Electric Waffle Irons
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Kitchen Cooking Appliances · CPSC Code 235
Up 47% over 5 years
The verdict
Electric Waffle Irons carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 128 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 47% over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 128
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 235 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for electric waffle irons - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume128 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.3%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+47%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Electric Waffle Irons (CPSC product code 235, in the Kitchen Cooking Appliances category) generate an estimated 128 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 2,566 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 47% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (350 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (6 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for electric waffle irons is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 474 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the lower arm (394 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 446 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 36 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how electric waffle irons fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 349 | 97 | |
| 5-14 | 230 | 173 | |
| 15-24 | 0 | 354 | |
| 25-34 | 29 | 340 | |
| 35-44 | 28 | 169 | |
| 45-54 | 0 | 119 | |
| 55-64 | 90 | 167 | |
| 65-74 | 0 | 341 | |
| 75+ | 80 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Toe | Hematoma | |
| Wrist | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
68YOF WITH FACIAL LACERATION. STATES SHE WAS PULLING A WAFFLE MAKER OUT OF A CABINET AND FELL FORWARD STRIKING HER ON HER FOREHEAD. LACERATION TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF FOREHEAD. INJURY OCCURRED LAST NIGHT. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
34 YOF INJ RT FOREARM BURNED ON WAFFLE MAKER AT HOME DX 2ND DEGREE THERMAL BURN RT FOREARM
55 YOF WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET A WAFFLE IRON OUT OF A CABINET IN HER KITCHEN WHEN SHE ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED A BLENDER ONTO HER FOOT. DX: LACERATION RIGHT FOOT
61YOF WAS IN HER KITCHEN WHEN A WAFFLE IRON FELL OFF THE TOP OF THE REFRIGERATOR AND STRUCK HER ON THE HEAD DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
37YOM ACCIDENTALLY SLAMMED HIS FINGER IN A WAFFLE IRON DX LT 2ND DISTAL PHALANX FX, LT FINGER LACERATION
29YOF PRESENTS WITH A BURN TO HER THIGH AFTER USING A WAFFLE MAKER ONE DAY PRIOR AND SPILLING HOT OIL ON HER THIGH. DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN TO THIGH
82YOM FELL CARRYING WAFFLE IRON UP STEPS. DX: HEAD INJURY, LOW BACK PAIN
4YOM BURNED RIGHT SIDE OF HIP ON WAFFLE MAKER THIS MORNING. DX: THERMAL BURN.
56 YOF WAS CLEANING A HEAVY WAFFLE IRON WHEN A HEAVY PORTION OF THE WAFFLE IRON CAME DOWN ONTO HER THUMBS AND HANDS DX BILATERAL THUMB SPRAINS, BILATERAL HAND CONTUSIONS
11 YOM WAS ATTEMPTING TO HELP HIS SISTER WITH A WAFFLE MAKER AT A HOTEL WHEN HE PLACED HIS PALM ON THE HOT SURFACE. DX: HAND BURN
36YOF PT USING THE WAFFLE IRON WHEN THE LID CLOSED DOWN ON HER RT HAND BURNING IT DX BURN RT HAND
3YOM CLIMBING UP ON COUNTER AND BURNED ELBOW ON HOT WAFFLE IRON. DX: BURN RIGHT ELBOW.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This product was purchased last christmas 2010. It has a date code of 031X0. The hinges on the unit keep breaking, even before I use the waffle maker. I contacted Black & Decker through their web site and received a new set of hinges. Then they broke so here is my second email to them... "Hi, I received the replacement hinges a few days ago. I put them in, open and closed the unit a few times, it seemed fine. Then I went to use the unit and a hinge broke. They do not seem to be able to support the weight of the top lid... or maybe they are getting caught on something inside and breaking. i request some more replacement hinges and better quality hinges! If they keep breaking, then I will request a replacement with one that will not break. Thank you!" This is my third and last email to them... i did not get a response or new hinges... sent 3-29-2011 "I received the second set of hinges some time ago... By the time I went to use the waffle maker, the hinges were already broken. All the hinges are breaking in the same spot. This is dangerous as the first time that I was able to use it,the hinges broke as I was using it, the top and bottom seperated and luckily I did not burn myself. The new hinges just break before I am able to use the product. The directions also say I am able to stand the unit upright, but the top and bottom open and then falls down. Needless to say, better hinges are needed... maybe metal ones that will not break. HELP !!!! I would like to use the product !!!! Are there any technicians that will research my problem? Please send new hinges... again.... Regards, [REDACTED]" I would like to report this problem and get the Belgian Waffle Make off the shelves until they get them fixed.
