83 replies to this topic

[JAZ]

No one's mentioned the Flama grill, so I will. It's got removable, reversible plates, ridged on one side and flat on the other, so you can use it as a griddle as well as a grill. And not that I'd put them in a dishwasher, but the fact that they're removable means you can soak them in the sink if necessary, plus they're much easier to clean. The grill can be opened to lay completely flat, so you can have double the grill (or griddle) space if you want to use it that way. Instead of having a floating top, it has three settings for differing thicknesses of sandwich. It has 5 settings as well.

The Flama Panini Grill

[Al_Dente]

I'm having some folks over for the Super Bowl and I thought it would be a fun concept to have a DIY Panini Feast. I'll get my hands on a variety of great bread, cold cuts, cheeses, various pickled items, roasted veggies, etc. etc. My guests can assemble their own sandwich, and I'll take care of it from there.

Problem: I don't have a sandwich press, and I'm not interested in purchasing yet another kitchen gadget that I'll only use once in a blue moon. But I do have a big gas grill with heavy grates. What if I were to heat up the grates, throw some sandwiches on one side of the grill and then lift the hot grates from the other side of the grill and put them on top of the sandwiches for a minute or two?

Think it'll work?

[JPW]

I'm having some folks over for the Super Bowl and I thought it would be a fun concept to have a DIY Panini Feast. I'll get my hands on a variety of great bread, cold cuts, cheeses, various pickled items, roasted veggies, etc. etc. My guests can assemble their own sandwich, and I'll take care of it from there.

Problem: I don't have a sandwich press, and I'm not interested in purchasing yet another kitchen gadget that I'll only use once in a blue moon. But I do have a big gas grill with heavy grates. What if I were to heat up the grates, throw some sandwiches on one side of the grill and then lift the hot grates from the other side of the grill and put them on top of the sandwiches for a minute or two?

Think it'll work?

Al,
Got two cast iron pans, a brick, and some aluminum foil?

[Al_Dente]

I'm having some folks over for the Super Bowl and I thought it would be a fun concept to have a DIY Panini Feast. I'll get my hands on a variety of great bread, cold cuts, cheeses, various pickled items, roasted veggies, etc. etc. My guests can assemble their own sandwich, and I'll take care of it from there.

Problem: I don't have a sandwich press, and I'm not interested in purchasing yet another kitchen gadget that I'll only use once in a blue moon. But I do have a big gas grill with heavy grates. What if I were to heat up the grates, throw some sandwiches on one side of the grill and then lift the hot grates from the other side of the grill and put them on top of the sandwiches for a minute or two?

Think it'll work?

Al,
Got two cast iron pans, a brick, and some aluminum foil?

Yes. And I have two turntables and a microphone.

[JPW]

Yes. And I have two turntables and a microphone.

Don't know if the turntables will be heavy enough. You'll still need a brick

[jgm]

A few months ago, I looked into buying an electric pannini grill. I have a cast iron grill pan, so I had to do a careful weighing of wants vs. needs vs. where am I going to put it.

The Cuisinart model was new, so I decided to put off the decision for several months, to see if I can find out how others liked it. If you have one and have an opinion to share, I'd be interested in finding out how you like it.

FYI, for those considering buying a grill: a two-week poll of various friends and acquaintances revealed that many, many George Foreman grills sit, unused and gathering dust, because 1) they don't allow for temperature control, and 2) (the most mentioned) they are a pain in the butt to clean and people don't want to mess with it. Everyone indicated that removable grill plates would make a huge difference.

[Sid Post]

I am curious about Panini presses. They seem like a good option when you are cooking for one like I often do.

I have considered the double skillet method (put the sandwich in one and put the other skillet on top) or, the skillet and aluminum foil wrapped brick method. Both seem like more trouble then I want to put up with because of the long preheating required.

Is something like a Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler a good place to start? Is it a good value or a waste of money? Is there something better that is cheaper? How about spending a little more money and getting something much better?

Thanks,
Sid

p.s. If this has been covered elsewhere, please let me know. My search didn't turn up what I was looking for. ;)

And a big THANK YOU to snowangel Susan for merging my post into this thread

Edited by Sid Post, 19 October 2005 - 07:34 PM.

[annarborfoodie]

I got the Griddler as a wedding gift a couple of months ago and I absolutely love it. We use it at least once a week. It works really well for sandwiches, but I've also discovered that in the panini mode, it is great for "grilling" vegetables - last week I wanted some eggplant to put on a pizza - I sliced it thinly, put it in the Griddler, and it was cooked in less than ten minutes. The removeable plates are easy to clean. I don't know that it's the best value, but in terms of versatility, it's great.

[tsquare]

Looking around the local high end kitchen store last month...Mario Batali has a line of kitchenware including a grill pan with press. Real pretty too.
panini grill and press

[KitchenQueen]

I'm looking for a nice heavy one , preferably round, that isn't overpriced.

It won't get used much so paying a lot is silly. I have an old rectangular cast iron one with a wooden handle. Can't put it in the dishwasher. It's impossible to clean. And I don't want to bother covering it with foil each time. Too lazy.

