My first impression of the waffle iron was "wow" when I saw the chrome! It appears very up to date and modern! The directions on usage and the recipe for the waffles are easy to follow, and the waffle iron is very simple to operate. After making the first waffle I added a bit more liquid to the batter so it would fill out the entire surface after closing. I also adjusted the temperature to get a little more browning. The directions say to watch for the steam as the waffle gets near completion as it will tend to decrease. I watched for the steam to stop, opened the iron, and was able to extract the bronze colored waffle of perfection. I will continue to perfect the time and temperatures to make them even better. One of the first directions talks about seasoning the iron with oil. I did that and never had any issues with getting the waffle off the iron! I will use this waffle iron for many more delicious mornings!