Hamilton Beach Panini Press Sandwich Maker & Electric Indoor Grill with Locking Lid, Opens Wide to Fit Any Thickness for Quesadillas, Burgers & More, Nonstick 8" x 10" Grids, Chrome (25460AG)

I am now a panini addict! I purchased this panini maker because it got good reviews and was inexpensive. I was so glad I made this choice! It's super easy to use, just plug it in and wait for it to heat up. There is no option to control the heat, but every sandwich I've made has come out great! I've been eating panini sandwiches almost every day since I got this about 3 weeks ago. Yeah, there are lots of other appliances out there that have more bells and whistles, but this one does the job and does it very well! I've used pita bread, ciabatta bread and sourdough bread to make sandwiches so far. You do have to remember to unplug it or it will just stay on. Also cleaning it is a chore, but I just take a damp paper towel to wipe it down after it has cooled off. Other, more expensive models may have removable press plates that can be washed easily, but for me the trade off is actually having to remove them and later put them back on....I'd rather just wipe it down. Also I love that you can store it closed and standing upright which makes it easy to put in a cabinet for storage or, like I do, to push back against the counter wall out of the way, since I use it every day. Either way it uses less kitchen real estate than most other panini makers.

I bought this for my husband because he had been wanting a panini grill. I looked at the fancier, bigger, higher priced grills, but went with this one because it has a history of good reviews. Perhaps when he proves he is responsible with this one, I will get him an upgrade :)This one is nice because there arent a lot of settings to worry about and try to remember what settings to use for what. Just turn it on, watch for the light, and then you're ready to throw your sandwich on there. He always uses thick sourdough bread and is happy with the way his sandwiches turn out. I told him to butter the grill, not the bread, and so now his results are much better.The non stick grill surfaces are nice and easy to clean. Even if a little cheese oozes out, it wipes right off with a paper towel. Nothing sticks to the surface at all.It is the perfect size for two nice sandwiches (on large bread), but yet not too big and bulky to have to worry about where to store it and it is not so big that it is cumbersome to move around and clean, etc.A lot of the other lower priced models that I looked at did not have the floating lid. This one does have the hinged floating lid so you can get thick sandwiches in there and the lid will lay flat and evenly on top.Aside from sandwiches, it is nice for burgers and steaks too. Nice to have something like this when it is too cold to go outside and run the big propane grill. We eat NY Strip and Porterhouse steaks a lot, so this little grill is really nice to get us through the winter months and not miss out on the beefy goodness. This sears them perfectly and we are able to get them done to our liking of "medium well." Boneless split chicken breasts/tenders work out wonderfully as well.It feels very well made, especially for the price and we are both happy with it. I am happy to have found such a good model at such a good price and he is happy that it works so well and is easy to use. It is the perfect combination of price, performance and value. It is not lacking any necessary features and the build quality is perfect.

It's perfect for a reason. I would evaluate the griller on the below scales:1. Size: Fit 2 sandwiches or a half loaf in one go making things quicker2. Quality: Nonstick and requires very little oil. The outer material is also very sturdy3. Efficiency: Top and bottom heating and quick heating time4. Price Point: Got it in sale but the above benefits make it an excellent value for money in the category5. Cleanliness: Easy to clean

We had panini all over Sicily for lunches--grilled sandwiches with fillings like ham and cheese or tomato with cheese and eggplant (my favorite "Alla Norma." They are a way to make a meal out of simple fillings and good bread --with some soup and salad you even have dinner.So this press is simple and not terribly expensive. But it has some flaws, but if you can deal with them, it's a good buy as as reliable as a waffle iron.1. The lid gets HOT HOT HOT. As in burn you bad. The grill below the lid is not insulated so NO CHILDREN operating this--and frankly no one easily forgetful. Use a silicone mitt to lift it when the sandwich is grilled. Oh, and that lid stays HOT after you finish grilling for quite some time. Oh, and no temp control or on-off.2. Not much in the way of an instruction book; a small, finely printed slim pamphlet.3. Short cord. It barely went from the counter to the outlet behind.4. No removable plates, so you will be cleaning it with a soft wet cloth when it cools.Now that the complaints are aired, I have to say, it made a well baked sandwich quickly and easily. Be sure to use a bread like ciabatta or Italian bread, not fluffy regular sandwich bread. The reason for this --the airy types of bread dry out as they bake in the panini press. Ciabatta rolls are used all over Italy and brushed with olive oil, they are crusty but not dry.As to Panini alla Norma, make a "Norma" pasta sauce (tomato sauce, eggplant, onion and a little garlic) and add slices of ricotta salata (dry ricotta aged in salt.) You can use feta for the ricotta salata, it's hard to find in the US but you can make it at home. The eggplant cubes are often baked in recipes, don't do that. Fry those cubes well and drain. Seriously, they need to be SOFT and SUCCULENT and not dry from baking. You can try air fry but douse with olive oil. Anyway you cut your eggplant (thin slices, cubes) make sure you cook it to gooey softness.One more warning; the filling will be boiling hot when you take the panino out to slice it. Again, caution and wait to bite into it if you don't want a burned mouth.