The Waffle Iron

Behmke Innovation Group will be celebrating Better Breakfast month throughout September. Coenelius Swaetwout patented his Waffle Iron design in 1869 (US Pat. No. 94,043) and breakfast all around the country got more delicious. While waffles have been around since the 1400s, Mr. Swaetwout’s design included a handle and a hinge for easy flipping without spillage. A version of this design was popular at the Chicago World’s Fair – and sold for a penny! Waffle Irons, now mostly electric, are found in many hotels/motels and home kitchens. Just picture yourself on a nice vacation with your family at Disney, making some morning waffles at the resort’s continental breakfast! You can even buy customized Waffle Irons to show your family crest or favorite television/movie character - Darth Vader waffles anyone? When Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman sat down to breakfast in the early 1970s, the waffles on his plate inspired him to create and test a new bottom for athletic shoes – which became the Waffle Trainer in 1974. That was a very profitable breakfast meeting!

Photo by Grayton Goldsmith via Unsplash