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Compared to the other panini grills I have seen (Villaware, Krups, Wolfgang Puck), the DeLonghi has fewer, more widely spaced ribs. This design makes it easy to clean with a cloth, and no cleaning "comb" is provided. However, a drawback to the wide spacing is it can allow your panini to squish down into the valleys where all the oily stuff goes. You would be surprised how much oily goo a peperoni and mozzerella panini can make, especially if you brush the outside with olive oil, butter, or mayo before grilling like I do.
A minor annoyance: when it is stored upright on its back, it teeter totters on the lid's power cord. IMO, a high end appliance shouldn't have such a glaring design flaw.
Even though I like the DeLonghi alot, if I were buying another one, I would try the Villaware.
I do not understand the consumer fascination or hype for grill marks on sandwiches just so that you can get that Italian "Panini" look. Grill marks may look cute but they are a functional waste for a toasted sandwich. The problem is that the deep impression made in the bread causes an uneven heating of the bread surface and ingredients underneath. I made a classic Rueben with rye, big eye swiss, corned beef, kraut and thousand island dressing. The ridges pushed deeply enough into the bread to cause the cheese to melt through the bread where the untoasted surface was between the grooves. So the grooves were toasting but not the between where the cheese soaked through. ALso consider that rye is more dense than typical sandwich bread and it still did not withstand this process. The sandwich ended up a soggy mess within about 3-4 minutes and would not come out of the press very easily due to the deep grooves where the softer bread "gave up" and simply started falling apart from being soaked. So I returned the unit, unsatisfied with the results.
I then promptly replaced Delonghi with my second choice for which I should have trusted my initial instincts. I got the Breville unit because it is about the only one on the market that has flat griddle plates top and bottom for a truly even toasting over the entire surface of the sandwich. The heat level is perfect and the surface area is larger than the Delonghi and it will actually accommodate 4 sandwiches at one time. The bottom plate features a raised lip around the perimeter to contain ingredients that may run out or for cooking meat. You can leave the sandwich in longer than the Delonghi to allow a more crusty surface if desired or more heat to the interior ingredients without burning anything. It is very forgiving on cook time so it would be hard to ruin anything cooked in it. I have also found it wonderful for cooking hamburger patties. And it does it very quickly. A third to half pound pattie will cook in 3-5 minutes, cooking both sides at one time. Not to mention that my Rueben now comes out perfect. I have also cooked Tyson marinated chicken breasts in it, with great results. And will next try sirloin steak cuts, which I am sure will yield excellent results.
The Breville also has a stair step slider lid support on the side handle to allow you to set variable thicknesses for ingredients to avoid smashing your panini or toasted sandwiches to cardboard thin slices of bread. Also allows for great pizza reheating to crisp the crust on the bottom plate and setting the lid to the open "radiant heat" melt position, hovering to warm the topside ingredients while the crust does its thing. All in all, a much superior choice unless you like "tire rut" sandwiches. I am very impressed with this unit which performs as well as the $600 commercial units we used in my restaurant.
I had a bad experience with another Panini Grill, also comparable in price but with handle breakage problems. In the reviews for the one I had purchased prior there was another with the same problem. I was hesitant about getting another, but I loved the concept and was willing to try another brand with high quality standards. In November I purchased this product.
The unit is very heavy and well made, and the handle is strong. I have made many Panini sandwiches and everyone is excellent. The grilling of the sandwich takes about 4-5 minutes and produces wonderful grill marks and the contents inside are very hot. I have used homemade bread, French bread, rye bread, pitas (which I feel are too thin) hoagie rolls and even store bought rolls all proving wonderful.
The combinations of sandwich fillings for Panini's are endless. I serve a large Panini with a bowl of soup for an easy weeknight dinner and a change of pace from the many recipes I make on other nights. We really look forward to each and every one and I am not disappointed in this product.
I want to comment on the non-stick - it is absolutely wonderful! Cheese or anything that may ooze out just comes up with a piece of toweling, nothing ever sticks. I have not grilled meats on it as I have three sizes of another well-known grill, but have grilled zucchini along side the sandwich. With the excellent coating I would not hesitate to cook meats and I like the fact that it has a trough for the grease to drip into the cup that is provided.
I also have not used anything but the highest temperature on the control as I only use this grill for Panini sandwiches, but I am sure that it would be perfect with something that needed a lower temperature. Also an additional plus, --it certainly would be ideal if my husband was not finished with something I served first and the thought that I could keep sandwiches warm and not burn the bread by turning the temperature to a low (keep warm) setting for sure is a wonderful addition to this product.
The product is pricey, but if you want quality and long life --this product is worth the investment. I am very happy with my purchase.
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