Customer Reviews

Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The immediate comparison I made when I received this Panini press was to the Cuisinart GR-3 Griddler Jr, Brushed Stainless Steel, and the key difference between the two products (and the reason I'm giving the better constructed, perhaps even better performing press three stars rather than five) is you can remove the plates in the Cuisinart, and you cannot in the Breville. Convenience and ease of use are central considerations when it comes to just how much you're going to want to use these 'extra' kitchen devices, and if it's a headache to clean something like burnt/stuck preserves, then you're going to be less likely to want to pull it out and use it again.

I want to back up a little bit, because I think Breville generally designs and manufactures outstanding high-quality but still affordable products. This press is no exception. Having used both this Breville and the aforementioned Cuisinart, I would give the Breville the edge on almost every single front. It feels more solidly constructed of higher quality materials, it seems to heat more evenly, although the Cuisinart does allow a range of temperature settings as opposed to Breville's one-temp-fits-all approach. I actually like having one flat and one grilled plate in the Breville, compared to the two grilled plates in the Cuisinart -- the flat surface providing a much more even and consistent heat that really radiates into the middle of the sandwich better than the more limited surface contact provided by just grill plates (but you still have the all-important texture and grill marks from the top plate). Both adapt to larger sandwiches. Both sport non-stick surfaces (although the Breville's is much smoother as the Cuisinart employs a grittier non-stick treatment). Both are perfectly sized for a couple good-sized sandwiches, without all the wasted space that comes with and from the larger models in each line.

I like this press enough that even as I wrap this review up I wonder if I should be giving it 4 stars rather than 3. Standing on its own, it deserves every bit of 4 stars. It's when it's held in contrast to a like-priced alternative like the Cuisinart that the Breville loses some of its luster, and then really only due to a question of pure convenience (in the form of removable plates).

If those removable plates aren't of particular importance to you, I actually recommend this press over the Cuisinart. For me, the convenience of cleaning the removable plates provide is what makes it an easy decision between the two when I want to grill a sandwich.

Since 2006 I have owned and regularly use a Breville 800GRXL Die-Cast Indoor Barbeque and Grill for making panini, grilling, and more. Previously I owned and was greatly disappointed by the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler with removable plates. The removable plates are a nice concept, but not an important feature for me. Knowing the quality of the Breville 800GRXL, I eagerly wanted to try the Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo. Even so, I didn't think I would want to use both over time.

The Panini Duo is a no fuss non-stick panini press. The top floating hinged ribbed plate and flat bottom plate are coated with non-stick Quantanium(tm) allowing for oil free cooking while resistant to scratching even when using metal utensils. The top plate features adjustable height settings for making open faced sandwiches or desserts.

At first I compared the Panini Duo to my 800GRXL and thought I would miss features such as the drip tray, plate tilt feature, or the ability to lay out flat. However the lack of features and versatility of the Panini Duo, by comparison, are by design. The purposes of these two appliances are not the same.

The simplicity of the Panini Duo is this appliances strongest feature. I can quickly make two paninis by plugging in the outlet, assemble the sandwiches while waiting for the green light, and placing the paninis into the press. Since oil is not required, I made panini without buttering the bread. I prefer the butter flavor; however the bread still came out a toasty brown and crisp. I have toasted buns for burgers by leaving the top open. Additionally I reheated pizza by using the adjustable height feature to heat from above and below. These are all tasks I could accomplish with the larger feature rich Breville 800GRXL, but not with the same ease and efficiency.

While I will use the larger more versatile Breville 800GRXL for cooking breakfast, grilling, and preparing larger meals, the Panini Duo has become my favorite appliance to prepare a quick hot sandwich. The compact size is perfect for making lunch for me and my other half while taking little counter or storage space. If you are looking for a simple panini press for two, the Breville Panini Duo is the perfect choice.

