If you make Norwegian krumkake for the holidays, the Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express is the best iron for the job, because its nonstick plates bake thin, evenly browned cookies in well under a minute and the included rolling cone shapes them before they crisp. We compared it against the stovetop Nordic Ware iron and two pizzelle-style electric bakers from CucinaPro and Palmer on plate quality, browning consistency, and how forgiving each is for first-timers.
The Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express is the best krumkake iron because it bakes thin, even cookies quickly and releases them cleanly for rolling while hot. The stovetop Nordic Ware iron is the traditionalist’s value pick if you do not mind managing the flame yourself.
- Best overall: Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express
- Best value: Nordic Ware Krumkake Iron
- Best budget: CucinaPro Pizzelle Baker
- Avoid: Generic thick-plate cookie makers, the cookies come out too thick and stiff to roll into cones
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Quick Picks
- Best overall: Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express, Fast, even electric baking with a rolling cone included. Check price on Amazon
- Best value: Nordic Ware Krumkake Iron, Traditional stovetop iron with a beautiful imprint, at a friendlier cost.
- Best budget: CucinaPro Pizzelle Baker, Thin-plate electric baker that rolls into cones while warm.
Comparison Table
| Iron | Type | Best for | Pattern | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express | Electric, nonstick | Fast holiday batches | Traditional krumkake imprint | Check Price |
| Nordic Ware Krumkake Iron | Stovetop, cast aluminum | Traditionalists with a gas range | Classic decorative imprint | Check Price |
| CucinaPro Pizzelle Baker | Electric, polished plates | Budget cone making | Pizzelle-style pattern | Check Price |
| Palmer Electric Pizzelle Iron | Electric, cast aluminum | A buy-it-once workhorse | Pizzelle-style pattern | Check Price |
How We Chose These Small Kitchen Appliances Picks
We researched the small field of krumkake and thin-cookie irons, compared plate materials, heat-up behavior, and imprint patterns, and read owner feedback from bakers who make these cookies every December. Irons whose cookies came out too thick or stuck at the pattern ridges were ruled out.
Key Takeaway: A krumkake iron lives or dies by cookie thickness. Thin plates and even heat give you a cookie flexible enough to roll around the cone in the few seconds before it sets, and nothing else matters as much.
Best Overall: Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express
Best for: Holiday bakers making dozens of krumkake in a sitting who want speed and consistency over stovetop tradition. Why it made the list: The KrumKake Express earns the top spot because its plates heat evenly edge to edge, the nonstick surface releases the delicate cookie without tearing, and baking takes well under a minute, which keeps a big batch moving while each cookie is still soft enough to roll.
- Key specs: Electric tabletop iron with nonstick plates, traditional krumkake imprint, ready indicator, included wooden rolling cone, compact upright storage.
- What we like: Even browning across the whole cookie, quick recovery between bakes so a batch of forty does not take all afternoon, and clean release that keeps thin cookies intact.
- What we do not like: There is no browning dial to speak of, so you control color by timing alone, and the shallow imprint is subtler than the deep patterns on old cast iron.
- Who should buy it: Anyone baking krumkake in volume for the holidays, or a first-timer who wants the machine to handle the temperature so they can focus on rolling.
- Who should avoid it: Purists who want the deep imprint and ritual of a stovetop iron, and anyone who wants one machine to also make thick waffles, this is a thin-cookie specialist.
- Common complaints: Owners note the first cookie or two of a session often comes out pale while the plates settle in, and the nonstick coating demands plastic or wooden tools only.
- Size note: It stores upright and takes about as much cabinet space as a hardcover book, far less than a stovetop iron with its base ring.
- Cleaning note: Wipe the warm plates with a damp cloth after the batch, never submerge the unit, and skip cooking sprays which gum up nonstick over time.
- Alternative: The Nordic Ware stovetop iron gives you the traditional deep imprint and works during a power outage, in exchange for you managing the heat.
Krumkake Iron Buying Guide
Electric versus stovetop
Electric irons hold a steady temperature so every cookie browns the same, which matters when you are rolling each one within seconds of baking. Stovetop irons cost less and produce a deeper imprint, but you spend the first half of the batch learning your burner. If this is your first iron, go electric.
Plates decide whether cones roll
Krumkake must come off the iron thin, flexible, and hot, then roll around the cone before it crisps. Thin plates with a shallow pattern release a pliable cookie. Thick novelty plates make a cookie that cracks when you try to roll it. If a listing does not show the finished cookie thickness, be suspicious.
Pizzelle irons as a substitute
A thin-plate pizzelle baker makes a fine cone even though the imprint is Italian rather than Norwegian. If your family cares about the traditional pattern, buy a true krumkake iron. If you just want crisp rolled cones for cream, a pizzelle baker does double duty at a lower cost.
Safety Notes
- Roll cookies with the wooden cone, not your fingertips, cookies come off the plates very hot.
- Set the iron on a dry heat-safe surface with the cord away from the counter edge, tabletop irons tip easily when the lid is opened one-handed.
- Keep children back during a baking session, the exterior of both electric and stovetop irons gets hot enough to burn.
- Unplug electric irons immediately after the last cookie, the plates hold heat far longer than you expect.
What to Avoid
- Thick-plate cookie or waffle makers sold as krumkake irons, the cookies crack instead of rolling.
- Stovetop irons on glass-top ranges, most are designed for gas flames and heat unevenly on electric coils.
- Metal utensils or scouring pads on nonstick plates, one scratch and cookies start sticking there forever.
- Irons without an included cone, buying the roller separately is an annoying extra step almost nobody remembers.
FAQ
What is the difference between a krumkake iron and a pizzelle iron?
Both bake thin patterned cookies, but krumkake irons carry a Norwegian imprint and are designed around rolling the cookie into a cone, usually with a roller included. Pizzelle irons carry an Italian pattern and their cookies are traditionally served flat, though thin ones roll fine while hot.
Can I make waffle cones for ice cream on a krumkake iron?
Yes, and it is one of the best off-season uses for the iron. Use a sturdier cone batter, roll around the included cone form while hot, and pinch the tip closed so ice cream does not drip through.
Why do my krumkake crack when I roll them?
They cooled too much or baked too dark. You have roughly ten seconds of flexibility after the cookie comes off the iron, so roll immediately and bake to pale gold rather than deep brown. A too-thick batter also makes stiff cookies, thin it with a spoonful of milk.
Final Verdict
The Chef’sChoice KrumKake Express is the best krumkake iron thanks to its fast, even baking and clean release, with the Nordic Ware Krumkake Iron as the traditional stovetop value pick and the CucinaPro Pizzelle Baker covering budget bakers who mostly want rolled cones.
