5 Best Donut Makers That You’ll Use a Hole Lot posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Out of all the kinds of baked goods you can make, I’ve found that donuts are the biggest crowd-pleasers. A properly made donut has a nice easy-to-hold shape, a mouth-watering layer of sugary glazed coating, and a golden brown pastry exterior that’s simply a thing of beauty. That is, assuming you use a good-quality donut maker in preparation. In this post, I’ve put together a small compendium of what I believe to be the five best donut makers money can buy. I’ve classified each of my choices based on what it does best. I hope the recommendations will help you make the perfect batch of donuts next time you get a craving or want to impress your guests with a baked treat. Table of ContentsAbout Donut MakersWhat is a Donut Maker?Why Should You Buy a Donut Maker?How to Choose a Donut MakerHeatingEase of UseVersatilityShape and SizeHow to Care for a Donut MakerCleaningStorage5 Best Donut Makers1. All-around: Dash Express Mini Donut Maker2. Parties: VonShef 12 Mini Donut Kit3. Versatile: Health and Home Baking Maker4. Churros: Empanada and Churro Maker5. Small spaces: Silicone Donut MoldDonut Recipes You Should Try About Donut Makers Before we get into specific recommendations, let’s discuss why you need a donut maker and how to find a good one if you’d rather shop for one. What is a Donut Maker? Most donut makers are electrical appliances with their own heating units used to prepare batches of donuts! Those donut makers have two metal plates, a top plate and a bottom plate, that are stacked on top of each other. Each plate has a series of mini donut molds. Once you plug in the donut maker and it heats up, you can pour donut batter into the molds and close the appliance so the donuts cook. The donut batter will rise in the molds to form a donut shape, and after a few minutes you’ll be able to take out your fresh donuts, hot off the griddle! Some donut makers are just silicone molds in the shape of donuts that you bake in an oven or other heat source. Think of them like muffin tins, but for donuts! Why Should You Buy a Donut Maker? If you’ve never had fresh donuts, you’re in for a treat when you get a donut maker. Like most baked goods, donuts get a little harder, drier, and less delicious when they are allowed to cool because the batter congeals. Heating the donut up again before eating it helps a little, but it’s never as good as freshly made. Simply put, donuts freshly prepared in your kitchen and then consumed right then and there (or shortly thereafter) are simply in a different league than even the high-quality donuts you get at bakeries, cafes, or grocery stores. Since donut makers bake the donuts rather than fry them like most stores do, the donuts are also healthier than the ones you buy. How to Choose a Donut Maker If you’d prefer to shop around for a donut maker by yourself, be sure to consider the following aspects: Heating A high-quality donut maker should heat quickly and evenly. The heating unit in the donut maker is obviously key in making that happen, but also important is the material of the heating plates. I usually look for cast iron, since it has superior heat conduction and retention. The best donut maker models often have temperature control, too, so you can determine when they stop heating. Ease of Use All the controls on the donut maker should be intuitive and not too complex. The hinges should move smoothly, and there should not be any parts that get in the way of your hands when you are using the donut maker. In short, the donut maker should be simple enough for a child to use. Versatility Some donut maker models include alternate plates that you can use to prepare foods in other shapes, like waffles or churros. The inclusion of other plates really increases the value of a donut maker. Shape and Size Donut makers are usually round and most often contain seven small donut molds. There are other shapes too, though. When buying your donut maker, consider how many people you will be making donuts for and how big you want your homemade donuts to be. How to Care for a Donut Maker To make sure your donut maker lives a long and productive life, you’ll have to maintain it properly. Luckily, donut maker maintenance is simple. Cleaning All donut makers have nonstick surfaces, so they are easy to clean. A simple wipe with a warm soapy sponge will usually remove all residue left during cooking. You should always let the surface cool before wiping it down, though, so you don’t burn yourself. Some donut makers have removable plates. It will be easier to clean the plates if you remove them (after letting them cool) and wiping them down. Sometimes the plates are even dishwasher-safe, although you should check the box of your donut maker to see if that’s the case on your specific model. Storage Make sure all parts of the donut maker are totally dry before storing. The appliance should be stored in a dry cabinet at room temperature if it is not left out on the countertop. 5 Best Donut Makers Below are my recommendations for the best donut maker models on the market. You’ll notice that I gave each of my picks a “best of” award to let you know what it does better than any of the competition. In the section for each model below the table, I talk a bit more about that “special” feature. NameBest OfPriceDash Express Mini Donut MakerEditor’s Choice$$VonShef 12 Mini Donut KitParties$$$Health and Home Baking MakerVersatile$$$$Empanada and Churro MakerChurros$$$Silicone Donut MoldSmall Spaces$ 1. All-around: Dash Express Mini Donut Maker by [amazon link=”B084RJ3LR9″ link_icon=”none” title=”DASH” /] [amazon fields=”B084RJ3LR9″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Dash Express Mini Donut Maker”] This is the best donut maker you can get because it has every feature a great donut maker should have while remaining convenient, simple to use, compact, and inexpensive. The interior heats up surprisingly quickly for such an affordable model, and the heat distribution is so even that the donuts I’ve made in my model have always been perfectly cooked after just three or four minutes. This model doesn’t have any fancy features like heat control, but the upside of that is the device is simple enough for a kid to use it. My kids do, and it’s always a very pleasant surprise to be handed a couple of freshly baked mini donuts that your 9-year-old son made. The size of the round donut maker is perfect for our family, too. It makes seven mini donuts at once. The action on the hinges is smooth as butter, and the plates are easy to clean. