Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press
Customer Review: How did I live without one?
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching Rachel Ray use a panini maker on the Food Network, I knew I wanted to try one, and one of my sisters responded by giving me a GR-1 for my birthday recently. Now I wish I had had one years ago. I'm making paninis for my wife and me 3-4 times a week, and they're the best sandwiches we've ever had.
I've tried several kinds of bread, and the only type I had a problem with was a fairly thick French bread. With sliced bread and the thin baguettes, no problem. A thick French or Cuban bread tends to slide out from between the griddles when you push down the handle. That's a small complaint, and I now use only sliced bread or baquettes.
It takes about five minutes to warm up (a green light comes on when it's at the correct temperature), and after that, two sandwiches usually take about 2-3 minutes. They're good, I mean good, with a nice griddled surface and melted cheese running out.
The nonstick surface cleans pretty easily with the plastic tool included with the GR-1. A metal rim around the base griddle keeps melted cheese from running out onto a counter top.
Overall, I have no serious complaints. The GR-1 is a well made appliance that will be in our kitchen for many years.
Customer Review: Great little sandwich press
Summary: 5 Stars
Some might call this a one-trick pony - in that it only does one thing - it makes panini. But if you are mad for super crusty, melty-gooey panini/grilled cheeses, this one totally does the job. Just don't expect it to do more than than what it is made for. I've had mine for over three years and probably use it weekly. It's not huge so it fits nicely in a cupboard when not in use - but because of the size, don't expect to make more than one sandwich at a time. As for cleanup, I'm surprised there were a few reviews saying it is hard to clean. I (very carefully, so I don't get burned), use a very wet balled up paper towel while the grilles are still hot and wipe down the inside - all the goo sticks to the wet paper towels (oh and that satisfying sizzle!). If you've ever worked in a restaurant kitchen you are used to dealing with having bare flesh near very hot surfaces - if not, be CAREFUL and make sure the paper towels are wet so they don't combust. My last tip is to buy Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane bread - makes the best panini on this grill. The bread comes pre-sliced and lasts a long time if you store it in the fridge. The fridge will make it go slightly stale, but if you are only using it for panini this doesn't matter.Customer Review: J'adore ma petit panini grill! Or something like that.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Great little appliance for delicious, healthy paninis
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this as a Christmas gift this year and absolutely love it! Everything I've made has turned out great, and it is easy to use. Even my son, who said, "What the heck is a panini?" now loves them and begs for me to make him one! This is certainly an "entry level machine", there is no on/off switch (I don't care - nor does my waffle iron), and there is no temp control (this doesn't seem to be a problem at all. I read some other posts where people are cooking other foods on this, I truly don't see how you would do that without making a big mess. This is a sandwich press - nothing more. As long as you don't use alot of butter or other grease, it is going to clean easily, it even comes with a plastic scraper to clean the ridges. I either use nothing, or maybe a little olive oil brushed lightly on the bread. It will grill two sandwhiches at a time. For my family, a larger one would be nice, but that's just it - it would be larger, thus more difficult to store. For me, this is not another useless kitchen gadget - it is meeting my needs perfectly, and Cuisinart has a good reputation. For the price, I don't think you can go wrong. Thanks bro-in-law for the awesome gift!Customer Review: Don't listen to the negatives about this product, seriously...
Summary: 5 Stars
...those are the the ones that can't be pleased no matter what, with few exceptions of course. The pros far outweigh the cons. Few complain about difficulty cleaning. What are you putting on it, glue?! Any residue comes off without breaking a sweat. Just because you can't stick it in the dishwasher doesn't mean you can't achieve the same results.
Somebody said something about the top browning more quickly than the bottom. Yes, that is absolutely true. There is a simple solution, flip the sandwich over!!! It really isn't that difficult, it's like frying an egg you know. Somebody was surprised of how small the grill surface was, why is that?! The description indicates that it is 11-by-7 inch, read before you buy.
No on/off switch was another complaint I read about this product. Really? Is it that important? Safety issue, how so? Just unplug the thing, the rest of us seem to be able to manage just fine.
All in all, this is an awesome product and the price is right. Just throw a bunch of stuff between two pieces of bread, throw it on the press, flip over half way through, and enjoy your creation as I did while I wrote this review. Rock on \m/