Nearly Half A Million Waffle Irons Are Being Recalled. Here's Why

If you're planning to try some of TikTok's ingenious waffle maker hacks this weekend, make sure your waffle iron isn't a part of a safety recall. There have been several safety recalls affecting food so far in 2023, but this one may put a dent in your breakfast plans. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on May 18 that Empower Brands' PowerXL Stuffed Wafflizers are being recalled due to a burn risk. 

The recall includes the five-inch PowerXL Model ESWM02 and seven-inch Model ESWM03, around 456,000 units in total. If you own a PowerXL waffle iron but aren't sure if your unit is affected, check the tag attached to the power cord of your iron for the model number and date code.

According to the CPSC, "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." There have been 44 reports of incidents, including 34 burn injuries, with three requiring medical attention.

If you have one of the waffle irons affected by the recall, the company urges you to stop using it and contact Empower Brands to receive instructions and parts for modifying your iron with a free latch adapter.

Affected customers can go to this website and enter their model's number to register their units and get the free latch adapter clip. Customers can also contact the company by calling 1-866-276-0063. Without the clip, the iron can expel hot batter from the unit "due to pressure buildup from steam and food material during cooking when a unit is overfilled and latched," per the recall notice.

The affected units were sold at several major retailers, including Walmart, Kohl's, Big Lots, BJ's Wholesale Club, Best Buy, The Home Depot, Target, and Sam's Club, from July 2021 through October 2022. The recall affects all 11 of the waffle iron colors.