Three key factors impact if your waffles turn out crispy in a waffle maker: proper preheating, using enough butter, and keeping them crisp after cooking. If your waffle maker isn’t very hot before the batter goes in, your waffle will turn out soggy. And, you need to give it time to get hot again after every waffle finishes cooking. If possible, don’t grease the waffle iron. It will interfere with the crust forming on the outside of the waffle. If you do have to grease the iron, use it as little as possible. Next, if you don’t have enough butter in your batter, your waffle will never get crisp, no matter how hot your waffle maker is. Don’t be afraid of the butter! And lastly, either eat the waffle as soon as it is finished cooking or put it directly on the rack of your oven that is preheated to 200 degrees. Don’t put it on a plate or baking sheet or the heat of the waffle will cause condensation to form and your waffle will get soft on the underside.