Appliances Review - Sandwich Maker

TopTenReview

The best sandwiches are those enriched by throwing them on a grill. Whether you like a good old-fashioned grilled cheese or tuna sandwich, or prefer a combination of meats and veggies for a panini, you need a device that will evenly toast your sandwich bread, warm the interior ingredients and find other uses in the kitchen. This simple combination makes the panini press one of the most popular and sought-after kitchen appliances. After all, when it comes to making sandwiches, you should have the tools needed to master even the most basic tasks.

While the most obvious use of the sandwich press is in toasting bread, these devices establish their usefulness in a variety of other recipes. You can cook anything from pancakes to omelets to pastries with these devices due to their ability to provide an even level of cooking. Instead of being forced to master the problematic art of flipping a pancake, you simply open the press and your breakfast is ready to serve.

Sandwich Makers: What to Look For

Creating the ultimate grilled sandwich depends on the best grilling machine. Depending on the type of sandwich you want, whether it is a consistent level of toasting across the sandwich’s exterior or the striped lines of a panini, you’ll need to pick a device suited to the end product. In addition, you’ll need a device designed to deliver the best and most consistent results in toasting your bread and cooking the ingredients within.

Features
Sandwich grills come in several different designs to facilitate a variety of toasting needs. The most simple and low-cost designs come with cooking wells to fit four sandwich halves. The next type of grill offers a single grill plate for both the top and bottom of the device to provide an even level of toasting for foods like grilled cheese sandwiches. The most popular model is the panini grill, which features a ridged press to create the popular valleys and peaks across each slice of bread.

Capacity
The size of the sandwich toaster allows the device to cook anywhere from one slice to as many as eight. Each slice of bread qualifies as a single slice, meaning that with the largest toasters, you can only press four full sandwiches. Standard sandwich makers should be large enough to fit at least two slices at a time, allowing you to simply insert the sandwich as a whole or cut it in half to fit into specially shaped cooking wells.

Cleanup
The most appealing part about sandwich makers is how much work they cut out of the process of grilling sandwiches. You don’t have to flip the sandwich when you’re done cooking one side. And once you’re done preparing your meal, the device should be easy to clean rather than take up all of your dishwasher like traditional griddles or pans. Sandwich makers require that you only wipe out the grill surfaces with a cloth. While the devices that use cooking wells may prove more difficult to clean due to the myriad of ridges to clean around, standard panini presses and grills will only require a single wipe before they’re ready for storage.

While at a glance the panini grill may appear like a straightforward and frivolous expense, it contributes largely to the experience of a good, toasted sandwich. Rather than using a simple grill or griddle, which cooks one side of your sandwich at a time, this device promises to create toasted sandwiches or paninis of the same quality found in sandwich shops. Simply pick the device suited to the type of sandwich you want, and you’ll be making grilled sandwiches like a pro.