BLACK and DECKER Belgian Waffle Maker In-depth Review

The WMB500 stands in BLACK+DECKER’s portfolio as their offering to the entry-level waffle maker segment. But despite having a very wallet-friendly price tag, the WMB500 enjoys a beautiful design. It didn’t perform very well, having received mostly mediocre scores from our chef during performance tests. Nevertheless, it’s still among the leading waffle makers worth picking if you’re hunting for a cheap waffle maker for breakfasts.

6.7 Performance: Great for Family Breakfasts

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 displayed impressive cooking performance across both test recipes. The resulting waffles weren't restaurant-level quality, but certainly more than enough for a healthy homemade breakfast. It’ll be an ideal choice for families who simply need a reliably good option for breakfast.

6.8 Self-Mixed Recipe

Scoring Components ↓

The coloration was decent despite the waffle’s wells looking slightly burnt, and some spots on the crust looked undercooked. It received only a passable grade due to having a low aeration rate. Fortunately, it picked up the slack with its tastiness.

Color (7) — 35%

• Color tone: Very dark brown - Light brown (both)
• Color distribution: Even

The crust has a very delectable light gold tone around the perimeter and on the raised lines of the waffle pattern. Inside the deep wells, the color has a darker brown color.

The color distribution is great for the waffle. Both sides have relatively similar color tones and gradients.

Texture (5.5) — 25%

• Texture: Mediocre
• Aeration level: Medium; air bubbles have begun filling the interior of the waffle. However, their sizes were small and their numbers were few

The concentration of air bubbles within the waffle’s core was way less than ideal. Most of the bubbles were concentrated near the crust, leaving the core dense with un-aerated batter. The result is a rather chewy waffle.

Taste (7.5) — 40%

• Flavor: Sweet with a buttery aftertaste
• Mouthfeel: Slightly mushy

The waffle tastes great, according to our chef. The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 was able to unlock the potential of the batter, releasing its sweetness and buttery aftertaste. But the mouthfeel was less than ideal due to the dense interior of the waffle. Its chewy texture ruined the tasting experience.

6.5 Birch Benders Mix

Scoring Components ↓

The waffle has beautiful coloration thanks to its dark golden brown crust. In terms of texture and taste, the waffle was mediocre. It was mushy and chewy inside, and the waffle was a bit too bland. Nonetheless, the waffle should still be good if you're not picky and want a simple, classic breakfast waffle. This waffle maker certainly won't be able to make anything gourmet!

Color (7) — 35%

• Color tone: Very dark brown - Light brown (both)
• Color distribution: Even

The waffle looked great to the eyes. The crust had a beautiful light gold color on both sides of the waffle. Inside the wells, the coloring was slightly darker, but not by much. None of the wells were charred.

Texture (6) — 25%

• Texture: Mediocre
• Aeration level: Medium; air bubbles have begun filling the interior of the waffle. However, their sizes were small and their numbers were few

The aeration level was low. Very few air bubbles or pockets exist within the waffle, resulting in a very crumbly and mealy texture.

Taste (6.5) — 40%

• Flavor: Sweet with a buttery aftertaste
• Mouthfeel: Slightly mushy

Flavor-wise, the waffle was mediocre. The sweetness was there, and so was the signature salty taste of the Birch Benders mix. However, our chef assessed that the waffle's flavors didn’t seem fully developed. It’s still a bit too bland, possibly due to the underdeveloped core of the waffle.

8.7 Design

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 has a simplistic, blocky design—typical of an entry-level waffle maker. It looks quite similar to the Cuisinart WMR-CA, which is in the same price range.

However, its stainless steel baking chamber adds a shiny touch to the otherwise mundane look, making for a visually pleasing aesthetic overall. 

Despite its low price point, the construction quality is great. The only downside is the noticeable absence of a control panel. Rather than buttons or the like, an indicator light at the top alerts you when your waffle is ready to eat.

In the Box

• BLACK+DECKER WMB500
• Instruction manual

The waffle maker itself and an instruction manual are the box’s only content.

Dimensions

The WMB500 has roughly the same dimensions as your average Belgian waffle maker. At 4 pounds, it’s not much heavier, as well.

But the special part is that BLACK+DECKER has used a smart trick to make it more compact and easier to store for the user. The rear of the machine is flat so that you can stand the waffle maker up vertically, making storage easier.

9.5 Build Quality

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500’s baking chamber is made from stainless steel. While the metallic shine improves its look somewhat, we noticed that the metal is highly prone to fingerprints and smudges. So, to maintain the look, you must scrub down the waffle maker daily.

Except for the baking chamber, every other part of the waffle maker is made from plastic. That includes the handle, the back foot, and the lid hinges. All the components are well-built, and we didn’t find any obvious flaws during our inspection.

10 Waffle Plates

The thing that stood out most to us was the coating on the plates of the WMB500. While most models we have tested have a matte, rough non-stick coating, the ones found on the WMB500’s plates are glossy and smooth. Unfortunately, BLACK+DECKER doesn’t disclose the formula of non-stick it uses for the WMB500. 

But while we can’t tell for certain what the coating is made of, we know that it works very well. We have never once had to deal with a sticky waffle during our performance tests.

0.0 Control Panel

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 doesn’t have any control feature except an indicator light at the top.

Power Cord

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 comes with a power cord measuring about 23 inches long. It’s quite short, so having an extension cord close at hand.

There is no “official” cable management feature on the waffle maker. You can wrap the cord around the back foot of the machine, but only while it’s staying flat. However, the cord will prevent the waffle maker from standing upright and makes it even more problematic to put into storage. A solution we have found is to simply wrap the cord around the baking chamber.

Accessories: N/A

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 doesn’t come with any extra accessory.

9.5 Ease of Use

It’s simple to start with the BLACK+DECKER WMB500, mostly because it doesn’t have a control panel. Most of BLACK+DECKER’s budget-friendly offerings don’t have a control panel (case in point, the BLACK+DECKER Double waffle maker.)

All you need to do is plug it in and wait for the power light to go off, signaling that it's ready for use. Pour in your batter, wait for the waffle to cook, then lift the lid and extract your waffle.

The waffle maker did excellently in both fields regarding cleanability and safety.

10 Handling

The handling experience of the WMB500 is easy. Like many other models we have tested in this price range, the lid doesn't wobble when lifted.

Notably, when the lid is pushed all the way back, the hinges have a slight dampening force. It can protect you from a recoiling lid when you’re in a hurry and accidentally use too much force to open it.

9.9 Safety

The BLACK+DECKER WMB500 did excellently in this respect, achieving a near-perfect score. Measuring temperatures at three critical points on the waffle maker—the top side, the bottom, and the handle—the figures are all within acceptable limits.

At the top, above the back foot, and near the indicator light, we measured a temperature of 156.7°F.

The bottom is where most people will hold onto when they need to pick up the waffle maker. Here, we measured a cool temperature of 104.2°F, which is merely warm.

The handle’s temperature was warm, but not uncomfortably so at 111°F.

8.0 Cleanability

Cleaning up after a cooking session is fast and easy. Spilled batter can be quickly scraped off from the exterior of the machine. And since the non-stick coating already works pretty well, we only had to pick stray crumbs and pieces of debris off the plates from time to time.

The stainless steel baking chamber is the real issue in this part. As we said earlier, it’s prone to smudges and fingerprints. You will need to clean it regularly if you want to maintain a pristine look for it. Else, it’s going to lose its luster in a week or two and look very worn.

10 Indicator Light Visibility

The light is decently bright and is visible even under studio lighting.

Buying Options