It looks so nasty I wouldn't even scrape my shoe on it.

[snowangel]

I'm looking for a nice heavy one , preferably round, that isn't overpriced.

It won't get used much so paying a lot is silly.  I have an old rectangular cast iron one with a wooden handle.  Can't put it in the dishwasher.  It's impossible to clean. And I don't want to bother covering it with foil each time. Too lazy.

It looks so nasty I wouldn't even scrape my shoe on it.

I'm a bit puzzled. Cast iron in the dishwasher? Big no no in my department. I use a cast iron skillet and a regular saucepan filled with water.

The cast iron (very well seasoned) is bathed gently in hot water, and dried over a low burner, with a smear of oil before storing.

[WolfChef]

I'm a bit puzzled. Cast iron in the dishwasher?  Big no no in my department.  I use a cast iron skillet and a regular saucepan filled with water.

The cast iron (very well seasoned) is bathed gently in hot water, and dried over a low burner, with a smear of oil before storing.

Snowangel would you come over to my house and explain this concept to my wife...maybe she would listen to someone else say this. It's come to no one is allowed to clean my cast iron or black steel pans...ever. If they use em, then just leave em sit on the stove and I'll take care of em. I'll put one of my seasoned black steel pans up against any non-stick pan in the world.

[annachan]

I'm looking for a nice heavy one , preferably round, that isn't overpriced.

It won't get used much so paying a lot is silly.  I have an old rectangular cast iron one with a wooden handle.  Can't put it in the dishwasher.  It's impossible to clean. And I don't want to bother covering it with foil each time. Too lazy.

It looks so nasty I wouldn't even scrape my shoe on it.

Well, if you want a cheap press, you can always wrap a brick in several layers of foil.

[andiesenji]

This one
and
this one

Work very well. I have a round heavy glass bacon press that must have been discontinued because I haven't been able to find a link for it.

Lodge "Logic" makes one that is round and is supposed to be easier to keep clean than regular cast iron.

[Richard Kilgore]

This one
and
this one

Work very well.  I have a round heavy glass bacon press that must have been discontinued because I haven't been able to find a link for it. 

Lodge "Logic" makes one that is round and is supposed to be easier to keep clean than regular cast iron.

Interesting that the Le Cruset enamelled cast-iron bacon press is made in Thailand. I noticed one other LC piece on that site is made there. I wonder how much of their production is being moved out of France?

[andiesenji]

I am happy with the panini grill I have, however when I saw this I wondered if the results would make it worth the expense. I do collect "vintage" toasters and some modern ones of unusual design, but I am not really sure this would fall into the category of pure toaster.

A Panini toaster

Has anyone had any experience with this particular appliance, or seen one used?

[SheenaGreena]

that looks like some old school toaster from the victorian era...does it "press" the sandwiches like a conventional panini press does?

I have the cuisinart griddler and I LOVE it. I also have a hello kitty sandwich press that makes cute hello kitty faces on the bread

[Maison Rustique]

What happens to the cheese that melts and runs out the bottom of the sandwich?

[ghostrider]

This thread is suddenly reminding me that, when I was a young teen in the early 1960s, my mom had acquired an alectric sandwich griddle / press - I'm not sure what to call it. Of course we never said "panini grill" back then.

Instead of being hinged to the base, the top element slid up & down on two vertical rods, so there was no problem grilling extra-thick sandwiches evenly on both sides.

This was clearly a device ahead of its time. I think it was big enough to do two sandwiches but I'm not certain about that. I don't remember who made it, but it sure turned out fine grilled sandwiches!

Wondering if anyone else remembers anything like this from days of yore?

[Kim Shook]

What happens to the cheese that melts and runs out the bottom of the sandwich?

I was wondering the same thing. I thought is was very cool, though. Both thoughts are academic. The price is out of my range completely !

[patticky]

I understand the temptation because I love new toys in the kitchen, and this one is beautiful to behold. But just think...do you really need to make 30 toasted cheese sandwiches in an hour. You probably will get more real enjoyment out of the machine you already have.

[JanMcBaker]

This thread is suddenly reminding me that, when I was a young teen in the early 1960s, my mom had acquired an alectric sandwich griddle / press - I'm not sure what to call it.  Of course we never said "panini grill" back then.

Instead of being hinged to the base, the top element slid up & down on two vertical rods, so there was no problem grilling extra-thick sandwiches evenly on both sides.

This was clearly a device ahead of its time.  I think it was big enough to do two sandwiches but I'm not certain about that.  I don't remember who made it, but it sure  turned out fine grilled sandwiches! 

Wondering if anyone else remembers anything like this from days of yore?

Sounds like what we had at home when I was a kid-- flat on one side of the plates, and you could flip them for waffles on the other side. We found it easier though to just do grilled cheese sandwiches in a pan. Clean-up was much easier as this was before non-stick came around.....

[andiesenji]

This thread is suddenly reminding me that, when I was a young teen in the early 1960s, my mom had acquired an alectric sandwich griddle / press - I'm not sure what to call it.  Of course we never said "panini grill" back then.