PROS:
Quantanium non-stick surface
Simple to use and care for
Adjustable height feature for melt and open face sandwiches
Oil/butter not needed for healthier cooking
Perfect for a family of two

CONS:
Lacks features found in many panini presses

1. PERFORMANCE
First, I'd like to discuss the performance of the unit. It's brilliant! I honestly didn't have high expectations for a hot sandwich press, but I've been very happy with it over the past month. Here are some of the items that I've made the most and my remarks:

- Sandwich Wraps: Absolutely fantastic results. I can tailor the cooking time for how firm I want the tortillas to be, and the internal ingredients are nice and hot. Having a flat bottom plate and ridged upper plate gives them a perfect combination of toasting and grill marks. The ability to set a minimum height between the top and bottom plates works wonders for veggie wraps because otherwise (at least with mine) the ingredients don't support the weight of the top plate and the wraps get smashed. The tortillas slide right off the non-stick coating, and any ingredients that spill out during cooking have cleaned up very easily.

- "Grilled" burritos: Again, fantastic. Just like a sandwich wrap but with other ingredients. I've started to grill these with the fold facing upwards to help prevent ingredients (such as salsa or guacamole) from leaking out during cooking.

- French Toast: Works pretty well. I have made it three times so far, each time with the lid down but locked in the second highest position (I haven't tried just cooking one side of the toast by leaving the lid up, yet). If the bread isn't too wet, then it works very well. If the bread is very moist, though, it doesn't cook through to the center very well. With the egg, this items does make it a bit more difficult to clean the non-detachable ribbed top plate.

- Pancakes: Works pretty well. The two drawbacks are that the top plate is still being heated even though I'm not using it, and (more important for cooking performance) the temperature of the griddle portion isn't adjustable. Pancakes do come out pretty well, but not as good as on my other griddle that I use on the stove. Also, for some reason the first batch of pancakes sticks to the griddle a bit. I haven't run into that on any other food so far.

- Ham: Cooked great, but I'll never do it again because of the mess. Because of the splatter from the juices, I closed the top lid. The bottom flat plate was pretty easy to clean off, but the ribbed top plate took a while because the nooks and crannies of the ribs make it more difficult.

2. WHAT I REALLY LIKE
- The floating hinge. That is fantastic and makes cooking thick sandwiches and wraps easy.
- The locking height adjustments. This works wonders for less solid foods like toast and veggie wraps.
- The front handle. Might seem silly to mention, but the handle stays cool and opens the press easily.

3. WHAT I WOULD CHANGE
- Add a power button. I would prefer to not have to unplug it to turn it off. When the unit is heating, there is a decent spark that gets generated at the outlet when I unplug it (same thing happens with my George Forman grill)
- Make the heating plates removable, at least the top ribbed plate. These clean up pretty easily, so this is minor, but it can be a bit tedious trying to clean the top plate.
- Add a temperature adjustment. This is pretty minor to me because it typically works great, but for pancakes (which are shown on the box as a breakfast item), an adjustment would be nice.

4. FIT AND FINISH
This is my third Breville appliance, and I was expecting the same level of fit, finish, and attention to detail on this press as I had with the other two (Breville BJE200XL Juice Fountain and Breville BKC700XL Coffeemaker). Upon opening the box, the packaging (at least of my unit) was a bit sloppy with the protective plastic bag around the press not fully covering it. After taking the unit out of the box, I noticed that the fit and finish aren't as nice as my juicer and coffee maker. For example:
- Some of the bolt holes and rounded corners on the lever arms are sharp as if they weren't properly deburred.
- The bottom plate has some rough patches on it
- The power cord and cord-wrap on the bottom plate aren't very well design, IMO (but that's just personal preference)
I mention all of that for one reason - if you are looking at this press because it is a Breville and you have a certain expectation of quality like I did, then those comments might be important to you. I did not remove any stars for this because the unit is nice - it's just not as nice as I had expected from this brand (which I think actually speaks highly of the brand).

