Awesome Takoyaki machine, would get it again if this one breaks!Now I had absolutely no experience making Takoyaki. I did not even know how to make the batter, but I saw this machine and though, why not. I mean food in ball form is bound to be a hit with my kid.I tried it first with family recipe of Brazilian cheese bread dough, and it seemed to take a long time to cook. That was when I realized, I had not spun the dial enough. You have to do a full rotation and a half to get to the maximum heat. Once I figured it out, it warmed up extremely fast. So beware of how quickly it heats up, as any dough is easy to burn on the hottest setting. Learning to flip the balls with the picks was much easier than I expected, as the batter does not stick at all, as long you give it enough time to create a shell. Just remember to flip them around in the same order that you filled the holes in. The two picks are lightweight and easy to coordinate with. If you are using a batter that will grow in size, 1/2 a tablespoon seems to be enough to create perfect sized balls. For batters that have no leveling agents you will need about 1 tablespoon per hole.I've been using this machine, honestly for pancake batter, and this is now the only way my kid will ask for pancakes . he does not want flat ones anymore. The perfect ratio of crispy outside and soft cake inside. (last image is pancakes) I have not used oil or any non stick product with any of my cooking attempts and nothing stuck to it, even accidental burned pieces from my first try. Cleaning up is extremely easy, even on the edges, it just wipes right off. I start with a damp cloth, then dry it off with a paper towel, before putting it away. However, the whole machine including the outside will be hot after use, so you will need to leave it off for about 10min before it can be handled.