Instead of being hinged to the base, the top element slid up & down on two vertical rods, so there was no problem grilling extra-thick sandwiches evenly on both sides.

This was clearly a device ahead of its time.   I think it was big enough to do two sandwiches but I'm not certain about that.  I don't remember who made it, but it sure  turned out fine grilled sandwiches!  

Wondering if anyone else remembers anything like this from days of yore?

Sounds like what we had at home when I was a kid-- flat on one side of the plates, and you could flip them for waffles on the other side. We found it easier though to just do grilled cheese sandwiches in a pan. Clean-up was much easier as this was before non-stick came around.....

Oh yes! I am very familiar with these appliances, there were several designs that allowed the plates to remain parallel while pressing a sandwich. In fact they were known as "Sandwich Press" or "Sandwich Iron" and the early ones did not have reverseable plates. You had a separate appliance that was a waffle iron and often they were made to match, with identical handles, decorative elements and size. (Have you guessed that I have collected some of these?)

I am at my office and do not have access to my own photos.
Here is an example of one of the vintage sandwich grills which were very popular in the 30s and 40s.

Note: This one is less commong than many you see on ebay because it has the white or "ivory" bakelite handles. Most were black or brown because the white tended to discolor over time. Very rare are the ones with red or green bakelite handles - often these colors turned black after years of use.

Edited by andiesenji, 14 September 2006 - 10:06 AM.

[jmolinari]

Yes, my grandma in italy has one, and i can tell you she didn't pay $548 for it. That is absurd.
It works well for making what italians call "tost" which is just a ham and cheese on white bread. Quite tasty really

[ghostrider]

[
Sounds like what we had at home when I was a kid-- flat on one side of the plates, and you could flip them for waffles on the other side.  We found it easier though to just do grilled cheese sandwiches in a pan.  Clean-up was much easier as this was before non-stick came around.....

Oh yes! I am very familiar with these appliances, there were several designs that allowed the plates to remain parallel while pressing a sandwich. In fact they were known as "Sandwich Press" or "Sandwich Iron" and the early ones did not have reverseable plates. You had a separate appliance that was a waffle iron and often they were made to match, with identical handles, decorative elements and size. (Have you guessed that I have collected some of these?)

I am at my office and do not have access to my own photos.
Here is an example of one of the vintage sandwich grills which were very popular in the 30s and 40s.

Note: This one is less commong than many you see on ebay because it has the white or "ivory" bakelite handles. Most were black or brown because the white tended to discolor over time. Very rare are the ones with red or green bakelite handles - often these colors turned black after years of use.

Ah, so I didn't imagine this! Thanks for the info.

I remember black handles, & I don't think ours had the waffle feature.

I also remember hot ham & cheese and even hot roast beef sandwiches, perhaps some meat loaf as well. I may even have had grilled Spam sandwiches, there was a spell when I really liked that stuff.

[emsny]

My concern would be that a 220v appliance adapted for use on 110v circuits might not work properly. Years ago, when Dualit toasters were first introduced to the US, I bought one, and it heated very feebly indeed. I corresponded with the company, and they admitted that they hadn't adapted it completely to the lower voltage but were working on it. I returned the toaster. I believe (but do not know first hand) that the problem was eventually resolved - but early adopters got, er, burned. Anyway, you'd want to make sure that you could return this thing for a refund if it simply didn't get as hot as fast as the 220v version.

Edited by emsny, 14 September 2006 - 05:57 PM.

[bandregg]

I don't understand what's wrong with using a pair of Lodge cast iron skillets. This panini fad cracks me up.

[hosinmigs]

If you have 548 @$@#$ dollars to spend on what amounts to a home toaster, more power to you.

[ColleenD]

I just got a Bella Cucina panini grill as a gift. It is really good looking, but not so good at actually grilling paninis. When I try to close it, it practically shoots the sandwich out. It has a hinge, but it really does not hinge much. I brought it back and they also had a Haier panini grill. I had not heard of this brand, but the grill looked like it would work well--an adjustable thermostat and a good hinge with a little arm with 3 different grooves to hold the hinge in place at various heights.

I am also considering the Cuisinart panini grill and also their Griddler, which is quite a bit more, but opens all the way up and has removable plates.

There are so many choices and many mixed reviews of things that I am getting confused! Any more advice would be great. Thanks.

[Anna N]

. . .

There are so many choices and many mixed reviews of things that I am getting confused!  Any more advice would be great.  Thanks.

All I can say is that I have the Griddler and I can no longer imagine life without it! It gets good and hot so besides panini I can do a small steak, chicken breasts, grilled veggies and then I can swap out the grill plates for the griddle plates and cook bacon quickly, crisply and without much mess and do fried eggs; egg, sausage and cheese muffins; grilled sandwiches - I am still exploring all the possibilities. I have done 11/2 inch thick lamb chops to perfect medium in 5 minutes. Yes, it is more expensive than others but to me it's worth every cent!

It would not work for a large family but we are just two and often I find I am cooking just for myself and it's perfect for a quick meal.