Panini Grill

All the panini recipes in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t have a panini grill?  So today I’m here to talk about what’s important to consider when purchasing a panini grill.

First off, if you’re like me, you care about what it’ll look like on your kitchen counter.  The Delonghi Retro Panini Grill is a great looking appliance.   The retro look is pretty popular in the kitchen lately and this grill really pulls it off.  Modern enough to look great next to all of the stainless steel in your kitchen and retro enough to make it look like it was something that you brought back from your last trip to Italy.

Delonghi Retro Panini Grill

And panini grills aren’t one trick ponies either.  Even though it’s main purpose is to  make panini, you can also use them as a grill.  Open one and up and take a look.  Don’t you see a striking resemblance to the George Foreman Grill.  Big George must have gone to Italy and had a few sandwiches before he came up with the idea for his mean lean grill.

Another important feature when looking for a panini grill is a hinged top.   Not every sandwich you make it going to be the size of a grilled cheese on white bread.  Sometimes, you’ll be using thick foccacio, sour dough bread or even a bagel.  Then if you pile on the ingredients, you could be talking about a 4 inch tall sandwich.  A hinged grill will adjust to any thickness and still provide the right amount of pressure and heat to your panini without squeezing all of the ingredients all over the place.

Safety is always something to consider when looking for kitchen appliances too.  A handle that’s cool to the touch is very important.  No one wants to burn their hand just to make a sandwich and pot holders just don’t cut it either.  But please remember this is a hot grill.  Always use caution when grilling.

Clean up should be easy too.  Make sure that the grill plates are non-stick.  Cleaning up after making a panini shouldn’t take longer than eating the panini.

Choosing a good panini grill over a bargain basement model is a sure way to ensure that it becomes a permanent fixture on your kitchen counter.  And it’s a lot easier to make a panini if you don’t have to pull the panini grill out of the closet first.