Comments on: Unitasker Wednesday: The Panini Press

By: A year ago on Unclutterer | Unclutterer

A year ago on Unclutterer | Unclutterer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:53:47 +0000

[...] Unitasker Wednesday: The Panini Press If you desire a panini that badly and you don’t want to part with the $100 and the cupboard space you can probably survive by using items that you already have in your kitchen. [...]

By: Meg

Meg — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:45:05 +0000

Anyone ever just use a cast-iron press in a pan or on a griddle? I haven’t used it to make panini yet, but it makes some outstanding bacon.

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:37:18 +0000

Yes, I laughed when my DH brought a panini press home. But before you knew it, we dumped the Foreman–the panini thing is particularly good for salmon burgers and seared tuna. Ever so slightly easier to clean as you can drizzle water on it and it drains in the sink.

By: Pip

Pip — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:20:53 +0000

I have a similar grill too – works great for lots of things including French toast, veggies, heating up waffles, panini of course, brats, quesadillas, anything you would use a Forman grill for so same dealio. If that grill is a unitasker, so is a Forman grill.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:09:57 +0000

I have this model. I am stationed in Germany and it was hard to find a Foreman. I use it for lots of things besides sandwiches. Bratwurts, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Chicken, and even Fish Sticks have made it on my “Unitasker”… There is an adjustment on the side to allow you to set the hight of the grill on the top so if you have a sensitive item (like the fish sticks I made)it won’t get squished. I like it…

By: rose

rose — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:51:05 +0000

Why is it that an inordinate number of posts on this blog try to suggest you need to purchase more clutter to become uncluttered?

By: jonathan tucker

jonathan tucker — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:00:59 +0000

another forman-panini user here!

By: thedesktop

thedesktop — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:19:45 +0000

You could just get a panini at a restaurant and save yourself the trouble.

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:58:51 +0000

This looks exactly like the sandwich press we have at home. We use it to grill vegetables and meat as well as all kinds of sandwiches, wraps, turkish bread etc. So for us it really is a multitasker.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:16:51 +0000

Man. I read it as, “The Panny Press”.

Mind. Gutter.

By: radiantmatrix

radiantmatrix — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:46:53 +0000

Yeah, this thing should properly be called a “contact grill”. Cuisinart makes a model that is decidedly multi-tasking and uncluttered:

1. has “grill” (lined) and “griddle” (smooth) plates
2. opens flat to be used as a regular grill, or presses to grill e.g. chicken on both sides at once.
3. the plates are removable and *dishwasher safe”.

End result? Anything I grill during the colder months gets put on the contact grill, I make pancakes on it (used as an electric griddle!), and the cleanup is as easy as putting the plates in the dishwasher. It takes up less space than what it replaces:

* a second skillet for panini and other “pressed” foods.
* a stovetop griddle
* a stovetop grill-plate

And also works on low heat as a plate-warmer (nice when all burners on the stove are busy cooking!).

Cusinart isn’t the only one who makes the multi-tasking version of this device, so I don’t know why people bother to buy the “panini-press-only” uni-tasking version…

By: Gayle

Gayle — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:03:24 +0000

I’m so glad the sarcastic tone of Unitasker Wednesday is gone. I found that so unsettling.

By: erin rae

erin rae — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:52:35 +0000

Too funny. I adore my panini maker.

I never had a Foreman grill, so it essentially does the same thing -

I grill chicken on it when I just want a couple of breasts cooked, grill shrimp, make paninis, grill vegetables, etc. I use it at least once a week…

By: Spacelord

Spacelord — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:51:57 +0000

We also use a George Forman grill for this task.

The George Grills are easy to clean if you do one simple thing.. after removing the food, while its still fairly warm/hot.. put a wet paper towel in it, close the grill.
Let it sit for a while. It steam cleans the hard to clean stuff. Then, wipe until clean with a couple more paper towels or rag. I hated cleaning it until I figured this out.

Even if I forget to put the wet paper towel in and it cools off.. I turn it back on for a couple minutes then insert the wet paper towel.

By: John in Indiana

John in Indiana — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:24:45 +0000

I have used the 2-skillet method with tasty results. I’m surprised that some actually LIKE the George grill. I always hated cleaning the thing, so during a kitchen de-clutter last week, I packed the Foreman, along with a 9-year unused Brita pitcher and a never-used waffle iron into a box and donated them.
I like to “squish” my toasted cheese and Reuben sammiches…