When you’re using melted butter, Marzalek-Kelly says it’s a good idea to heat your milk or buttermilk slightly, too, so that when the butter is added, it doesn’t resolidify into buttery clumps. And while we all need a little tenderness, that texture does seem to be in direct opposition to crispiness, no?) (For the record, I think I’m going to have to side with Richards here, since I learned in a previous conversation with baking legend Rose Levy Beranbaum that when a cake is made with oil instead of butter, it often results in a more tender crumb. That said, they both agree that a waffle made with melted butter will taste better and any minimal sacrifice to the un-crisp gods is worth opting for dairy. Richards says butter will actually give you a more crisp end product, since the natural sugars in the butter will aid in caramelization. Another source, chef Todd Richards, agrees, but here is where their opinions diverge: Marzalek-Kelly believes that a waffle made with oil will be crispier because oil results in a thinner batter. “Waffles typically contain more fat (butter or oil) than pancakes,” she explained. Molly Marzalek-Kelly, senior recipe tester for King Arthur Baking Company, told me that to understand why waffles get crisp, I first needed to understand the difference between a waffle batter and a pancake batter. Along the way, I talked to a few waffle experts and picked up some tips that both steered my eyes toward better recipes and my technique toward better breakfasts.

Bubble waffle cones