This is the third clamshell grill I've used and my second panini press. I also own the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press, which also works for paninis, and what I mainly compared this to. The Breville is designed mainly for paninis, but it can be used for most griddle functions like bacon, pancakes, The product states that you do not need butter or oil due to the surface of the grill plates. While this is true and I found that the sandwiches don't stick to the surface very easily, butter or a non-stick spray makes for an easier cooking experience and a better-tasting sandwich. I think the main thing you want to look for in a grill or panini press is how powerful it is. The Breville is 1500w, which is about as powerful as you're going to get for a panini press. Anything too low, like a George Foreman grill (which ranges from 700-11100 watts), and your sandwich will not cook evenly or quickly. The second thing you usually want to look for is a floating hinge, which the Breville also has. This means that the hinge is not static and rises and lowers in height so that it adjusts for whatever size sandwich you're cooking. The Breville rises up to 2", which is really all you need for a panini (anything higher than that and the inside of your monstrous sandwich will not cook). The hinge also has a lock on it with four different settings, so you can lock the top plate in place instead of having it rest completely on the sandwich. This is something that most other presses don't have. I noticed they recommended one setting for toast, and I did find it created some decent toast, but it was a pain having to watch it and I don't think it will be replacing my toaster oven anytime soon. You can also use this to cook an open face melt, which I tried and came out perfectly. This is great for open face tuna and chicken salad melts, which you can't cook on a regular panini press. The third thing you want to look for is an adjustable temperature setting. The Breville doesn't have one of those, although this is really more important for grilling and not as critical if you're using the press solely for paninis. There are times where you might want to use a lower setting; for instance, if you have a sandwich with a lot of cheese inside it, you would want it on a lower temperature to ensure the cheese cooks before the outside of the bread burns. The average home cook probably doesn't need this though. It appears that the single setting temperature on the press comes out to about 350°.

The size of the press is big enough to hold 2 sandwiches (even using larger panini bread) without having to jam them up against each other. Considering the size of the press, one of the best things about this model is that you can lock the plates and store it vertically. I have a small kitchen and my Cuisinart Griddler takes up a considerable footprint in it. This press is too big and heavy to really store in a cabinet, so you kind of need to leave it sitting out on the counter. Fortunately, it takes up very little room when stored vertically. I wish all presses did this.

My only real problem with the Breville, and the reason I can't give it five stars, is that the cooking plates are not removable for easy cleanup. I have no idea why they didn't do that. It would be so handy to snap off the plates and run them under the faucet with some soap. Given that the bottom plate is flat, it's not too difficult to clean if you cook a regular sandwich on it, but I like to use the press for things like fish and chicken, and they can make a real mess on the grill (especially the top plate which has grill lines). Snap off plates would have made this product perfect. Until they add that, I'd have to recommend the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Pressover it.

Breville is the original inventor of the sandwich toaster. Breville is very reputable brand known for it's highest quality of small kitchen appliances. The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press is compact, effortless to operate and easy clean. This is perfect for a single person or small family since it can only handle two sandwiches at a time. I use to own the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press but it recently was put to "rest". Although the Breville is a lot smaller than the Cuisinart, it has it's own unique features. Just like the Cuisinart, the Breville's top plate floats to accommodate to the thickness of any sandwich. This allows uniform heating instead of one end "squished" down and over toasted. One feature I found very useful is the locking adjustable top plate function. This is great for toasting and heating open-faced sandwiches and cooking fried eggs. It wills heat/cook the top of the foods without allowing the plate to touch the top of your foods. The plates are made from Quantanium, a non-stick coating system with titanium alloys for scratch resistance and durability. Even though the plates are not removable like the Cuisinart, clean up is effortless. Since you do not have to use cooking spraying or butter, a soft wet cloth will easily wipe away any food that has spilled over. There are no temperature settings but if you only plan on using this for simple foods such as toasting sandwiches and possibly frying eggs, it should not be a problem. You can store it in vertical or horizontal position, a locking feature that keeps the plates closed together allowing it to be stored vertically. The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press is also very affordable compared to many other sandwich toasters out in the market.


Overall this is a great sandwich press for a single person or small family. I give it 4 stars for it's design and durable construction, but it losses 1 star for it's non removable plates. I would rather take off the plates and be able to wash them thoroughly.

This single purpose machine is very good at it's single purpose: making sandwiches. It is better at this task than any other product on the market. If that is all you are looking to do, this is the one to buy. It's only downside for that purpose is that the plates that contact your food are not removable or dishwasher safe. You have to clean it with a wet towel or sponge. Either method works well, and the plates have a very effective non-stick coating.

