Care and ownership
Removable plates, a tray or a moat?
Three features often get compressed into “easy cleaning”: removable waffle plates, a catch tray and an overflow moat. They solve different problems. Identify which one addresses the mess you actually dislike.
Removable cooking plates
Detachable grids give access to the waffle pockets away from the electrical body. The All-Clad WD822D51, digital WD824D51 and Cuisinart WAF-300NAS have documented removable plates. Follow each manual for cooling, release and washing. Permission to wash plates does not permit immersing the housing.
The WAF-300NAS also supplies pancake plates. That is an additional cooking format, with extra parts to store. Do not confuse that plate set with a pancake recipe printed in another maker's booklet.
A tray catches what leaves the grids
The Cuisinart F30 has a separately washed tray but fixed waffle grids. If your main frustration is residue deep inside the cooking surface, the tray does not solve it. The All-Clad models combine a rear tray with removable main plates; those are two distinct capabilities.
Empty and wash a tray according to its own instructions. Do not infer that every removable tray is dishwasher-safe. It may also need to be removed before placing the appliance in its storage orientation.
A moat contains overflow around the cooking area
The Breville designs place a channel around the grid to catch excess batter. The BWM604 is an example. Batter caught there still becomes residue you need to remove; the channel is not a separate dishwasher component.
That can be a useful tradeoff when your problem is a small spill onto the counter and you are comfortable wiping fixed surfaces. It is less useful when taking the cooking grids to a sink is nonnegotiable.
Care instructions override generic tips
Manufacturers differ on seasoning and cooking sprays. Breville's cited US manuals advise against nonstick sprays, while a different product's instructions may describe its own first-use procedure. Follow the exact model's manual instead of applying a generic internet cleaning hack to every coating.
Use the removable cooking plates route if that is your hard requirement. Add a tray or moat preference only if it matters independently. No surface label establishes an unlimited nonstick life or makes abrasive tools harmless.