Over 400,000 Waffle Makers Were Just Recalled After Severe Burns
A major recall has just hit the breakfast table. Amid reports that its PowerXL Stuffed Wafflizer waffle makers posed a burn hazard, Empower Brands is recalling more than 400,000 of the devices. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on May 18.
The CPSC, which regulates thousands of products and is also weighing restrictions on gas stoves, said it has received 44 incident reports for waffle makers sold from July 2021 through October 2022 at stores including Walmart, Sam's Club, and Target. Of these incidents, 34 were burn injuries, and three required medical attention. Canadian officials are also recalling the waffle makers, though no injuries have been reported there.
Fire and burn hazards were also the source of a scary air fryer recall earlier this year — the Cosori brand recalled 2 million devices after a couple hundred caught fire. And on the same day that the CPSC announced the waffle maker recall, it also announced that 5 million Threshold brand glass candles from Target could pose significant burn risks.
Two sizes of waffle makers have been recalled for safety
Unlike some of the more popular waffle makers on the market, the PowerXL Stuffed Wafflizer created filled waffles with a deep pocket for sweet or savory goodies. But the latch to close the machine did not function properly, per the CPSC, which created a hazard. "Hot pieces of the waffle or stuffing can be expelled from the waffle maker during use or upon opening the product, posing a burn risk to consumers," the agency stated. In total, about 456,000 devices qualify for the recall.
The models affected are PowerXL Model ESWM02, a 5-inch diameter appliance, and Model ESWM03, which is 7 inches in diameter. The recalled appliances came in 11 colors: black, white, red, cinnamon, gray, lavender, lemon, ocean, slate, seafoam and sage.
You can find the model number on the tag attached to the power cord. If your Stuffed Wafflizer machine qualifies, you can register here and the company will send you a free latch adapter part and repair instructions to fix the hazard. And luckily, once you get your device fixed, there are plenty of innovative recipes you can make in a waffle maker besides just waffles.