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fun and eye-catching donut-print pattern on the exterior of the machine. 2. Parties: VonShef 12 Mini Donut Kit by [amazon link=”B012B9P09S” link_icon=”none” title=”VonShef” /] [amazon fields=”B012B9P09S” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”VonShef 12 Mini Donut Kit”] If you’re looking to make a lot of donuts at once for a dinner party, potluck, or other gathering, this model is the best choice. Most larger donut makers sacrifice quality for size, but this one does not. The heating element is great, going from “off” to “ready to cook” in just a few seconds, faster than any other donut maker I’ve used. When it is heated enough to cook, the donut maker’s “ready” light goes on, and you can pour your batter into the 12 miniature donut molds on the rectangular plate. This model includes automatic temperature control, which really does make a difference. It is able to monitor each mold to make sure no part of it is too hot and none of the donuts get overcooked. When the donuts are done, I break out my frosting kit and decorate each one with different colors and designs. The donuts are a huge hit when I hand them out as desserts or party favors. 3. Versatile: Health and Home Baking Maker by [amazon link=”B081W936XD” link_icon=”none” title=”Health and Home” /] [amazon fields=”B081W936XD” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Health and Home Baking Maker”] This model is a bit more expensive than a plain old donut maker, but it can prepare a variety of dishes of all shapes and sizes beyond just donuts. It has three interchangeable plates that let you prepare lots of delicious and under-appreciated foods in minutes, including: Donut holes Spiced fried eggs Mini pancakes Korean barbecue Crab cakes Fried cookie dough Takoyaki Cake pops Meatballs Sausages Fried plantains And those are just the foods I’ve used it for. Really, the possibilities are endless. It’s easy to use, too. The only button is an on/off switch to the side of the uncovered grilling surface, and it causes the grill to heat up in minutes. The device includes meat pokers, a pair of wooden cooking utensils, and a kitchen brush. 4. Churros: Empanada and Churro Maker by [amazon link=”B06X3XKM7Y” link_icon=”none” title=”CucinaPro” /] [amazon fields=”B06X3XKM7Y” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Empanada and Churro Maker Machine”] This model includes two sets of plates to make churros and empanadas, two delicious Mexican pastries. A batch of churros makes for an easy and incredibly delicious dessert. The traditional sugar-and-cinnamon coating that you use to top the pastries’ subtle ridges is the perfect accompaniment for the lightly baked treats. They bring some Latin flair to your kitchen and never fail to impress when you have company over either. Empanadas can also be great desserts, but I prefer to fill them with more savory ingredients like meats and salsas. The device includes a round dough cutter that makes preparing the empanada batter easy, and they just take a few minutes to bake while the filling cooks inside. 5. Small spaces: Silicone Donut Mold by [amazon link=”B08FHT9T8J” link_icon=”none” title=”Walfos” /] [amazon fields=”B08FHT9T8J” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Silicone Donut Mold”] If you don’t have much storage space in your kitchen or just want to reduce clutter, this set of three oven-safe silicone donut molds may be a better fit for you than an entire stand-alone donut maker. They’re much better than metal donut molds since they have higher heat resistance and because they release the donuts more easily after cooking. And after cooking, the molds stack into each other to take up very little space. Many silicone cookware products contain BPA or other harmful chemicals that may melt off at high heats. I can assure you, though, that this donut mold does not. They’re made using 100% food-grade silicone without any coating at all. Even though they’re uncoated, though, the non-stick functionality is fantastic. Just fill the four 4-inch diameter donut molds on one of the silicone sheets with batter and stick the sheet in the oven for a few minutes. You probably won’t get the near-perfect donut that a stand-alone donut maker would produce, but your results will still be delicious. Donut Recipes You Should Try Baked Pumpkin Donuts Get the Recipe Skinny Chocolate Donuts Get the Recipe Bacon Fried Chicken & Donuts Get the Recipe Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts with Biscoff Glaze Recipe Get the Recipe Rainbow Chocolate Donuts Get the Recipe Cinnamon Sugar Baked Pumpkin Donuts Get the Recipe Donut You Want One Now? If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a huge fan of donuts. They’re delicious, convenient, and they look so nice—especially when you top them with brightly-colored frostings after baking. The only major downside is how unhealthy they are, but homemade donuts lighten that blow by baking rather than frying. Making fresh donuts is just an all-around great experience, and one everyone should have. I hope this post helps you to enjoy donuts to their full potential.
