Villaware V2160 UNO ProPress Panini Grill
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Our Price: $149.97 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $79.89 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Villaware V2160 UNO ProPress Panini Grill
Customer Review: Best bang for the buck
Summary: 5 Stars
Last fall I was wandering around Sam's Club and happened on a stack of these marked for closeout at $29. Yeah only $29. Not really in need of another kitchen appliance it nonetheless only took me about 2 seconds of thought before I grabbed one. For the $29 I paid it has to be the best bang in an electric grill/sandwich maker.
The unit has an ample plate size for grilling more than single serving sizes of veggies, meats, or sandwiches. Perfect size for two empty nesters. The adjustable thermostat is very useful. There is no on/off switch, as others have said, but how hard can it be to plug/unplug the power cord? There are lights on the thermostat that provide ample visual clue the unit is still on. This unit it heats up pretty fast and produces a hot cooking surface for searing and browning. It doesn't have removable plates, which admittedly does make cleanup more of a challenge than other units that do. Suggestion: Use Q-tips to clean between griddle ridges. The unit stands upright/vertically for more compact storage. The cord stores out of sight under the bottom plate. You can get all the missing features on other manufacturer's units but no where close to the price that I paid for this unit.
So how does it cook? It makes terrific sandwiches; worth what I paid if only just to make grilled Reubens. It grills meats and seafood very quickly; be sure to keep an eye on them because you can easily over cook them. You might need to experiment a bit at different temperature stettings to find the right timing. It's also one of the best bacon cookers I've ever used, and best of all there is no grease splatter. All in all, very I am very satisfied with the unit.
So here's the best part. After giving me some trouble for dragging home another kitchen gadget, the wife quickly changed her mind after eating the first pannini to off it. She really, really liked it - liked it so much she sent me scurrying back to Sam's to see if they had any left as she wanted to give one to her sister. Good luck. They had two left. Great luck. They were now marked down to only$20! So, I grabbed 'em both. Best $20 gift we ever gave, and now I've got a cheap backup for the first one should it ever break.
Customer Review: Great Quality for the Money
Summary: 4 Stars
I was a big George Forman fan, but after all the non-stick surface eventually peeled off, I deceided to see if there was another brand on the market with similiar purpose. First the negative, there is NO ON / OFF switch. I guess this isn't the worst because it's probably unsafe to leave a 1400 watt grill plugged in all the time.I knew this could create great panini sandwiches, but how could it do with meats. I had previously cooked for over a year on the George Forman grill and the hamilton beach steam grill, but would the Villaware compare? I was familiar with Villaware from my Waffle Maker, so I was willing to try the brand again. I cooked two pork chops. I marinated them on the grill with sauce.
I wasn't sure what heat level to use, so I figured about 3/4, but this was to much. I lowered it slightly, cut into them to check the progress. They seemed to cook very fast and even, but also browned with thin lines throughout. They looked picture perfect when completed. Wow, restaurant quality at home from a bachelor. The taste was excellent, it seemed to trap the flavor, unlike the watery results with the competition. What a great grill.
I will say the clean up was very easy with the "plastic tool" that is provided (just don't ever loose it). The plastic cleaning tool with "teeth" seems to be of high quality plastic, unlike the flimsey george forman cheap plastic. Also, the drip tray is stainless steel type metal, what a difference from the cheap plastic tray from GF. In fact my GF cheap plastic trey once melted from touching it with a hot object, no worries with the Villaware.
I might actually buy a cook book for the first time. I feel like I'll be able to impress friends with this grill. Did I also mention that it opens up to 3" when cooking and automatically forms a parallel cooking surface of the top and bottom.
I would have given it a higher rating if they had an on/off switch and a timer. Maybe they'll put these features on a future version.
Enjoy...
Customer Review: Want an awesome kitchen gadget??
