The ever-lasting battle between waffles and pancakes has finally arrived at a conclusion: waffles are superior to their counterpart, pancakes. First, I should remind the audience that waffles are an American classic. Looking at each one from a baker’s perspective, the ingredients used are essentially the same—eggs, all-purpose flour, butter, milk, baking powder, vanilla extract, and sugar. With the bare minimum of the ingredients mirroring each other, one would naturally assume they would taste the same. However, the methods of cooking, as well as the ratio of the ingredients, vastly differ.

With pancakes, you need to be constantly hovering over the stove, waiting for those pesky little bubbles to pop up on top of the batter. In a way, it’s almost like you’re babysitting your food, and I couldn’t think of a person who would willingly choose such a nuisance of responsibility just to earn their breakfast. Then, you have to flip each one by hand and hope you didn’t burn them. You have to time flipping each pancake if you want them fully cooked through, which comes out spongy, bland, and boring. Waffles, on the other hand, are pretty simple and straightforward. All that is required of you to cook the perfect waffle is buttering the iron, gently pouring the batter, and closing it. During the formation of the waffle, you could step away and clean some dishes, so that you don’t have a mess right after you’re done eating. By the time you’re nearly finished, you will open the waffle iron to reveal crispy, golden-brown edges and chewy center.

Visually, it is easy to recognize a waffle by its structured, plaid texture. The square waffle texture allows for vast, optimal topping storage. The waffle barrier is sturdy enough to hold your fillings where they rightfully belong and does not absorb liquid substances such as honey or maple syrup. Additionally, while knives are requisite to portion pancakes, anyone can easily follow the tic tac toe lines of waffles and tear these treats apart, offering pieces to friends or family. These square indents are quite possibly the most significant advantage of a waffle over a pancake.  

Another note is that waffles are conveniently portable right in your hand, whereas attempting to walk down the street with a big, floppy, sponge pancake is less than ideal. There’s a reason why it’s not a common sight to witness. As a bonus, the waffle breakfast dish paved the way for waffle fries and the infamous waffles and chicken dinner combo at any American restaurant, so we owe it our gratitude and respect. Similarly, waffle cones totally changed the ice cream game. “Pancake cone” doesn’t have the same ring to it. Therefore, waffles are the more desirable option in every situation.