Who has a Panini maker ?

[bebe]

Can anyone suggest a good panini maker? Brands ?
Are the ones at William Sonoma good or just over priced?

Any design flaws I should look out for?

 

[ladypirate]

We just use a standard countertop griller (George Foreman style). I think it works just as well, especially if you get one that comes down flat rather than hinging down if that makes sense.

 

[PaulaW]

We have the Cuisinart Griddler and we LOVE it. What I especially love is that I can switch out the grilling plates from smooth to grilled and it opens flat. I think I paid under $100 with a 20% coupon from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I believe there are several models under this name, so this is the one I mean:

 

[PaulaW]

Here it is opened flat:

 

[bebe]

Paula, that is so cool the way it opens up.

I wonder how the Breville brand at Williams Sonoma compares

 

[PinkTower]

I just use the countertop grill also. I love mine, and I am not much of a gadget person. I like sandwiches in it and even bagels. I love the way it presses the foods down. They cook quickly and seem to have more flavor. I also cook bacon in mine. It keeps the bacon flat and the grease drains out into a saucer, so clean up is easy. They are so easy to snap apart and wash in the dishwasher.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/13/2009 2:53:57 PM
Author: PaulaW
Here it is opened flat:

Love that!! I want one.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I know at one time Costco sold the Cuisinart griddler for about 40.00 bucks less than other stores. My best friend has that and loves it. For a while I considered
getting one, but in the end bought a grill pan with a press at target for about 10 bucks. It will hold at least two sandwiches. I also have a George Foreman
grill that the plates come out and you can put them in the dishwasher.

I have had the kind that dont have removable plates and I find that a huge pain in the butt. You have to wait for it to cool off and them wipe it clean over and
over. With the removable plates you just remove and take them to the sink. I would look for that in a pannini maker, which ever kind you buy. It makes it so
much easier

 

[Kaleigh]

Good to know..

 

[Camille]

I love the Cuisinart GR-1 [$50] the floating hinge allows the machine to adjust/fit any sandwich size, easy to store under the counter, ours is black but I've heard chrome is a pain to clean. Last summer we used the Breville at a friend's home

nice 15000 watts, [$50] same size as the cuisinart, the top felt heavier, consistent results much, Much faster than ours.

 

[bebe]

Date: 10/13/2009 7:17:38 PM
Author: Camille
I love the Cuisinart GR-1 [$50] the floating hinge allows the machine to adjust/fit any sandwich size, easy to store under the counter, ours is black but I''ve heard chrome is a pain to clean. Last summer we used the Breville at a friend''s home

nice 15000 watts, [$50] same size as the cuisinart, the top felt heavier, consistent results much, Much faster than ours.

hmmm... gotta go check on the Cuisinart. I think the Breville at WS is around 99.00 for now.

 

[fatafelice]

We have the Cuisinart Griddler as well, and we love how well it works for paninis. It works pretty well as a griddle, but the top plate doesn''t seem to heat up as well as the bottom plate, and it can be a bit messy. It was a big help once making breakfast at work, though. If all you want to make are sandwiches, then you might want to go with a dedicated press, but otherwise it is a good buy.

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 10/13/2009 5:21:32 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 10/13/2009 2:53:57 PM
Author: PaulaW
Here it is opened flat:

Love that!! I want one.

I gotta say, I love my Griddler!

We cook everything from prawns/shrimp to chicken to hot dogs to paninis to pancakes and eggs on ours...the best part is that the plates go in the dishwasher. Stay far away from any grills that don''t have removable plates.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We also have a Cuisinart Griddler. Works well but I actually forget I have it so it rarely gets used. Opps. Haha.

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 10/13/2009 8:08:33 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
We also have a Cuisinart Griddler. Works well but I actually forget I have it so it rarely gets used. Opps. Haha.

Yup...the key is remembering you have it!!

My kids are a little older (12 and 1 so it allows them to cook something simple without causing mass chaos in my kitchen. I''m not a hot dog fan but they loooove hot dogs on the panini grill.

 

[Callisto]

I have the cuisinart one too. We got it at costco so it was a pretty good deal. I really like it. I use it for burgers and stuff sometimes and that can be annoying to clean but sandwiches are super easy and clean. I love making heated wraps on it too (but you have to be careful to put the tortilla fold side down without spilling stuff)

 

[Camille]

Date: 10/13/2009 7:36:21 PM
Author: bebe
hmmm... gotta go check on the Cuisinart. I think the Breville at WS is around 99.00 for now.

Coisinart is a good choice bebe

as for Breville, I know my friend got hers @ Macy''s on sale {$50}

 

[bebe]

The Breville press with removable plates is no longer available, so the Griddler it is! Now I just have to find the best price, I''m buying 2 for gifts.

 

[onvacation]

My panini press is from All-Clad. It''s different from the electric ones mentioned above in that it''s just like a regular pan with a heavy lid so it can accomodate even the tallest of sandwiches. The top and bottom both have ridges inside. I heat up the lid first, then together with the bottom, then stick in my sandwich and turn the heat off. I get absolutely beautiful results. The only con is that it''s on the heavier side, but hey, that''s my only workout so I''m not complainin''! I like it much better than the electric ones because of the easy clean up and storage.

 

[EricaR]

Date: 10/13/2009 9:38:43 PM
Author: onvacation
My panini press is from All-Clad. It''s different from the electric ones mentioned above in that it''s just like a regular pan with a heavy lid so it can accomodate even the tallest of sandwiches. The top and bottom both have ridges inside. I heat up the lid first, then together with the bottom, then stick in my sandwich and turn the heat off. I get absolutely beautiful results. The only con is that it''s on the heavier side, but hey, that''s my only workout so I''m not complainin''! I like it much better than the electric ones because of the easy clean up and storage.

I''d be tempted to get one like onvacation. That way you can use the pan part for cooking all sorts of other things!

 

[bebe]

onvacation, is it easy to clean, just curious.

 

[onvacation]

Date: 10/13/2009 11:11:43 PM
Author: bebe
onvacation, is it easy to clean, just curious.

Oh my, YES! A quick wipe is usually all it takes. I''ve never actually had to scrub something off, much less put in any elbow grease. But I imagine this will be true of any good griddle. (It''s not smooth inside the way a griddle is; it looks more like rough cast iron with a sheer non-stick coating?) I just like that there''s no plastic or surrounding material to wipe and keep clean, and I don''t have to worry about getting the electronic part wet/oily. I do take care not to have the cheese run off if I can help it.

It''s really a lazy wife''s dream come true, with the minimal clean up and storage. More so because I live in an apartment where countertop space is at a premium. Just knowing that it''s one less appliance I can break is a relief... I find myself making sandwiches way more often than I probably should since I''ve gotten it!

Erica, I wonder what else I could do with it? I''ve never thought about using the pan for other things. I think I''ve tried bacon once, which went REALLY well.