Summary: 5 Stars
I pondered buying a Foreman grill until my eye caught sight of this baby. I compared the two grills and by far the Villaware is a better quality grill. I have other Villaware gadgets and this unit is built the with the same high quality standards. I looked no further and bought it on the spot. What an amazing little grill! Yes, it makes great (make that fantastic) panini, but it does so much more. I grilled marinated chicken breast and it cooked them so fast (to my amazement) that I overcooked them. Now that I am aware of the cooking speed, chicken breast comes out juicy. It seers in the juices, so unless you don't pay attention (as I did), it is hard to screw up. Don't underestimate the power of this grill!Cleaning is a snap - yes, it has that handy dandy comb which does a great job cleaning. What I find very helpful is to pour some hot tap water over the grill once you're done cooking and have unplugged the unit. It loosens the residue and makes the final cleaning extremely easy. This grill shares top billing with my Kitchen Aid and Magic Mill.
The unit is sharp looking and slick. It has a lock on the cover which allows the unit to be stored on end. It takes up very little counter space (yes, I like to look at it all the time..). The fact that it doesn't have a power switch is not an issue for me. In fact I consider it a safety feature (hence the 5 stars). It is also quite heavy and sturdy.
My favorite panini (so far that is....) is from Lidia's Italian-American show. Take a can of tuna packed in olive oil, a can of chick peas drained and lightly smashed, ½ chopped onion, salt, pepper and some additional olive oil. Mix it all together, spread between thick slices of Italian bread and grill in the mighty Villaware. Delizioso...... Buon appetito!
Customer Review: Design Flaws = Dried Out Food
Summary: 3 Stars
In this sturdy and heavy panini grill -- appearing to be from the same factory as the similar Krups unit -- I wish to point out some design problems:The VillaWare #2160 Uno Panini Grill no only cooks quickly, but more importantly, it cooks with almost no fat. The bottom grill is slanted so that fat drips off the surface. This may sound good at first to some low-fat eaters, but this feature leads to quickly cooked, dried-out foods -- meats and fish in particular.
Additionally, the grill is NOT easy to clean as others have claimed. The experts at a local cookware shop warned about this problem, and even encouraged me to purchase another Italian unit instead. The scraper that comes with the VillaWare is essential, but the scraper doesn't do a complete job of penetrating the grooves, leaving one to spend additional time trying to remove fat and food residues from the bottom grill side. I finally lifted this heavy machine above a sink, and carefully sloping it in a particular fashion, sprayed water across its surfaces to loosen the built up substances on it. Probably not recommended, but a necessary procedure in this user's judgement. The top grill's slots are not as deep and therefore easier to clean with a wet wrag.
The Krups unit has more shallow grills, which are level, leaving the cooking oils that you have applied to the food before grilling, on the surface of the grill. This allows moisture to be retained in the food because the outside surfaces can be seared with a bit of fat.
Customer Review: Best Countertop Appliance I've EVER Purchased!!!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love, love, love, love, love this Panini Grill!!! We just bought it two weeks ago and used it nearly every day last week and probably every other day this week and look forward to using it much, much more. We paid the full price for it through Crate and Barrel (that was a mistake - I know better to check Amazon.com first) and it was well worth the full price, but the price it's offered for here is a great bargain.
I agree with another reviewer in that I think this is a much better quality grill than the George Foreman (which I don't own, but have used at my in-laws). It's sturdy, very easy to clean with the included tool, has a grease catch that can be thrown in the dishwasher, and to top it all off it's great looking and has a latch that allows it to be stored standing on end - I keep mine on my counter top for easy access.
Again, can't say enough good things about this great grill.
Doesn't matter if you're a serious cook, a weekend griller or a microwaver; this appliance is easy to use and with a little imagination you can make the greatest appetizers and meals.
This is one small appliance that won't be collecting dust in our home and I bet it won't in yours either.
P.S. Two great cookbooks I'd recommend to use with this grill:
**Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever...**
**Panini, Bruschetta, Crostini: Sandwiches Italian Style**
They are both available through Amazon at a competitive price.