The depth of the plate’s grid. Belgian plates bake waffles about ¾ inch thick with deep, wide pockets; American plates make thinner waffles with shallow squares. On this site, four plate sets publish a ¾-inch Belgian thickness.
What decides the depth
The plate. The height of the grid ridges sets how thick the waffle can be and how deep its pockets are. Batter cannot make a shallow iron deeper — overfilling only spills out of the sides.
Belgian vs American
| Belgian | American | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | About ¾ inch | About ½ inch or less |
| Pockets | Deep and wide | Shallow, small squares |
| Texture | Crisp outside, airy inside | Denser, more even |
| Usual batter | Yeast or whipped egg whites | Baking powder |
Plates on this site that publish a depth
Dash Flex Press waffle plates, $13.49 — “4 deep pocketed, 3/4-inch thick Belgian waffles”, for the Dash Flex Press grill.
GVODE plates, $38.99 — four ¾-inch Belgian waffles, for Cuisinart Griddler models.
Cuisinart GR-WAFP, $56.26 — four ¾-inch Belgian waffles, for the Griddler GR-4N, GR-4 and GR-5B.
Breville waffle plates, $64.95 — four deep-pocketed ¾-inch Belgian waffles, for its Smart Grill.
GreenPan Elite — two plate sets, American and the thicker Belgian, without a published figure.
Check the model list before buying plates — they fit specific grills only.
How to get a deep, crisp waffle
- Preheat fully, until the ready light says so.
- Fill to just cover the grid, not to the edge.
- Do not open early — steam escaping is the waffle setting.
- A little more butter or oil in the batter makes the outside crisp.
Cleaning deep plates
Deep pockets hold batter. Wipe while warm with a damp cloth, use a soft brush for the corners, and never metal tools on a nonstick or ceramic coating — see coatings and what kills them and the grill and waffle plates page.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-18. The live price is at the top of the page.
What readers want to know
What is the difference between a Belgian and an American waffle?
Depth and batter. A Belgian waffle is thick — about ¾ inch — with deep, wide pockets, crisp outside and airy inside, often from a yeast or whipped-egg batter. An American waffle is thinner, with smaller, shallower squares, and usually made from a denser batter with baking powder. The plate decides most of it.
Which waffle plates on this site make deep Belgian waffles?
Four publish a ¾-inch thickness: the Dash Flex Press plates at $13.49, the GVODE plates for the Cuisinart Griddler at $38.99, the Cuisinart GR-WAFP at $56.26 and the Breville plates for its Smart Grill at $64.95 — each bakes four deep-pocketed Belgian waffles.
Can a shallow waffle maker make thick waffles?
No — the grid depth sets the thickness. Overfilling a shallow iron only pushes batter out of the sides. For thicker waffles you need deeper plates; for crisper ones, a slightly longer bake and a little more fat in the batter help on any iron.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026