Waffle irons were common in
France as early as the 12th or 13th century, and became widespread in the
Netherlands and the rest of
Europe from the 14th century. Secular waffle irons developed alongside host presses, a similar but religious tool used to produce
sacramental bread. The earliest waffle irons had shallow indentations suited to baking unleavened
wafers, and might better be described as
wafer irons or
wafer presses. Waffle irons gained deeper indentations as
leavening agents were introduced into recipes. There is evidence of primitive waffle irons in
Sweden and
Norway in
Viking Age women's burials. In 1869,
American Cornelius Swartwout was the first to patent a stove-top waffle iron. While waffle irons of sorts may have existed since the 1400s, Swarthout intended to perfect the design by adding a handle and a hinge that swiveled in a cast-iron collar, allowing the waffle-maker to flip the iron without danger of slippage or burns. In 1891 John Kliembach, a German immigrant living in
Shamokin,
Pennsylvania, became a traveling salesman of waffles after fashioning an iron for the Mansion House Hotel. Kliembach sold waffles for a
penny each or ten
cents for a dozen. This was popular at the
Chicago World's Fair. In 1911,
General Electric produced a prototype electric waffle iron, and production began around 1918. Later, as the waffle iron became more prevalent, its appearance was improved. ==Varieties==