Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press
Customer Review: I love it, Wonderful all the way around!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was kinda unsure if I should go with this panini maker or not but the price was so right and I wanted a panini maker. So despite the Negitive Reviews I went ahead and got it because I always enjoyed Hamiltion Beach Products and this did'nt fail me. I dont think there is a need for a ON and OFF switch. I only use it when I plug it in anyways. And someone mentioned that her bread burned before the meat got hot, Well I have made so many sandwiches these past few days and not one sandwich was cold in the inside! IT was crispy warm and sooo yummy. I used every type of bread from market brand sandwich slices to sourdough rolls. No bread was too thick or too thin for the panini. If you are useing Rolls do be sure to keep a spacula in hand to keep the roll in place as you close the handle down. The surface on the panini by the way is sooo easy to clean. I am a clean freak and I also read someone saying the panini sucks becaus eit get soo dirty, well I had too much chesse in a sanwhich once and the chesse ozzed out and stayed on the grill but when I wanted to clean it so I can make another sandwich all i had to do is wipe it with a paper towel and that was it. When it cooled I cleaned it with a simi wet sponge and thats it. I love this 100%. I suggest if you dont like yours, you might of just got a bad one or something, exchange it for a diferant one!Customer Review: Great crispy sandwiches, but that's all it does
Summary: 5 Stars
This makes great crispy euro-style pressed sandwiches: that's all it's supposed to do, and it does that well.
But you have to decide if you like panini enough to have a machine dedicated to making that and nothing else. It only takes a a few times using your own Press instead of going to the local Panera for the unit to pay for itself, but my panini cravings are far enough apart that this press is usually relegated to a distant corner of the kitchen.
The unit is a little hard to clean between the grooves where drippings burn onto the surface.
On first use, there's a mild burning smell of "new" (much like turning on a brand new iron or grill). The instructions don't call for anything other than a preliminary cleaning, but I'd suggest running through some plain bread or sprinkling a little water on the hot surface to help remove the residue causing that odor, before cooking things you plan to eat.
Quibbles: The top "floats" for variable thickness, but isn't independent of the top handle, making it close at an angle. I occasionally want a tall "dagwood" style sandwich and this press accommodates them poorly/unevenly (and I have to reposition the sandwich after it's pressed down a bit). The power cord is a bit short.
If you enjoy panini, this is a great sandwich press.
Customer Review: Great Panini's on a Budget!
Summary: 4 Stars
Now if you're craving warm, toasty sandwiches and you've only got $40 in your pocket you can either go to a sandwich shop a handful of times or buy this little bad boy so you can have a nearly unlimited supply! While this panini press may not be perfect, it does a fine job putting out melty, toasted sandwiches that are way better than what you can make otherwise. I purchased this press a couple of days back and have experimented with some french bread, swiss cheese, salami and turkey bacon. In both cases the sandwich came out just right, ingredients warmed and cheese melted. For the less positive reviews, my guess is operator error and poor cooking skills, it's certainly not the press. You do want to make sure you get ingredients that are sliced to the right thickness and aren't ice cold from the fridge.
Overall it's a good looking appliance with a lot chrome, real metal and otherwise. Build quality is a bit flimsy, the hinges and arms are not super solid but unless you man-handle your machine, you should be ok. Controls are simple, plug it in and wait for the green light to come on. In 2 - 5 minutes you should have a great snack, just make sure you set the height properly and keep an eye on your meal. You really can not beat the price on this press, it does everything you would expect it to.
Customer Review: The BEST Sandwich Maker EVER !!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
If anyone is wondering if this is worth getting, Trust me it is!!!!! I'm a stay at home wife who loves to cook for my hubby, and one of his favorite meals are subs or sanwiches that are grilled or toasted, sometimes when I'm away he will go to Safeway and pay 5 to 8 bucks for a panini, so I thought I would see if there was something I could buy that would give the same result as a store bought sandwich only way cheaper, this panini press is the answer!!! This thing works great and is SOOO simple to use, way easier that trying to grill in a skillet where you have to try flipping a loaded sandwich! Just plug in, heat up and you're good to go. I have made dozens of different sandwiches and all have come out perfectly toasted and cheese melted all the way through, I have had ZERO complaints with this and although reading some of the other reviews ,people saying is burns the bread and such I was a little leary 'but dont believe it for a second, I have had nothing close to burnt, EVER! Give it a try, my husband and I are so glad we did, ( our favorite is rye bread with bbq sauce , chedder , ham and olive oil on the bread to keep it from sticking and to crisp it right up) Sooooo yummy!Customer Review: What can't you turn into a panini?
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great panini press for the money. (Actually I turned in some skymiles so mine was "free.") I had always wanted one but didn't want to waste my money so when I saw that, I jumped on it. This is a basic unit. No bells and whistles but it gets the job done. You want grooved sandwiches or open faced grilled sandwiches, this'll will give you that. Go wild. You can make so many things into a panini. I even did this horrific little breakfast sandwich made with Eggo Blueberry Waffles as the bread! (Regular waffles would've been much better but yeah, it totally worked!) It's a great way to have dinner done in 5 minutes. I will say if you're using Hawaiian sweet bread or more delicate bread that you'll have to watch it carefully because it will burn quickly.
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star is removeable plates would be a God send on this thing because it's a real pain in the rump to clean. It's difficult to get in the grooves and the gap all around the grooves so yeah, basically the whole thing. It feels like you can never get it quite as clean as you'd like it. But if you're looking for a started press, this is a great one to get.