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: good with reservations
Summary: 3 Stars
I hate to suggest this but some of the reviews here read more like marketing slogans than user reviews.. We received this unit as a gift and were quite suspicious of having such a highly specific appliance taking valuable counter space. That said we do in fact use it all of the time and the grill does a great job on sandwiches. The grill heats fast, maintains good heat, has good weight and does an all-round good job. That said:
1. The grill is HARD to clean, the plates are not removable and make cleaning a nightmare, especially if you cook anything other than a sandwich.
2. The plates are not removable; beyond the easier cleaning, it would be nice to have other options available such as a griddle. We do not have a large kitchen with lots of unused counter space and I feel I could justify leaving it on the counter if i could get more utility from it. In addition the item is a bit heavy for socking away in a cabinet on a regular basis.
3. on / off or auto-off switch. Call us bad consumers, but this unit got left on a couple of times. So far, I am considering myself lucky.
Since it was a gift, we will keep and use happily; but if I were shopping, I would look for another that had these features.
Customer Review: BEST for sandwiches
Summary: 4 Stars
I had lusted after this little baby for some time and finally bought it when I found a great deal on it. It makes the most amazing sandwiches, which you can custom-tailor to your tastes. I also used it for a rolled flank steak, stuffed with mushrooms and cut into thick slices. Each slice cooked perfectly at medium heat, although like all steaks, it requires a watchful eye to prevent overcooking.My experience with vegetables was similarly good. Peppers, onions, eggplant slices all cook in minutes with good result. I have not tried chicken breasts, but from reading the other reviews, imagine that the results will be similar.
One negative: fish can be a tricky business on this grill. I cooked an ahi steak for only a few minutes and it was overdone. I bought a stovetop grill pan specifically for fish after that (well, I confess I do throw a little bacon on it too from time to time).
I am quite satisfied with this panini grill, and love my homemade paninis. I found that a sliced kaiser or hoagie roll works well, as well as thickly sliced Italian or sourdough bread. My favorite sandwich?: thickly sliced bread, olive tapenade, roasted red pepper slices and sliced fontina. Who said heaven isn't right here?
Customer Review: Its fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
I've used it 4 times and although I have nothing to compare it to I feel ready to review. The machine is easy to operate, clean and feels sturdy enough to last. It looks great and performs as you'd expect (and I expect things to perform as described and well). The Panninis come out as if you were in the business and I've used it to cook sausages and it works a treat. In fact there was something quite releaving, for the health consicious, watching the excess fat drain into the tray.
I'm trying to think of some bad points....The handle does look a little less rigid than the photograph may suggest as the bars down the sides are independant, not one piece ie there is a little give to twisting but nothing that would make you think it would fall apart. As some other reviewer pointed out the top press does not typically align, when open, with what appears to be a drip lip at the back of the bottom press. I did notice this on the one occasion where there was suficient fat (bear in mind this is the top press) to actually cause a drip however a slight and careful (its very hot) nudge and the top press can be positioned to drain into this or alternatively you can leave the press not fully open.
Customer Review: Works fine, worth it if you do a lot of panini sandwiches
Summary: 3 Stars
We've had this model for several years now. It works fine, but isn't perfect. Once you plug it in, the heating starts, the only way to turn it off is to unplug it. I consider this a safety issue. The heat control goes from 1-7; what does that mean? If you look at the expensive commercial-grade machines you'll see they have true gradated heat controls. The 1-7 settings give me no more help than the low, medium, high settings on the gas range or other low cost panini. The user manual gives no help either, you have to "burn it to learn it" as far as which setting to use. For occasional use, you may be better off with just a teflon saute or fry pan, especially if space is a problem in your home. It does a good job on burgers and filets and other BONELESS cuts of meat or chicken, but such items need to be uniform in thickness else the top side will not cook evenly. The cooking surfaces are NOT removable for cleaning and you cannot immerse this in water. Know these things and then make an informed decision. Overall, we think it's a good product that does the job but it is not the perfect appliance.Customer Review: Very professional, perfect everytime.
Summary: 5 Stars
I love to turn all ordinary sandwiches into panini sandwiches. The pros to this one are: 1. Compact enough that I can store in pull out cabinetry below countertops, and lightweight enough to pull out every time I want to use it. 2. The grill tops are easy to clean by wiping down with damp sponge; I never use to cook raw meats (use a grill or George Foreman press for that). 3. The double hinge means my sandwiches are evenly pressed from front to back and they never split from being pressed down too much in one spot. 4. It's quick to heat up; by the time I'm done preparing the sandwich to press, the grill is hot enough to use.
Now, my only con: 1. It doesn't have an on/off switch. This just scares me everytime I unplug it to store it away as it 'zaps' back at me. And, even if you plan to keep it on your countertop, you'll still have to unplug it. But, I guess that forces some to be environmentally friendly.