Waffle irons offer a convenient way to cook a waffle with an external heat source. They don’t produce their own heat, so once you add the batter, you’ll need to place it over a heat source, like a fire or stove, to cook it. A waffle maker is a standalone electric gadget that does the entire cooking process itself. You plug it into the wall, wait for it to heat up, add the batter, and wait for it to cook. Once it’s done, an indicator light will come on, letting you know it’s time to remove it.