Before you start baking the cookies, put a small amount of vegetable oil on a paper towel and rub it in to the surface of the pizzelle maker. (it does not require additional oiling during the baking process.). Use about one tablespoon of batter onto the center of each of the two cooking surfaces. Cooking time should be somewhere between eight and ten seconds. You'll know how long after the first few. It goes very quickly and the more you do it the easier it gets. Allow to cool completely before storage.