Welcome to Panini Sandwich Maker

February 11th, 2010

There are dozens of reasons to want to buy a Panini Sandwich Maker for your home. Panini sandwiches are not only delicious, inexpensive, and quick to make, but very healthy too (as is a lot of grilled Mediterranean-style food). We here at PaniniSandwichMaker.org have tasked ourselves with scouring the hundreds of options to find the best panini sandwich maker available. We balance how well a panini press sells with how well its reviewed, find the best deal, and briefly review it. Feel free to browse the below posts, or navigate via the sidebar to look at categories.

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The Best Panini Sandwich Makers

February 11th, 2010

Above the 50 dollar price point, you’ll find the highest quality, top of the line panini sandwich makers. Most of them range from 50 to 100 dollars, and compared to mid range panini sandwich makers, they perform faster, and tend to be made from more rugged components. After exhaustively searching, here are what we’ve found to be the best selling, and best reviewed panini sandwich makers out there:

Our first choice is definitely the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press. Not only is it the best-selling panini sandwich maker in its class, but its versatility is unmatched by most others. It has 4 functions for various types of sandwich and food (it also acts as griddle), comes with a 3 year warranty, is built in a very sturdy manner, and best of all: the grill tops are nonstick and 100% dishwasher safe to make cleanup a breeze. Here’s a summary of its features:

  • 4-in-1 unit functions as contact grill, panini press, open grill, and griddle
  • Brushed stainless-steel housing; indicator lights; sturdy panini-style handle
  • Floating hinge adjusts to thickness of food; adjustable temperature controls
  • Dishwasher-safe nonstick cooking plates drain grease away from food for healthier cooking
  • Measures 16-2/3 by 9-2/3 by 12-2/3 inches; 3-year limited warranty

It’s a little bit more expensive than others in its class, but for its rugged features, versatility, aesthetics, and hands-free cleanup, it’s worth every penny. Here’s a quick review:

I got the Griddler last year for Christmas,and it’s one kitchen gadget that I get a lot of use from. It makes fantastic pannini, grilled cheese, burgers,chicken breasts, steaks on the grill, and pancakes on the griddle portion. I love the fact that the cooking plates come off for cleaning. I find no matter how dried on the food is, if I soak in a mixture of hot water and a little dishwasher detergent (Cascade), the crud comes right off without scouring. I try to avoid scouring, as I want the finish to last. I am addicted to kitchen appliances, and this is one that really gets some use, and isn’t hiding in the closet.

Our second choice:

The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press. At only 70 dollars, it’s an excellent value when compared to its list price of 100 dollars. Its impeccable reviews combined with its low price creates a great value that allows it to shine as a best-seller. It has a lot of amped up features, as well as pretty much everything else one would expect. Its most stunning is its 1500 watt heating range, which will quickly and efficiently toast paninis to perfection. Here’s a rundown of its features:

  • 1500-watt panini press with nonstick, scratch-resistant Quantanium cooking surface
  • Flat bottom plate for fast, thorough cooking; ribbed top plate creates grill marks
  • Floating hinge; 4 height settings; on/ready lights; nonslip feet; locking storage clip
  • Cord wrap; brushed stainless-steel housing; user manual with recipes included
  • Measures 13 by 11-3/4 by 5-1/4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

With a value-oriented price, fast cook times, various height settings, and quick cleanup, this panini sandwich maker is a great deal. Here’s a quick customer review:

I tried it for grilled ham and cheese so far. What I like better bout this one is 1 higher wattage then my other one so cooks faster. Can also be used as a electric griddle to so kind of two appliances in one. also the fact it has a setting to cook with the press open a bit so you can make tuna melts easier and other melt open face type sandwiches, as well as the paninis. it does a great job of toasting the bread making it nice and toasty without the need for added fat like butter, etc. clean up is a breeze too . works great and is a great addition to my appliance family

The third excellent-value panini sandwich maker we found:


The DeLonghi CGH800-U Retro Panini Grill may be the “best bang for the buck” out there when it comes to grilling paninis for cheap. It’s in the top three as far as best sellers go, and that’s for good reason. At a paltry 60 dollars for such a high quality appliance, it’s no wonder it is getting rave reviews. Here are its most prominent features:

  • Retro-look grill makes pressed Italian-style sandwiches quickly
  • Also cooks meat, fish, and vegetables
  • Hinged top adjusts to any thickness of food
  • Nonstick plates slant to allow grease to drain off for healthier eating
  • Mirror-finish with large cool-touch handle

This review says it all:

Was skeptical of all the good reviews on this Panini Grill especially at the price. I have been completely blown away by how well it performs. It heats up very fast and seems to have very even heating across all of the grill surfaces. It will toast up and crust with grill marks a ham & chesse panini sandwhich on whole wheat in a matter of 2-3 minutes. Have used it to cook bacon which it will do in a matter of about 5 minutes to a crispy texture. The heat setting dial is easy to see and use and seems to control the heat very well. Cleaning the unit is accomplished with a warm wet rag very easily. The grill plates do not remove and as such it easier to clean when they are slightly heated. I am very impressed and very please with the inital performance of the grill. The true test of this will be to see how it holds up long term. I am very pleased at this time with this purchase – Great value at this price point.

admin High-End Panini Sandwich Makers

Solid, Mid-range Panini Makers

February 11th, 2010

Enjoying a hearty, artfully made panini doesn’t need to be confined to expensive trips to Italy. You can buy a solid, at-home panini sandwich maker for home and make these staples of sandwich satisfaction year round, with minimal cooking and cleaning. After exhaustive review, here are what we’ve found to be the best selling and highest-rated panini sandwich makers.

The Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press is undoubtedly one of the best selling panini presses on the market, and among the highest reviewed, making it the best panini sandwich press overall. It has virtually every feature you’d expect a panini sandwich press to have:

  • Acts as both a Panini Press and Sandwich maker within an attractive Stainless Steel housing
  • Upper and lower 11-by-7-inch nonstick, non-removable grill plates
  • Floating hinge adjusts to accommodate any size sandwich; preset temperature
  • Helpful indicator lights; instructions, recipes, and cleaning tool included
  • Measures 14-1/2 by 6-1/2 by 12 inches; 3-year limited warranty

At well less than 50 dollars, with a list price of 90 dollars, this is an amazing value. This high quality and versatile panini sandwich maker will be a counter top sandwich staple for many years.

Here’s one of many glowing reviews:

I feel like I am back on the streets of Paris every time I plug in my beautiful Cuisinart Panini and Sandwich Press. This press makes the best grilled cheese sandwich you ever ate, I guarantee it. I love how you can stick a whole hoagie roll or chunk of french bread loaf with sandwich makings inside into it and squish it into a hot & yummy hunk of cheese-oozong goodness. Or, you can use regular bread and make toasty club sandwiches or grilled cheese.

This guy hangs out in the cupboard and is easy to pull out, just plug in and wait for the green light to come on. You can have a quick french dip dinner ready in 5 minutes that everyone will love- also perfect for grilled cheese and tomato soup night- or just want to make some garlic bread to go with your spaghetti without heating up the whole oven? I LOVE my panini press.

It is really easy to clean- although I haven’t tried grilling meats or anything beyond sandwiches and bread. Gooey cheese comes off easily and the whole thing wipes down quickly with a damp washcloth.

Elvis would have died over the peanut butter and banana sandwiches we make in this baby! The frying pan’s got nothin’ on our Panini Press.

Now, onto our second choice:

The West Bend 6112 Panini Press and Sandwich Maker is also a great choice, featuring nearly flawless reviews. It’s similar in function to the above mentioned, but provides a different aesthetic touch. It also is great for those without much countertop space, as it can be folded vertically when not in use. Here are its features:

  • 1000-watt panini press and sandwich maker with easy-to-raise heat-resistant handle
  • Upper and lower nonstick cooking surfaces provide even grilling and toasting
  • Floating hinge automatically adjusts to accommodate different foods
  • Convenient “power on” and “ready” lights; stands upright for compact storage
  • Measures 14-1/2 by 7-2/7 by 15-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Online retailers offer a superior buy when compared to local department stores: Considering its hefty list price of $75, for less than fifty dollars, this is a deal not to be missed out on. Here’s a helpful review:

Firstly let me tell you why all the others suck : I had a fancy Cuisinart for 2 months with the removable heating plates and ended up throwing it way. They are made into “sandwhich shapes” for whatever reason and are supposedly dishwasher safe – NONSENSE . The problem here is that they are impossible to clean. I think the “crinkle cut” ones are also going to be super hard to keep clean. Everything sticks to them – so you have to be very aggressive when you remove your sandwich especially since everything is unbelievably hot and you have starving kids plucking at you. FRUSTRATING.

The West Bend on the other hand is flat. Just use a spatula and the sandwhich pops off. No need to use butter or Pam. Wait for it to cool and then wipe with a damp paper towel. I think the big thing is to not scratch the non stick surface – and the fact that this one is flat makes a big difference. It also has plenty of heat to warm everything up all the way through without having to burn the bread. No temp controls – really don’t miss them.There is an indicator to tell you when the press is at temperature. All you need.

Very nice product – very nice price. I was prepared to spend up to $300 and I just got this. Very very happy! If all you want is a really good (small – or should that be compact ) toasted sandwich maker (2 max ) – stop here and just buy it.

Yes it won’t do nice grill marks on chicken or on your sandwiches – but who cares.

It also has ridges all round the bottom – so the fat/chess etc doesn’t run out and onto the counter – most of the others just let it ooze out the front .. (if you are lucky )

And our third choice:

The Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press is another excellent choice, especially at less than 50 dollars for what will become a permanent fixture in your kitchen. This specific model is also one of the best-selling presses available, with vastly optimistic reviews. Here are its features:

  • Gourmet sandwich press for deli-style grilled panini at home
  • Floating lid makes even contact with thick or thin sandwiches
  • Nonstick grids measure 8-1/2 by 12 inches
  • Power and preheat lights; locking lid; upright storage design
  • Grill unit measure 13-1/2 by 11-1/2 by 4 inches; 2-year warranty

With its griddle-surface resulting in attractive grill marks, a 2 year warranty, upright storage, and other great features, this panini sandwich maker is sure not to disappoint. However, this one isn’t too much cheaper online when compared to retail stores. If settling on this specific model, it’s not a bad idea to shop around locally. Here’s a quick review:

You can’t give this machine a bad rating. This Hamilton Beach Panini Press does one thing and one thing only, but it does it very well. If you enjoy pressed/grilled sandwhiches you will love this machine. As I write this I’m eating a feta/olive/artichoke/roasted peppers on pita sandwhich hot off the panini press, and it’s scrumptious. I actually bought this as a christmas gift for my mother, but I probably use it more than she does.

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