What's a panini press? [Cooking]

2008 Jun 25
There is one for sale here for 20 bucks :

picasaweb.google.com

2008 Jun 25
It is for grilling sandwiches - specifically paninis. Think a George-Foreman-grill-type-thing but made for the specifc purpose of making grilled/toasted sandwiches.

2008 Jun 25
I use mine pretty well any time I'm at home and eating a sandwich. A bit of a pain to clean properly, but totally worth it.

2008 Jun 25
Momomoto - Ok I've had paninis in restaurants, they are usually very thick jam packed full of goodies and although toasted on the outside, I never find they are 100% cooked all the way thru (although the cheese is always nice and melted, because it is closer to the outside). I'm guessing that at home one could find a nice happy medium for this problem, and use the press to do everything from thick sandwiches filled with an assortment of stuff, down to thin grilled cheese (thinking much faster than in a frypan). Although no doubt as you say a bit of a pain to clean, and store, it might be a useful addition to a kitchen. I may have to reconsider a panini press.