Several products from the George Foreman line are similar to this machine, about the same price range, and do much more than just make sandwiches. You should consider those products, especially the ones with removable, dishwasher safe plates, before you settle on this machine from Breville.

I bought this item specifically because it has a flat bottom and grating only on the top. I think it is a great and versatile product. The top grating leaves those fresh little grill marks on your sandwich while the flat bottom makes sure the whole sandwich is toasted and heated evenly. I could also fit 2 slices of cold pizza in it, and it did a great job of not only re-heating, but re-crisping the crust - no more soggy cold pizza. And I don't understand the complaints about non-removable plates or difficulty cleaning. It wipes clean without any problems so far. I think removable plates are overrated. I haven't seen a removable plate product that makes better waffles than a waffle only machine. Between toasting sandwiches, cold pizza and homemade falafel, I can recommend this item without hesitation.

I just purchased this from a big bed and bath store at a great price but noticed Amazon just lowered their price on this to match which makes this an EXCELLENT buy (at less than $20 off retail). I was surprised by the reviews on this, but I'm thinking that expectations were different for it since it used to be at a higher price point (it retails for $69.99) than say a Cuisinart GR-1. I didn't think it was fair that everyone was critical of this because the plates weren't removable when the Cuisinart GR-1 isn't removable either yet got nothing but glowing reviews but now that the prices on these are the same, the Breville Panini Duo should win hands down.

I love the Breville because of the plates and because it's 1500 watts. The flat plate is a necessity to me because it just cooks more evenly and ensures it cooks properly. I don't mind the wavy upper grill plate although it seems silly but after reading reviews, people love their grill marks. If you really must have the grill marks on both sides you can flip it over after a minute or two. This unit gets plenty hot in a very short amount of time and makes it quick to make a good sandwich. I've found sandwiches cook very quickly in this and get nice and golden.

Cleanup is great thanks to the flat plate on bottom (bottom always gets messier than the upper plate). One thing about this unit is how small it is in its storage position. I think someone posted a picture here of it upright stored. The cord wraps around the bottom of it, and it just takes up very little space when stored upright. My husband gave me nothing but grief about buying a sandwich press but even he had to admit that he liked how it stored. This unit is also built heavy-duty and is very simple to operate.

I was so close to buying another sandwich maker but am so glad I read through reviews and did some research. The Breville is a good compromise with one flat plate and one wavy plate, and it gets plenty hot to make excellent sandwiches. I make a lot of sandwiches for my family/kids and this is so much easier than heating up a griddle over the stove. I own a George Foreman grill as well, but I just didn't think it did as good of a job on sandwiches and is awkward because of the tilt. The Breville browns and heats to perfection and for this price, is a must have for any family that makes sandwiches.

This unit is very well-constructed and heats up very rapidly for quick use. It has an adjustable height feature for the top plate, so you can use it both to press or simply heat closed and open face sandwiches. The Quantanium non-stick surface allows for easy wipe up cleaning. Although several folks have expressed a desire for removable plates, I have found that removable plates affect even heat distribution, so I prefer the attached plates.

The unit is very simple to use and cleaning is pretty simple as well, you just wipe the plates with a damp cloth. This unit also stores quite easily given its relatively compact size, and the electrical cord wraps nicely around the base, which is a nice touch. It heats very evenly and quickly, and the non-stick surface removes the need for any cooking spray, oil, or butter, which is always a plus. Be advised that given its size, this press is not designed to prepare multiple entrees at the same time, so if you are looking to turn out several meals at the same time, you may need a larger press. This press is well designed for a family of 2-3 people, although it also works fine for my family of 5, I just cook up our paninis in a few batches.

The cons are fairly obvious. It only feeds two, it does not expand into a large grill, the heating plates are not removable for dishwasher cleaning, and the power cord is very short. The last is claimed as a safety feature.

However it makes great panini uses no grease and is a breeze to clean unlike the Cuisinart Griddler. The recipe book that is enclosed is excellent.

I noticed that others had trouble cleaning the plates. Last night I made a sandwich with cheese. Some of the cheese dripped on the plates. This morning everything washed off with a damp cloth. No problems, no need to soak or scrape.