Best Non-Toxic Waffle Maker Sans PFAS "Forever Chemicals"

August 30, 2022 // by Leah Segedie

Are you using the safest non-toxic waffle maker to make your family waffles? This small kitchen appliance category is very confusing for consumers. Most brands are using PFAS “forever chemicals” and nano-titanium ceramic as a non-stick coating. Both are linked to health problems. So which brands and products are the safest? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest air fryers, safest cookware, & best air purifiers, now join us for an investigation on the safest non-toxic waffle makers sans PFAS “forever chemicals” and nano-titanium ceramic coatings.

Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. This post also contains affiliate links.

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Looking for a non-toxic waffle maker with a nonstick surface so you can get that perfect waffle and texture? Most of the top picks for waffle makers on other wellness sites had coatings that were problematic to health. We know baking fluffy waffles or Belgian-style waffles is much easier when you have non-stick coatings, but the reality is what they are putting in the coatings of your waffle maker may be putting your hormonal health or gut health into jeopardy. This is why Mamavation has decided to do an investigation just on waffle makers to ensure you have the best & safest small kitchen appliances for your family.

This investigation doesn’t have a perfect solution for you, so please know that before we get any further. A perfect solution has not been commercialized yet for a kitchen setting. However, what if making those batches of waffles are important to your family? Perhaps it’s how you spend family time together when you cook them on the counter space with your children OR perhaps they are helping with brunch by making the eggs and cleaning up the excess batter. Sometimes pancakes simply won’t do. So we have found the best solutions for you to eat your favorite waffle recipes without too much compromise.

What type of coatings do you want to avoid when purchasing a non-toxic waffle maker?

Using a PFAS “forever chemical” coating made from PTFE is the most common of waffle makers, but the problem with PFAS is it’s persistent and very toxic. Your cook time may decrease, but PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic to human health and the environment. Many of these chemicals are tasteless and can last for years in our bodies. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, cookware, and personal care products.

No one knows the direct impact of using waffle makers coated with PFAS, but that doesn’t mean there is no danger. However, we do know what the health impacts are when there is exposure to PFAS through water and food. They are listed below:

Waffle makers with PFAS coatings may be more likely to be dishwasher-safe, but are these health effects worth the risk? That is for your family to decide, but we assume since you came to Mamavation that you would like waffle maker that is as safe as you can get.

Did you hear about skittles being sued for the inclusion of titanium dioxide in their product? Well, if you’ve been avoiding Skittles because you were aware of the titanium dioxide, you may want to take a closer look at your cookware and your waffle maker.

Titanium dioxide is a white, powdery mineral used in many everyday products used inside the home, including cookware, sunscreen, cosmetics, plastics, toothpaste, and paint. Nano titanium dioxide is also found in most ceramic pans, which is something most people are unaware of. So if you are concerned about titanium dioxide as a food additive, you should also be looking sideways at your quasi-ceramic “non-stick” pans as well.

A study published in the journal Food Additives & Contaminants in 2017 found that nanoparticles in non-stick coatings of ceramic pans are migrating into food. This type of coating consists of a silicone polymer matrix with embedded micro- and nanosized titanium dioxide particles and quartz silicium dioxide. This is really bad news because food-grade titanium dioxide has been linked to immune disruption and pre-cancerous lesions in the gut.

If you would like to avoid this chemical in your cookware, check out our popular cookware & bakeware investigation for the safest products. We’ve already gone through all the cookware to show you which ones are coated with this nanoparticle and which are not. Nano has also been found in some types of stainless steel cookware as well, but it’s unknown whether that type of cookware allows nanoparticles to migrate into your food.

We recommend you avoid waffle makers that have non-stick coatings attached to their grid, exterior, moat, or drip tray.

Silicone-based coatings on cookware are the latest non-stick invention, but our advisors are not calling this technology inert. Why? Scientists at the Food Packaging Forum have told us the chemical composition of silicone is similar to other plasticizers that leach, so they are concerned that may be happening. It’s just that not enough attention has been directed at silicone to study it while so many other contaminants are the focus.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find a waffle maker with no coatings that were meant for the kitchen. All the non-coated waffle makers are meant for camping. So this category is going to become our “best” category. But the truth is, unless it’s seasoned cast iron, there is no perfect solution here, so we made sure to separate out the cast iron seasoned waffle makers with the silicone-based coating ones for the best category.

Waffle makers are a very confusing category for consumers. Most brands are using advertising gimmicks that are not really that impressive. Most brands are advertising “free from PFOA” and then adding another type of PFAS chemical coating OR a nano-coating that is also linked to human health problems.

Mamavation found over 50 different waffle maker products and brands (mostly on Amazon) and paid close attention to what coatings they were using on food contact surfaces. Therefore, this is how we arranged the investigation.

These waffle makers are coated with a type of PFAS “forever chemical.” Most of these brands are advertising their product as PFOA-free to trick consumers into thinking they are a safer choice. PFAS chemicals are persistent and toxic and therefore these coatings are not our preference.

These waffle makers are coated with a nano titanium coating that is also linked to health problems. These brands are also likely advertising themselves as PFOA or PFAS-free. This is true, however, nano-coated cookware is linked with lesions in the gut and other types of health concerns. Avoid ceramic non-stick the next time you make a batch of buttermilk & chocolate waffles for the kids.

The most perfect non-toxic option is no coatings. Unfortunately, the only non-coated waffle makers we could find are all for camping and not for kitchens. So what we did was bring in the silicone-based coating waffle makers into the “best” category because they are the most inert compared to other versions. This gives you at least some options while also helping you understand what type you are getting. We are assuming you are not using a waffle maker daily, and thus the exposure to your family is lower. This may be a small kitchen appliance that makes sense to not be perfect. Bring on the maple syrup for these golden waffles!

Mamavation also has many investigations on additional themes that will help guard your family’s health. We just helped you purchase the perfect non-toxic waffle maker, but we have so much more to offer you!

In fact, Mamavation has been working hard to discover where to find PFAS “forever chemicals” inside food & other products we purchase and bring inside our homes. This is why we have decided to commission our own consumer studies on indications of PFAS in different consumer categories and share that information with you.

We also have other non-toxic investigations on products for your children or the rest of your family. Here are some that we thought you may like.

Click here for a complete list of product investigations.