We've had this for a few months now and so far it has worked great being used once or twice a week. You can tell from the weight it's a substantial appliance, not like the other versions that don't stay open, have the grids fall out, etc.It's very similar to the style you see in the breakfast area at hotels and is just as easy to use.Exactly what we were looking for and at a decent price for a commercial quality waffle maker that's seeing residential use.