorm-sized apartment kitchen for the same reason I keep mine here.

It's also a nice option if you've got grandkids or nieces and nephews who visit now and then. Emma asks for the waffle maker by name when she comes over, and it's turned into a small ritual between us, something a bulkier appliance never would have invited the same way. If you live alone and just want a warm breakfast without a lot of ceremony, this fits that too, it doesn't feel like overkill to make just one.

Who Should Skip It

If you regularly cook breakfast for a full family, four or more people, you'll be standing at this thing for twenty minutes making waffles one at a time, and a full-size iron with a multi-waffle grid will serve you better. And if you specifically want that thick, deep-pocketed Belgian style waffle, this one makes a thinner, more classic American waffle instead. Know what you're buying before you commit.