If you want your waffles to be super fluffy, they need to be full of air. But if you try to whip air into the batter directly, you'll overwork the glutens, which will produce waffles as tough as doormats. The real secret to fluffy waffles lies with the eggs, and specifically the egg whites.

How it works is, you separate the eggs, then beat the egg whites until they're fluffy as if you were making a meringue or souffle. From there, you'll simply fold the whites gently into the batter before spooning it onto your waffle iron.

Fresh egg whites are best for this, as opposed to pasteurized egg whites that you buy in a carton. The pasteurization process involves heating the egg whites at a low temperature and that reduces the egg whites' ability to form stiff peaks. They'll still work, they just won't hold as much air, and they'll collapse sooner.