Jaffles are camp food at its best, and a 12V jaffle maker means you don’t need a fire or a gas stove to make them. We took the KickAss 12V Jaffle Maker on a camping trip near Thredbo earlier this year, over a long week, with a big loaf of bread to try it out. We ran it off our Batblock 25 battery in the back of the 4WD. (For the campgrounds and sights in the park, see our Kosciuszko National Park guide.)
What’s in the box
A 12V jaffle maker that toasts two jaffles at a time between non-stick, food-grade Teflon plates. It has a latch to hold it shut while it cooks, non-slip rubber feet, a thermal cut-out at 150°C and red and green lights on the lid. It plugs straight into an Anderson outlet on a dual battery box or 4WD setup, so you don’t need a heavy 240V inverter. At around 1.2 kg it’s pretty compact, and a lot lighter than a bulky cast-iron jaffle iron. The build feels quite solid, though the plastic handle latch can feel a bit light-duty.
What we like
- Good toasties, two at a time
- Runs straight off an Anderson plug
- No 240V inverter needed
- 1.2 kg, lighter than cast-iron irons
- Non-stick plates wipe down quickly
- Latch, rubber feet, 150°C cut-out
What we don’t
- Draws ~30 A, needs a solid battery
- Heats as soon as it's plugged in
- Thick bread needs trimming to fit
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | KickAss |
| Capacity | 2 jaffles |
| Weight | 1.2 kg |
| Size | 26 × 11.5 × 30.5 cm |
| Power | 12V340W |
| Rated draw | 30Awe read up to 24 A |
| Plug | Anderson |
| Plates | Non-stickFood-grade Teflon |
| Thermal cut-out | 150 degrees |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Toasting
It makes good toasties. Over the long week we made some with tuna and cheese and a few with baked beans and cheese, and both came out really well. It starts heating as soon as you plug it in, and the lights on top turn green when the toasties are ready. A batch of two took us about 8 minutes.
Overfilling and cleaning
Some of the filling does squeeze out while it cooks, which makes a bit of a mess on the plates and around the hinge. How much depends on how much filling you put in, so don’t overfill them. Large-slice or thick-cut bakery bread needs trimming, or the crusts cut off, to fit properly. Cleaning up is easy: with wet wipes the non-stick plates come clean quickly, as long as you don’t let the mess sit for too long.
Power and battery
You simply plug it in with the Anderson plug. There’s no on/off switch: it’s live and starts heating the moment it’s plugged in, so plug it in when you’re ready to cook.
It uses a lot of power. It’s rated at 340W, or around 30 A, and on our Batblock 25 the battery monitor read up to 24 A while it was toasting. You need a solid auxiliary or lithium battery setup, and it can trip smaller or improperly rated caravan systems.
Conclusion: KickAss 12V Jaffle MakerConclusion
The KickAss 12V Jaffle Maker is compact and makes two good toasties in about 8 minutes, straight off an Anderson plug with no inverter. Tuna and cheese and baked beans and cheese both came out really well over a long week near Thredbo, and the non-stick plates wipe down quickly. It draws around 30 A, so it needs a solid battery setup, it starts heating as soon as it’s plugged in, and thick bread needs trimming to fit. At about $60, it’s good value. For 4WD tourers, car campers and van-lifers who want a hot lunch at camp, it’s a good one to have along.
A compact 12V jaffle maker that made good tuna-and-cheese and baked-bean-and-cheese toasties over a long week near Thredbo.
It draws around 30 A, has no on/off switch, and thick bread needs trimming to fit.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Van-lifers
Yes. I paid about $60, and for that you get two good toasties in about 8 minutes straight off the 4WD battery, without an inverter or a fire. Just make sure your battery setup can handle around 30 A.
