CLEVELAND, Ohio - When it comes to breakfast staples, waffles are the unsung heroes of the frozen food aisle. They're ready faster than "Eleven" from "Stranger Things" can flip a van with her mind... and we all know how much she loves her Eggos.
Your "Best of Cleveland" team of Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian is back with another perfectly timed ranking. It's January, it's cold and a little warm breakfast nosh to jumpstart the day felt like a golden opportunity. So, we rooted out 25 different brand of frozen waffles and put them to the toas... er, to the test.
We were looking for flavor, color, texture, consistency with the promise of crispy edges, fluffy interiors and that always-golden convenience. Busy families lean on frozen waffles for on-the-go sustenance and late-night snackers appreciate the quick comfort food classic.
Whether you're a straight-from-the-toaster type or you load them up with butter, jam, syrup or other toppings, they always hit the spot. Who needs superpowers when you have a breakfast food that turns you (wait for it) upside down?
If you're looking to mix in a few new favorite waffles or find a new favorite, we have you covered. Our selections ranged in price from $1.99 - $6.99 and we toasted them all straight from the freezer.
Do our rankings agree with yours? Where did your go-to favorite waffles rank on our list?
Calories 2430 | Fat 13g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 210mg | Carbs 22g | Sugar 5g | Protein 10g
Our Thoughts: Thick. Reminded Yadi of a vanilla wafer. Pete: "A lot of great things come from chickpeas. I'm not sure these waffles are on that list. Not for me."
Calories 250 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 370mg | Carbs 42g | Sugar 5g | Protein 2g
First ingredient: Water
Description: No artificial flavors, artificial preservatives or artificial sweeteners. No high fructose corn syrup. No synthetic color.
Our Thoughts: The general consensus was that these were thick but dry, with very little flavor. Bland! Could use a little spray butter or something.
Calories 290 | Fat 13g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 370mg | Carbs 37g | Sugar 8g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Water
Description: Convenient? Yes! Delicious? Most certainly yes! Trader Joe's whole grain waffles go from freezer to table in minutes, landing on your plate crispy on the outside and delightfully chewy inside.
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Uneven cook. Soggy and crispy at the same time. Whole grainy taste. Smelled like oatmeal." Pete: "All of that for sure. They were kinda mealy. Didn't dig the texture."
Calories 140 | Fat 20g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 100mg | Carbs 21g | Sugar 8g | Protein 1g
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "How cute are these? Pancake looking on one side, waffle on the other. Smelled vanilla-y. Be careful not to overheat they get hard quickly if you do. Cinnamon-y. Would recommend eating thawed out and not just popping them in the microwave frozen." Pete: "Totally agree. This brand's actual mochi is pretty good, too..."
Calories 200 | Fat 8g | Cholesterol 25mg | Sodium 410mg | Carbs 25g | Sugar 5g | Protein 5g
First ingredient: Water
Description: Goodness in every bite. Crispy and fluffy. Simple wholesome ingredients. Breakfast time, snack time, anytime.
Our Thoughts: Uneven coloring. Crisp on the outside, doughy on the inside. Not a consistent cook. Dry and generally unflavorful.
Calories 210 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 320mg | Carbs 18g | Sugar 2g | Protein 14g
First ingredient: Water
Description: With 14 grams of protein per serving and unbeatable taste, Premier Protein waffles are the perfect way to kickstart your day.
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "I'm all about the high protein, but these were gritty and dry. Not much flavor and a bit of a funny aftertaste." Pete: "Isn't this what the kids call 'mid'? For the price, I'll pass."
Calories 150 | Fat 4.5g | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 210mg | Carbs 20g | Sugar 2g | Protein 8g
First ingredient: Water
Description: Classic golden waffles made with pureed veggies. Good source of iron and calcium. No artificial flavors or colors. A fresh take on foods kids love.
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Very DRY and bland. Somewhat mushy on the inside, while crunchy on the outside. No flavor of veggies, which is good if you are trying to get that past the kiddos but still tasteless."
Calories 210 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 500mg | Carbs 28g | Sugar 2g | Protein 6g
First ingredient: Enriched wheat flour
Description: Excellent source of 10 vitamins and minerals, including calcium. No artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or artificial preservatives. No high fructose corn syrup. No synthetic color.
Our Thoughts: Doughy, boring and bland. Pete: "I like some of Target's in-store branded items. Not this."
Calories 210 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 500mg | Carbs 82g | Sugar 2g | Protein 6g
Our Thoughts: Slightly thicker than some of the others. Soft but doughy. Cake-like. Fairly standard waffle. Didn't wow or impress.
Calories 200 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 260mg | Carbs 33g | Sugar 5g | Protein 1g
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Boring and dry! A tiny bit of sweetness but not much. Toasted well and a bit of stale cake on the inside." Pete: "I think I had higher hopes. For a vegan option, they're pretty OK."
Calories 220 | Fat 8g | Cholesterol 35mg | Sodium 340mg | Carbs 26g | Sugar 5g | Protein 12g
Our Thoughts: Didn't get much of that promised "vanilla," plus these toasted unevenly. OK for a store brand but was wanting more of the vanilla.
Calories 200 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 300mg | Carbs 30g | Sugar 5g | Protein 5g
Our Thoughts: Dry, wheat-y taste even with syrup, they were on the drier side. Gritty and had a weird aftertaste. Pete: "It's almost chalky...?" Smelled like oatmeal, like hot cereal.
