Manual panini pans, which are made of either ridged cast iron or anodized aluminum and come with heavy, ridged, cast-iron presses, are gorgeous — especially Mario Batali’s, a stunning, shiny crimson square.
But as much as I wanted to love them, they look better than they cook. And the hinged, electric presses? I’ve been using one every day since I began my tests. Here are the results:
King of panini
The brushed stainless-steel Breville Panini Grill has a 9 1/2-inch-by-10-inch nonstick grilling surface, variable temperature control (350 degrees to 440 degrees), a six-setting height control, flip-out feet and a locking mechanism for upright storage. A large drip tray fits securely along the front. It comes with a recipe book and a grill scraper.
What’s the difference: This is the only grill that has a degree-specific temperature control, height control and flip- out feet that let you elevate the front of the machine or slant it downward. Because the pan has no lip, it doesn’t need a pour spout.
What we thought: The Breville is the clear winner. Like the De’Longhi, its temperature assures a nicely grilled sandwich every time, because you can regulate the heat according to what’s inside your sandwich. So when it comes to panini, there’s a two-way tie. But the Breville is good for making much more than panini — it’s also great for grilling vegetables, cooking burgers, bacon and other things because the flip-out feet let you cook at an angle, allowing the grease to drain. The fact that the pan is lipless, unlike all the others, makes cleanup much easier. The lipless design also makes it easier to slide off cooked ingredients.
How much: $100, exclusively from Williams-Sonoma stores and online at williams- .
Takes on tall ones
The De’Longhi Retro Panini Grill has a height-adjustable hinge, an adjustable heat control, an 11 1/2-inch-by-9 1/2-inch nonstick grilling surface and a locking system that allows upright storage. A recipe book is included.
What’s the difference: The De’Longhi has a temperature control with three settings.
What we thought: The shiny De’Longhi, with its cool retro design, grills panini as well as the Breville. With its pivoting heavy top, the machine can accommodate tall ingredients, such as super-filled sandwiches or steaks. But it’s not as good at grilling anything fatty because the unattached cup that catches the oil is too small and doesn’t stay in place. Still, for panini it’s great.
How much: $60 at Bloomingdale’s stores and online at ., cooking . and .
One-temp wonder
The Krups Universal Grill Panini Maker has a nonstick surface and a locking mechanism. It comes with a recipe book.
What’s the difference: The Krups only cooks at one temperature and there’s no pour spout.
What we thought: The Krups is a sturdy, functional machine. Without a pour spout, though, it’s difficult to clean and its preset temperature limits its use to panini and other foods that can cook at that particular temperature. Though it has a locking mechanism, the lock is flimsy, rendering the handle useless for carrying it (it falls open). But its nice, slim design makes it easy to store.
How much: $80 from Sur La Table stores and online at ., ., . and amazon .
Small but sturdy
Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press has a brushed stainless-steel housing, an 11-inch-by-6 1/2-inch nonstick surface and a floating hinge. It comes with a grill scraper.
What’s the difference: The Griddler only has about half the surface cooking area of the other pans.
What we thought: The small grill size of this new model means you can only cook two panini at once. Its lack of runoff spout and tray and its preset temperature control make the grill less versatile than the others. Accommodating tall sandwiches is more problematic because when the hinge is fully extended, you lose about an inch of surface grilling area. No lock means you can’t store it upright.
How much: $50 from ., bedbathandbeyond ., . and .