Message = Tried to use: Farberware Waffle Maker Model# 103739. The latch just under the handle locks every time the lid is down (vs. just for storage like some other manufacturer models). You must reach through the handle and depress the latch to open the lid in order to remove the waffle. The problem is, there is so much heat/steam and you really need both hands to open the lid, as the waffle offers resistance. I burned myself each time I tried to remove the two waffles I baked; even while trying to use a hot pad - which was difficult in the tight handle area. I am returning this to Wal Mart and telling them of my issue. The printed Customer Assistance phone number printed on the "Farberware" manual is actually a Wal Mart phone number, which I called. I told them of the issue so, hopefully they will tell Farberware and someone will investigate.
I plugged my waffle iron in. The light did not turn on to indicate that it was on. So I unplugged it and re plugged it into the wall and my husband touched it. He jumped slightly and stated that it just shocked him. I immediately unplugged it and check for a recall.
My waffle maker built up steam pressure while making a waffle that it blew the the top open while hot in the middle of cooking a waffle after a latch failed. The bottom left quarter of waffle was ejected 2 feet in front of it. The lid blew backward with a enough force to break the foot near the hinge pictures posted here [REDACTED] no one was near waffle maker when it happened but it is concerning
While lifting the handle of a recently purchased All Clad 4 Square Waffle Maker Model #WD700462 SKU, 011644007072, which was connected to a safely grounded outlet, the user received an electrical shock while lifting the waffle maker handle and then touching another metal object on the kitchen counter. The user experienced an electrical feeling through hands, followed by racing heart, dizziness, tremor, and diaphoresis. He subsequently continued to feel tingling and numbness bilaterally throughout both hands and "out of it" thereafter. We are reporting this incident in an effort to avoid other consumers from this potentially life threatening situation. Please follow up on this and let us know what to do with this product. We may be reached at [REDACTED] . The incident occurred Saturday, 7/28/18 and the user in this incident is [REDACTED] . We have called our primary care provider for support on next steps.
First time using the waffle maker, I got burned since the outside of the waffle maker was as hot as the inside.
Our Krups F654 waffle maker boght at Costco has a problem with the hand Ie getting extremely hot and actually burnt my thumb. We contacted krups and sent the defective waffle maker back to them for repair or replacement. After about three weeks we received another waffler maker that we are assuming is neew because Krups did not send back any correspondence with the product. We used this new/different product on Saturday and the handle on this u nit get extremely hot the same as the previous waffler maker we had. This product is unsafe and can not be used as designed without getting hurt. I have grandchildren and this product could be a serious hazard to children.
I made waffles this morning using the Waring Professional Waffle Maker WWM400 seires. I dont cook on the highest heat setting at all; but it would appear that doesnt matter. The screws and joint structure came apart as if the plastic melted and could no longer hold or support the griddles. I always used safe handling and stored it appropriately. The plastic joint that supports the top and bottom griddles is not a high quality material that is made to last (plastic).
Showing 8 of 36 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to electric waffle irons on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are electric waffle irons?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, electric waffle irons have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 128 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from electric waffle irons?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 474 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from electric waffle irons increasing or decreasing?
Up 47% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for electric waffle irons injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 446 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by electric waffle irons?
Of all ER visits involving electric waffle irons, approximately 5.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with electric waffle irons?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Kitchen Cooking Appliances
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
