Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press
|
List Price: Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press
Customer Review: Becoming nearly indespensible...
Summary: 4 Stars
I started out using the Griddler for meats and sandwiches, but now I use it nearly every day to heat beans or mashed potatoes, for frying eggs even for quick carmelizing of small batches of sauces. It seems I find a new way to use the thing nearly once a week. I've had it for six months and it is well used.
The only thing I don't like about it is I have to make certain it tilts slightly forward. The griddles are very shallow and juices and liquid eggs tend to run off the edge if you are not there to control them. When liquids run backward over the edge they tend to collect under the plate where they get burned by the heating elements -- and its damned hard to clean.
The stainless steel is difficult to clean. The outside gets very hot and tends to burn on any oil that makes its way to the front edge of the Griddler. Difficult to get off without resorting to harsh cleaners which scratch the surface.
But, as an everyday appliance it suits my bachleor life style very well and the design is typically Cuisinart: slick industrial. Despite its frustarting flaws I love the dmaned thing-- sort of the waya paraent loves a sloppy teen.
Customer Review: GREAT Addition to my Kitchen!...
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted a Panini maker solely to make one sandwich...the Caprese Panini. I searched around for one and this machine seemed to be the simplest, and had the best reviews...SOLD! I am so glad I bought this! I finally got to make my Caprese Panini (photo above), and a host of other yummy sandwiches! My Mom's been telling me for over a year to get one of these and I kept blowing it off. Well, Mom, you were right! There are so many different panini's you can make with this...the possibilities are endless (though I do NOT recommend trying a BLT panini...that was no good. Warm lettuce = yuck!). I've already tried a few sandwiches from the little recipe book that's included with this machine, and they were wonderful! I've found that, while you certainly can use regular white bread, french bread is the best since it's a bit more sturdy. It tends to grill up a little better. Clean-up is a breeze...just let the machine cool completely, then wipe it down with a damp paper towel. The cord wraps around 4 clawed feet on the bottom, and it's small enough that it won't take up a ton of room in your cabinet. In the end, I am SO happy with this purchase!Customer Review: Perfect Panini Press
Summary: 5 Stars
This product does exactly what it is supposed to; it makes great paninis. Yes, it is a specialty item, it doesn't have a ton of other uses. I would not use this to cook a steak on. If you are looking for that, this is not your product. If you are looking to make a great toasted sandwhich, this is your machine. I never used to eat sandwhiches, in fact, I would say I despised them. However, despite my initial doubt that I would actually use it, I use it 2-3 times a week when I'm home for lunch. The bread toasts up nicely and clean-up is easy, just a wet washcloth once it cools down. It is sturdy and on thicker sandwhiches sometimes I add a little pressure to the handle to smoosh the thick bread a little. My only possible complaint is that sometimes on thicker sandwhiches the cheese won't melt. I won't complain that this one-purpose kitchen items takes too much space on my counter because I store it in my cabinets. Just let it cool down while eating your crispy panini, and when it's cool, the cord wraps neatly around the unit and it stores very compactly. If I had had this in college, I would have eaten so much better.Customer Review: Great little panini press
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the GR-1 panini press for my husband for Christmas 2008 ... two years ago. He became obsessed with Panera's paninis and was paying a small fortune for them. I had just quit my job to stay at home and I needed to curb our spending. I was afraid that this would be just another kitchen gadget that would never get used, but for $[...] and free shipping, I thought "what the heck" and bought it. I liked this press because it's small, had good reviews and is a Cuisinart (we've had good luck in the past with this brand). I have to say that we LOVE it. It sits in one of our cupboards very compactly (a must for our lack of cabinet space) and gets used at least once a week. Quesadillas are fantastic and it makes the most superb grilled rounds for bruschetta. I will never toast them in the oven again! I have purchased these for gifts as well. The only negative I have is that the bottom plate on mine doesn't grill as fast as the top plate. Maybe that's just mine, but it's not enough of an issue for me to drop my 5-star rating. If you are looking for a small panini press for under $[...], this is the press for you.Customer Review: Great little Sandwich Press
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this recently because we like toasted sandwiches, but I dont like them flattened to death like the old sandwich makers did. I was slightly disappointed with it for a plain grilled cheese on store bought soft honey wheat sliced bread, because it still flattened it too much, but still a lot better than the old sandwich maker. Now, since I've been using it the past couple of weeks with home made loaf breads like sourdough, or breadmaker breads, I've found it to be just right--not too flat. I'm anxious to try more varieties of breads and fillings from the 200 Best Panini Recipes recipe book I bought from Amazon at the same time. So far I'm enjoying it as a way to make quick simple lunches more special and am enjoying using the previously neglected breadmaker too. I can't wait to try making Jalapeno bread and Italian Herb bread in the breadmaker soon and using the Panini maker with those for some recipes I have not tried. The Panini maker is very easy to use and easy to clean. Melted cheese wipes off easily.