Calories 130 | Fat 3g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 310mg | Carbs 22g | Sugar 2g | Protein 3g
Our Thoughts: On the thicker side. Dry and although fluffy, they were pretty bland. Pete: "Don't come with the words 'homestyle' or 'buttermilk' if it's just spin, please?"
Calories 190 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 480mg | Carbs 28g | Sugar 2g | Protein 4g
Our Thoughts: We thought they were thicker than some of the others we tried. Cooked more on one side, which was odd? Nice crunch, soft on the inside. On the whole, pretty good for a store brand.
Calories 230 | Fat 10g | Cholesterol 55mg | Sodium 450mg | Carbs 30g | Sugar 5g | Protein 5g
Our Thoughts: Good solid waffle. Good texture and size. Fluffy on the inside. OK with or without added syrup.
Calories 240 | Fat 11g | Cholesterol 50mg | Sodium 270mg | Carbs 24g | Sugar 4g | Protein 12g
First ingredient: Water
Description: Power your inner Olympian with the tastiest waffles around! Packed with protein and easy to eat on-the-go, these waffles are the perfect energizing breakfast or anytime snack to help you slay your day.
Our Thoughts: A little brown right out of the package. Doughy, but not in a bad way... although they were still a little on the dry side. Pete: "I do like BB's pancake mix, but frozen items leave room for improvement."
Calories 220 | Fat 8g | Cholesterol 35mg | Sodium 350mg | Carbs 26 | Sugar 5g | Protein 12g
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Crisped up a little more than others at the same temp. Nice thickness and size, a bit dry but had good flavor." Pete: "I concur. These would be a good go-to for jam or jelly."
Calories 240 | Fat 10g | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 270mg | Carbs 24g | Sugar 6g | Protein 12g
First ingredient: Whole wheat flour
Description: No artificial flavors, or artificial sweeteners. No high fructose corn syrup. No synthetic color. Naturally flavored with other natural flavors.
Our Thoughts: Very subtle vanilla undertone but had a nice thickness. Crunchy outside and cakey on the inside. Good plain and on its own; even better with butter and syrup.
Calories 130 | Fat 3g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 310mg | Carbs 22g | Sugar 2g | Protein 3g
First ingredient: Enriched flour
Description: No artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. Sweet and crispy.
Our Thoughts: A bit crunchy and on the thin side. Still, a good grab and go out the door option.
Calories 190 | Fat 6g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 320mg | Carbs 31g | Sugar >1g | Protein 2g
First ingredient: Gluten free blend
Description: Gluten free, baked with whole grain brown rice. No high fructose corn syrup. No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Dairy and egg free.
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Couldn't tell that they were GF. Crunchy but still soft on the inside. A little bland on its own but not grainy like some others." Pete: "I'm always a little sus of brown rice products, but this was quite surprisingly good and not mealy."
Calories 250 | Fat 11g | Cholesterol 25mg | Sodium 390mg | Carbs 26g | Sugar 7g | Protein 12g
First ingredient: 100% Whole grain wheat flour
Description: Kodiak Power waffles are meant for those of us who, like the rugged pioneers exploring the untamed wilderness, require nutrition and great taste to successfully navigate today's frontier.
Our Thoughts: Yadi: "Smelled really good, but on the dry side. Syrup enhanced them nicely and had great 'pockets' for the syrup to sit in. A bit on the darker side. Pete: "Not bad, I would eat these again."
Calories 130 | Fat 3g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 310mg | Carbs 22g | Sugar 2g | Protein 3g
First ingredient: Enriched flour
Description: Add flavor to life. No artificial color, flavors or preservatives. Excellent source of 9 vitamins and minerals.
Calories 220 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 5520mg | Sodium 270mg | Carbs 25g | Sugar 7g | Protein 10g
First ingredient: 100% Whole grain wheat flour
Description: Kodiak now has something to fill up even the most ferocious appetites. Kodiak Buttermilk and Vanilla thick and fluffy power waffles are protein-packed and made with 100% whole grains, plus they are toaster ready.
Our Thoughts: Didn't appear to be any fluffier than the other variety we sampled from the same brand. They were lighter, but not as fragrant. Tasted light with a slight sweetness to them.
Calories 180 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 330mg | Carbs 30g | Sugar 4g | Protein 4g
Our Thoughts: Big fan of Eggo's peel and stick tape. So convenient. Hint of sweetness, just right. Fluffy and crispy worth the price, grab and go or enjoy with syrup. Either way, it's a winner.
Calories 160 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 260mg | Carbs 23g | Sugar 6g | Protein 3g
First ingredient: Whole wheat
Description: Made with Madagascar vanilla. No artificial colors or flavors. 8 vitamins and minerals.
Our Thoughts: Thick? Yes! Fluffy? Yes, yes. There's a reason why Eggo is known for waffles. Hearty and tasty. Checked all the promised boxes. 50 million Eggo fans can't be wrong!
More of the "Best of Cleveland" team's food rankings:
Ranking 24 varieties of buttered microwave popcorn from worst to best
Ranking 38 varieties of Little Debbie treats from worst to best
Ranking 9 varieties of Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls from worst to best
Ranking 21 varieties of Pop-Tarts from worst to best
Ranking 20 frozen potato tots from worst to best
Ranking 29 Lean Cuisine Protein Kicks meals from worst to best