The plates switch easily and it’s fun to have the option of waffles or pancakes. The nonstick has worked really well so far as long as I have the tongs pull it off. When the waffle beeps (the beep sounds like it’s running low on battery right out of the box) the two plates gets stuck together and I ha e to wiggle it loose and usually try to lift a couple of times before it opens. Overall, it’s been a good waffle iron that we use a lot.