THE 7 DEADLY SINS – OR THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES MADE
Full season, crowds of customers, your business works like a well-oiled machine. How to avoid the losses associated with having to send the equipment back for service?
ERROR 1. Unread user manual.
The instruction manual should be read by anyone who operates bubble waffle irons. Paradoxically, the most mistakes are made by those most experienced in baking traditional waffles. The conviction that every waffle bakes the same is a mistake. “Bubble” waffles require the use of a different type of waffle iron than “griddled” waffles, and the baking process itself is also different.
ERROR 2. Too high a temperature for baking waffles.
The frequent queues that appear in front of bubble waffle establishments are a great prognosticator for owners. The problem arises when the number of customers exceeds the capacity of the equipment. Note that the baking time for a waffle is about 3 minutes. By trying to speed up the baking process, you actually risk prolonging it. Waffles baked at too high a temperature are raw on the inside and burnt on the outside. Unfortunately, this is not the only problem. The smoke point of commonly used canola oil is 204 degrees C. Above this temperature, the oil leaves a residue on the pans that causes subsequent waffles to stick.
ERROR 3: Maintenance of the waffle iron? Why you should.
Bubble waffle devices are covered with a non-stick coating. However, this does not mean that the device does not need to be washed and maintained. Well, it must, and every day! If you do not know how to do it correctly, you have made mistake No. 1. Read the instructions.
ERROR 4: Improper cleaning.
Waffle “bubble” machines are not waterproof. Wiping the devices with a wet cloth, sponge or, even worse, rinsing under running water is asking for trouble. Most often after such “scrubbing” the heater is flooded. Starting the waffle iron causes the fuse system to react and we have no electricity in the entire premises. Another bad idea is to wash waffle pans with detergents for cleaning grills, etc. Non-stick coatings will come off along with the dirt. Replacing the coatings, or servicing the waffle irons bricks.
ERROR 5: Stuffing waffles with sweets.
Nutella, jelly beans, lentils…. These sweet additives, when tossed into the liquid batter and baked into the waffle, certainly give a WOW effect! Unfortunately, the sugar from the additives caramelizes on the surface of the waffle molds. After a while, the caramel turns into a carbonization that is very difficult to clean off. The waffles stick, and desperate workers make mistake #4. Using strong detergents, they dissolve the Teflon – WOW and you have to call the distributor.
ERROR 6. Using accessories that scratch Teflon coatings.
Under no circumstances should metal tongs, brushes with metal ferrules, steel pourers, etc. be used. A scratched coating collects deposits more quickly, resulting in the replacement of the pan.
ERROR 7: Burning the waffle iron.
A very common practice with cast iron waffle irons is to burn out the dough deposits by setting the maximum temperature on the device, pouring oil or lard and leaving it for a long time. Such action for professional waffle irons with non-stick coating is unacceptable. Teflon above 260 degrees C degrades, resulting in accelerated wear and tear, and waffle irons will need to be serviced.
