I have a Black & Decker waffle maker, and it's fairly easy to use. I just prepare my batter, turn the waffle maker on, wait for it to heat up, pour my batter into it, and take the waffles out once they're nice and crispy (just the way I like them). Be careful not to put too much batter in or it will overflow when you put the top down. If you don't put too much batter in, you shouldn't have that big of a mess.