The Breville BWM640XL Smart Waffle Pro is the best waffle maker overall and America's Test Kitchen's winning Belgian model. It makes four thick, evenly browned waffles at once with a countdown timer and up to 12 browning settings, and TechGearLab scored it the highest of any waffle maker at 86/100. It's expensive and bulky, but for households that take waffles seriously it's the most capable and consistent machine here.
Full review
Real-World Waffle Performance
The Breville BWM640XL Smart Waffle Pro is the benchmark this category is measured against. America's Test Kitchen named it their winning Belgian waffle maker, describing its output as "thick and evenly browned with a crisp exterior and moist interior" and praising that it is "easy to use, has audible and visual alerts, and makes gorgeous thick waffles." TechGearLab scored it 86 out of 100 — the highest of any waffle maker they tested — noting it "consistently made great waffles with quality construction."
The performance edge comes from Breville's Element iQ heat management and a remarkably granular browning range. TechGearLab found it "had the most variety in browning levels with 12 settings, with distinct browning at each level," which means you can dial in exactly the color and crispness you want, batch after batch. Reviewed.com, which named it best premium, summed up the result as "extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."
Capacity and Smart Features
The BWM640XL makes four waffles at once, making it the right pick for feeding a family in a single batch rather than cooking in shifts. A countdown timer shows exactly how long until the waffles are done, and audible plus visual alerts mean you are not guessing or lifting the lid to peek. Breville's Element iQ system adjusts the heat profile based on the batter you're cooking, helping keep results consistent whether you're using a thin homemade batter or a thick boxed mix.
A batter moat around the plates catches overflow, which keeps the counter and the machine cleaner than open-edge designs. These conveniences are what separate a premium machine from a basic one, and they are the reason the Breville earns its place at the top despite its price.
Build Quality and Design
Breville's construction is the most substantial in this lineup. The stainless body feels solid, the hinge is sturdy, and the controls are precise rather than vague. TechGearLab repeatedly credits its "quality construction," and owners report it holding up to heavy weekend use over years. The four-waffle plate layout and the smart electronics make it feel more like a small appliance investment than a disposable gadget, which fits its position as the premium choice.
Where It Falls Short
The BWM640XL's drawbacks are price and size. At around $300 it costs roughly four to thirty times what the other picks here do, which is hard to justify unless you make waffles often. It also has a large footprint and, like the Cuisinart Double Flip, is too tall to open fully if you have low overhead cabinets. And while it makes four waffles at once, each individual waffle is smaller than the single large waffle the Cuisinart Double Flip produces. For an occasional weekend waffle, it is genuinely overkill — the value picks lower in this list will satisfy most people.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the Cuisinart WAF-F40 Double Flip — the best-value flip machine — the Breville offers finer browning control, four-waffle capacity, and better build, but the Cuisinart makes larger individual waffles and costs a fraction as much. Against the Presto FlipSide and Cuisinart WMR-CA, the Breville is in a different class for features and consistency, though those cost under $65. Against the tiny Dash Mini, there's no real comparison — the Dash is a novelty single-waffle gadget, while the Breville is a serious breakfast machine. The Breville wins on capability; the others win on value.
Who It's Best For
Buy the BWM640XL if you make waffles regularly for a family, want the most precise browning control, and value a countdown timer and alerts that take the guesswork out. It's the machine for the household where weekend waffles are a ritual and consistency matters. Skip it if you make waffles only occasionally (the Cuisinart WAF-F40 or Presto FlipSide deliver excellent Belgian waffles for far less), if counter space is tight, or if you just want a cheap, simple maker for the kids (the Dash Mini or Cuisinart WMR-CA).
Strengths
- +America's Test Kitchen's winning Belgian waffle maker — "thick and evenly browned with a crisp exterior and moist interior"
- +Makes four waffles at once with a countdown timer and audible/visual alerts
- +Element iQ adjusts heat by batter type; up to 12 browning settings for fine control
- +TechGearLab's top-scoring waffle maker at 86/100
- +Premium build with a moat that catches overflow batter
Watch-outs
- −At ~$300 it's by far the most expensive pick
- −Large footprint — too tall to open fully under low cabinets
- −Individual waffles are smaller than the Cuisinart Double Flip's
- −Overkill for occasional weekend waffles
How it compares
The premium do-it-all pick: makes four waffles at once with finer browning control than any other model here, but costs far more than the Cuisinart WAF-F40 Double Flip, Presto FlipSide, Cuisinart WMR-CA, or Dash Mini. Its individual waffles are smaller than the Cuisinart Double Flip's.
Who this is for
At a glance: serious waffle households who make big breakfasts and want the most control and the most consistent results.
Why you’d buy the Breville BWM640XL Smart Waffle Pro 4-Slice
- America's Test Kitchen's winning Belgian waffle maker — "thick and evenly browned with a crisp exterior and moist interior".
- Makes four waffles at once with a countdown timer and audible/visual alerts.
- Element iQ adjusts heat by batter type; up to 12 browning settings for fine control.
Why you’d skip it
- At ~$300 it's by far the most expensive pick.
- Large footprint — too tall to open fully under low cabinets.
- Individual waffles are smaller than the Cuisinart Double Flip's.
Rating sources
“Our winning Belgian waffle maker is easy to use, has audible and visual alerts, and makes gorgeous thick waffles — thick and evenly browned with a crisp exterior and moist interior.”
“Consistently made great waffles with quality construction — it had the most variety in browning levels with 12 settings, with distinct browning at each level.”
“Best premium pick — makes four waffles at once with a countdown timer, extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.”
Our 4.7 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
