Cuisinart WM-SW2 Dual-Sandwich Nonstick Electric Grill
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.93 You Save: $28.07 (70%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart WM-SW2 Dual-Sandwich Nonstick Electric Grill
Customer Review: Cuisinart WM-SW2 Dual-Sandwich Nonstick Electric Grill
Summary: 2 Stars
Plusses: Delivery was on time and in good condition. I guess that I got just what I paid for! (The unit didn't 'break the bank'). The unit is ascetically pleasing. ... (Well, to me anyway). :-)
Down sides: In hindsight; I should have done more product research. The unit seems to take like forever to heat the toasting surfaces. (I think that it needs more power or something). The food sometimes burns or is sometimes under-done, despite the appearance of the completed (green) indicator light. The biggest problem that I am really concerned about is that the unit is difficult to keep clean. The toasting plates cannot be easily removed for cleaning and it is dangerous to try and clean them when they are still hot, which means that (for a so-called 'quick & easy' appliance) one has to wait around after cooking to allow the plates to cool down enough for safe cleaning and sanitation. The so-called 'non-stick' substance on the plates is easily scratched. There are seemingly endless 'nooks & crannies' around the frame of the unit that collect molten (grease, cheese, etc.,) food and the unit cannot safely be immersed in hot soapy water (or any water for that matter) for cleaning.
Tips: If you purchase this item do not over butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Grease and other foodstuffs WILL spill onto your bench surface and perhaps even down one's cupboards. Use standard thickness bread without too much 'filling'. The lid cannot be de-hinged to accommodate larger thicknesses of sandwiches or breads. If you intend to feed a family of 5 or more with it; forget it! It would just take too long.
Would I recommend it, buy it again, perhaps as a present? NO! However, in hindsight, I might have saved some more 'pennies' and invested in a larger, perhaps a more professional model or brand. It's alright if you are not too worried about hygiene and/or attracting vermin!
W.
Customer Review: Welcome to Cuisinart Sandwich Grill Club
Summary: 3 Stars
The positives:
First and foremost, this grill does what it's supposed to do: make grilled sandwiches. The operation is so intuitive that it borders on brainlessness. It's great for the kids. Heck, I'm fairly certain that a really clever dog could get this to work. The non-stick surface will last a long time provided it does not come in contact with metal and is not washed with anything very abrasive. Use this bad-boy and you'll have a grilled sandwich in no time (I recommend the classic ham & cheese).
The negatives:
1) The first rule of Cuisinart Sandwich Grill Club is, you do NOT put in more than two pieces of cheese. The grill plates do not detach, do not adjust, and limit sandwich size to small-ish bread with minimal ingredients. Squeezing down to fit in the ingredients only pinches the middle into two triangles (doesn't cut it), and pushes parts of the sandwich outside the grill which leads to other problems...
2) The second rule of Cuisinart Sandwich Grill Club is, you do NOT put in more than two pieces of cheese! If you break this rule, you will learn what a nightmare this thing is to clean. I'm talking yellow police tape at a crime scene nightmare. This is not good because cheese does not avoid small corners where fingers do not fit. Similarly, it doesn't avoid coiled metal that covers the electrical wire connected to this device. Cheese everywhere. After attempting to make a man-sized sandwich, and witnessing the after-effects of the cheese migration, I had a good 30 minutes of clean up time, stretching the coils out just to pick out the small cheese goo. Top and bottom sections that separate would have helped immensely.
The bottom line: Use this thing correctly, with small sandwiches, and you'll be happy with the results. However, make a big sandwich and you may suffer second-degree cheese burns as you rush to get the mess off the counter-top.
Customer Review: It's grill-tastic
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this grill as a gift for reaching a service anniversary milestone at my company, so aside from the years of toil, it was completely free. I've had it for about a week now, and I have to say, I love this thing. On my first attempt, I heated up the grill, sprayed a little olive oil on the plates, and loaded 'em up with some English muffins, egg, cheese, and rosemary. Delish. The muffin breakfast sandwiches cooked up perfectly, and aside from a little spilled egg in the crevices of the unit, cleanup was a snap -- no burned mess to contend with. I've also tried grilled ham and cheese and an apple version of the danish listed in the recipe section of the manual. There's so much you can do with this machine.
I docked it one star because the recipe booklet is kind of sparse and the grill plates aren't removable for cleaning. Also, a word of warning: support the handle from the bottom when you close the lid, because the base isn't stable enough to withstand the pressure needed to engage the latch and the whole unit can tip over and spill the contents of your sandwich and/or burn you. Just FYI.
Just to address a couple of concerns people seem to be having:
1. Burned ingredients. I've never even come close to burning anything in this grill, but I would guess that for those who are having this problem, either the plates weren't sufficiently oiled/greased or the sandwich was left in the grill too long.
2. Plate size. If you don't use a standard bread size like Home Pride or Wonder, or if you don't feel like trimming bread, maybe this grill isn't for you.
For the price, though, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a sandwich grill that works as well or as easily as this one. Two thumbs up.
Customer Review: It's a sandwich grill, not a hydraulic press!
Summary: 5 Stars
Many reviewers are complaining about only being able to make "thin sandwiches" with this press. I've owned it for 8 months now, and it has worked perfectly for every single sandwich I have ever put in there.
Last night, I made a meatball and marinara stuffed sandwich. The meatballs were about 3 inches tall, cut in half, so 1.5 inches in the sandwich. I put some marinara sauce and mozzarella, the top piece of bread, and it worked perfectly.
I have no idea what these people are putting in their sandwiches, but if you plan on 6 inches of sandwich (vertically, that is), then no this grill may not work for you. However, those 6-inch-tall monstrosities are probably not legally classified as "sandwiches" once they get that tall anyway.
It's a sandwich grill. It fits two pieces of bread, some cheese, some meat, a few veggies, and it squeezes your sandwich together and cooks from both sides. When the green light is lit, your sandwich is done! It's easy. It's fast. It's high quality and still looks/functions like new after 8 months of heavy use (heavy being at least 3 times a week, usually 5-7 times a week. My household loves hot sandwiches.)
Easy to clean - just wipe it out with a moist paper towel when it's still warm (don't burn yourself like I'm wont to do).
Another fun idea: I use this grill to make omelets. Scramble a few eggs in a bowl with a fork; mix in some green onions, ham, and cheese; a few dashes of tobasco sauce; pour the bowl in the grill and clamp down. In 5 minutes, you'll have a perfectly-cooked, square-shaped omelet.
Customer Review: a pain to clean, leaves weird taste
Summary: 1 Stars
I make a lot of grilled sandwiches so I bought this thinking it would be easier than just doing them in a frying pan. I was very disappointed.
First off, this thing is impossible to clean. The hinges in the back are very close together with seams which allow anything that seeps out (cheese mostly) to get stuck in there. There is no way to separate the top from the bottom and the space is too small to actually get in there and clean effectively so you get food stuck in there that you can't reach to clean.
Another annoyance is your sandwich won't actually be separated as you would expect, you have to actually cut them with a knife (pulling apart doesn't work as the crease isn't even deep enough to allow you to do that)
Thirdly, the sandwiches I made did not taste that great. I tried using cooking spray and even some butter to see if that was the difference, but they still tasted slightly "off". Not a bad taste, just something weird about it.
I never used it to make omelets or french toast or anything like that (just grilled sandwiches) so I can't really comment on those but I'd imagine you'd have the same problem with clean up.
There is no on and off switch, nor any temperature settings. If you want to cook something less or more well done you cannot.
I used this thing probably 5 or 6 times before I gave up and sent it back. I was hoping this would be more convenient to use but it was not at all.