Waffles would be baked over the hearth fire. The plates were often made to imprint elaborate patterns on the waffle, including coats of arms, landscapes, or religious symbols.
These were constructed of two hinged iron plates connected to two long, wooden handles. The earliest waffle irons originated in the Low Countries around the 14th century. In the US, the most commonly used determinant of whether a waffle is a "Belgian waffle" or not is thickness and/or pocket size, although the recipes for Belgian waffles and American waffles do differ. Models that make thicker and/or larger pocketed waffles are often labeled as "Belgian". While there is no set standard for waffle shapes or thicknesses, models that produce the most common shapes and thicknesses are often labeled as "traditional" or "classic". Some make a very thin waffle, capable of making waffle cones or Pizzelle. Many have a light that goes off when the iron reaches a set temperature.
Professional waffle makers are usually made of uncoated cast iron whereas domestic models, particularly cast aluminum ones, are often teflon coated.
Electric irons come with either removable or non-removable plates. Most modern ones are self-contained tabletop electrical appliances, heated by an electric heating element controlled by an internal thermostat. Traditional waffle irons are attached to tongs with wooden handles and held over an open flame, or set on a stove.