Best Panini Presses

If you want to get the maximum performance from your kitchen appliances, the Griddler® Five is surely worth your consideration. It's the ultimate machine that combines five separate cooking options in one neat unit - a panini press, full grill, contact grill, full griddle, and a combo of half grill/half griddle. Moreover, its functionality can be further expanded by getting waffle plates from the same manufacturer. Waffle plates can be a huge bonus for those families that don't usually cook waffles very often (but love them anyway) and do not want to invest in a separate waffle press machine. All the plates (including the waffle ones) are non-stick and dishwasher-safe, so the cleanup will be easy.

When it comes to cooking results, everything on this grill turns out very delicious. In a contact grill mode, the unit cooks crispy burgers, meat, and vegetables. As a panini press, it makes perfect sandwiches, different types of bread, and quesadillas. A full grill is ideal for cooking steaks, poultry, fish and veggies. A full griddle with a flat surface is great for cooking pancakes, eggs, French toasts, and hashbrowns, while a half grill/half griddle combo lets you prepare full meals like bacon and eggs at the same time. All the grease will go in the drip tray placed underneath the unit, so you'll be able to quickly pull it out and clean after the cooking.

The George Foreman GRP1060B indoor grill is surely worth checking out if you need a compact unit for a confined kitchen. It fits on any countertop and is small enough to be placed in front of another appliance like a kettle or French press, for example.

Although the manufacturer claims it to grill 4 servings at once, the model can fit only two burger patties or two chicken breast at a time. It has a modest 60 sq. inch cooking surface and is targeted mostly towards small families. However, every coin has two sides - a small grill surface along with a decent 1150-Watt heating element makes this unit really fast. That is to say, the George Foreman panini press promises to heat up 35% faster than most other similar models. So, in just 10 minutes, you can go from switching it on to enjoying yummy meals. 

The grill preheats in about 4 minutes - when it reaches the sufficient temperature, the green indicator light turns on. On average, the unit can cook 4-oz burger or 7-oz steak rare in 4-5 minutes, medium in 5-7 minutes, and well-done in 6-8 minutes. To let you accommodate different cuts of meat, it has a 1-inch adjustable hinge.

When making panini, quite often it’s challenging not to put the whole store of filling on it, for we all strive for the best taste sensations. As a result of this longing for more, we get a huge burger that cannot be put between the plates without losing some of its ingredients. The sandwich is cooked but only partially and most of the filling has run away. Sounds familiar to you? If so, then the Hamilton Beach 25460A Panini Press is what you need. 

The press machine opens wide and has a height-adjustable hinge, which allows accommodating even the biggest of sandwiches. The café-style floating lid helps evenly press a sandwich of any size. So, eventually, you will get a well-done panini with a crispy crust and traditional, deliciously appealing crosshatch marks on your grilled food. In a word, with the Hamilton Beach 25460A Panini Press, you'll be able to prepare mouth-watering gourmet sandwiches with lots of tasty fillings, which will beat all of your previous culinary records!

If you'd like to get as close to a real charcoal grilling experience as possible, you should definitely consider the Hamilton Beach 25360 searing grill. It's a relatively compact indoor unit that runs on electricity (not propane) but gives you very similar results to outdoor grilling. That's largely achieved owing to the fact that it's not a typical contact grill or sandwich press with a heated lid, but a grate-type grill with hood. Only the bottom plate here heats up, while the hood serves as a simple dome, just like in a real BBQ grill. The heating element is embedded right in the bottom plate, so you won't need to worry about hot and cold spots.

The other perk is that the grill plate is not solid but "slatted", meaning the juices drain off naturally and fall between the grates into the generously-sized drip tray. That means the steaks don't sit in grease while cooking and come out with the genuine grill marks. The meat gets very juicy/tender in the middle with an outdoor grill-like appetizing flavor. Though, unlike real BBQs, this appliance produces no smoke in your kitchen.

With only one knob for temperature, the unit is very user-friendly. It has actual temperature indicators on the dial rather than just low/medium/high settings. The unit offers 6 different settings from 200 to 450 degrees F, which makes it versatile enough for different foods. There is a handy indicator light that comes on once the cooking surface reaches the desired temperature.

If you want to channel your inner chef and cook panini like a pro without paying a hefty sum of money, the Chefman RJ02-180 electric panini press is perfect for you. This easy-to-use device doesn't cost a fortune, but it's super cute and can be used for much more than just cooking panini.

The main advantage of the Chefman RJ02-180 is that it's featured with a floating hinge. Thanks to that, it can be used with a closed lid and open flat. The lid opens up to 180 degrees, which will give you 10" x 8.75" of cooking surface, making it ideal for grilling thicker sandwiches, burgers, fish, chicken, vegetables, and whatnot. The closed cooking surface of 5.5" x 8.75" is a good size to cook two sandwiches at a time, so you can cook more custom sandwiches and waste less time. Not to be left out is its non-stick coating that cooks fast, evenly, and without oil, making flipping grilling treats easy and hassle-free. This also makes it a good option for those looking to reduce the calorie intake and eat healthier foods.

It's also of note that despite its budget-friendly price tag, this panini press looks anything but cheap. It features a durable stainless-steel housing with plastic elements that make it a real looker. The cool-to-the-touch handle eliminates the risk of burns, while the non-skid feet on the bottom of the device prevent it from shifting on the counter. The grill itself is quite small. With its overall dimensions of 13" x 10" x 4" and 4 lbs of weight, it needs very little space, making it a good addition to any small kitchen, office, dorm room or even trips.