The Savory Fat You Should Be Using To Grease Your Waffle Iron

Nothing takes the wind out of your sails faster in the morning than opening your waffle iron and finding your golden-brown waffles stuck to the inside. This happens when your waffle iron is not greased correctly and is a common waffle-making mistake. Thankfully, it's an easy fix that only takes a brief moment to do. 

All waffle irons, even the non-stick versions, should be greased before they're used. This is a simple process, and there are different cooking oils that you can use, but none of them compare to the flavor of bacon grease, a savory fat rendered from bacon. There are several uses for bacon fat, but using it on a waffle iron is pure genius. It has a smoky flavor and thicker viscosity than other cooking oils, and the saltiness balances the sweetness of maple syrup. Ghee (clarified butter) can also be used to add just the right amount of savory flavor to waffles. Both bacon fat and ghee are relatively common ingredients and are easy to use. They also have high smoke points, incredible flavor, and will add depth to your waffles that standard vegetable oil or cooking spray simply won't.

Waffle irons heat up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is important to use a fat that has a high smoke point to avoid burning. Bacon fat has a smoke point of 325-375 degrees Fahrenheit and ghee has a smoke point of 485 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them ideal to use. The best way to grease a waffle iron is by using a silicone or natural fiber brush. Silicone brushes last a long time and do a good job of getting the grease in between the grids of a waffle iron. However, a natural fiber brush has thinner bristles than silicone and holds the grease well, making the application process faster.

They say that butter enhances everything, and it's definitely true with waffles. Ghee has many of the same cooking qualities as bacon fat without the smoky flavor. Instead, it has more of a nuttiness to it, and is a perfect choice if you're cooking for vegetarians. It can be applied to the grids using a brush or a paper towel and is thick enough to make several batches of waffles before the iron will need to be greased again. Whichever you choose, your days of grappling with stuck waffles are over.