Customer Reviews

El Paso Chile 10023 900-Watt Quesadilla Maker

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It works well, but it is not easy to clean. The non-stick surface wipes clean easily, but this is not the problem. The problem is that food and juices from cooking go in a crack between the cooking surface and the housing of the unit. The other night, I decided that I would take the unit apart to try to clean it. It was very dirty inside. I decided that I would try the Salto Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker and it is made the same way. The problem with both units is that whatever runs in the drip tray starts cooking before it can get in the resevoir, resulting in an overflow into the cracks where it cant be cleaned without disassembling the whole unit.

I got this for Christmas and use it a lot. I have used the recipes in the included booklet as well as my own recipes. One key here is you HAVE to use burrito size tortillas if you want to prevent the food from squeezing out all sides. The burrito size tortillas are big enough to seal all the food in, unless you overstuff it. You can pile up to a 1/2" thick of ingredients without it spilling out if you use the right size tortilla. This is very easy to do if you put your refried beans and other ingredients in the blender to get them smooth for the bean layer, or you shred your cooked chicken. I've made several types of bean, cheese and chicken as well as dessert quesadillas in this thing. (Try adding a few chocolate shavings or chocolate chips as a last layer in the banana quesadillas -- heavenly!) It is hard to close and that's why it doesn't get five stars. But you can close it; you have to really push down on the top lever as the quesadilla warms and then push the clamp down over it, then it will stay closed. Overall, I'm very happy with it! It makes the quesadillas so crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside! Also incredibly easy to reheat unused portions in it, and they taste as fresh as when first made. Another key is the brand of tortilla you use. Some flour tortillas have a funky artificial taste and you smell it when they are cooking. Get the right brand, and you're on your way to your new favorite quick meal, dessert or snack!

My husband and I bought this because we had a giftcard and had no idea what to get. We honestly use this at least once a week. We love it because it makes dinner for both of us in less than 10 minutes the way we want it. He likes meat, I like veggies and we both get what we want.

I never had a problem with cleaning any nooks and crannies because I don't overfill my quesadillas, use extra large tortillas, and use cheese around the edges (about 1 - 1.5 inches from the edge) to seal the quesadillas together.

Also great for parties!!!

This was suggested to me by a student, and I couldn't be happier with the performance. It's fast, no-frills, and easy to maintain. It's pretty much worth no more and no less than the price of the unit. There's no on-switch... just the plug. Yes, the crevasse on the side can capture the stuff from an overstuffed quesadilla. The solution? Don't overstuff the quesadilla. The unit heats up in the time it takes to get out tortillas and dress them with cheese. (I find that salsa is too goopy as a filling, but red pepper flakes are perfect with the cheese and accomplish the same thing.) Cooking time is an unattended five minutes. The instructions rightly say to use 10" tortillas, although Target has smaller ones that are multigrain. I was also please by the recipe book which has a wide variety of quesadillas including a Reuben! They also have non-quesadilla recipes like a decent guacamole. For $19.99, it's worth it, especially for epically lazy bachelors like me.

The first one I got smelled funky when I turned it on and only worked the first night for a little while, then quit. After reading the reviews, I decided to exchange it & try again instead of returning it. So, we tried again tonight. And what I found was that this one didn't smell funky. I didn't push too hard too soon so I wouldn't break it on accident. We did both mozzerella & cheddar cheeses. The cheddar oozes like crazy. The mozzerella didn't. I will be getting huge tortillas so oozing isn't an issue any longer. The stuff comes off with napkins when it's still on. I never used anything on it to keep stuff from sticking, it just came right off as long as it was still hot & I wiped it right off. I think what I know is this: It is plastic & it cooks well. It can break if pushed. It will keep working if we cook with it gently & respectfully. It is non-stick & doesn't need anything else to help it stay that way. Wipe clean when hot to get any gunk off. Then clean gently when cool. If I don't want oozing then I should use realy big tortillas so nothing can ooze out.

This product stinks!! I made my first quesadilla...all was fine. The second one, the handle broke when I was closing it. Definitely a great concept but very cheaply made.

Both of my children are picky eaters and this has been awesome for cheese quesadillas! Heats up fast, cooks evenly, even makes the triangle cut lines.

This El Paso Chili Quesadilla maker works great. This is actually the second one I've owned. The previous one lasted for a number of years, however, my wife accidentally dropped it and it broke the hinge. I made a point however to buy the exact same brand as I knew the quality and results I received with the first one. Others have mentioned the clean up, as with most electric appliances, it's not like you can throw it in the dishwasher, however, I find it not that horrible to clean. I hold the pan vertically and wash with a washcloth and then rinse.

For us, the toughest part is buying the right sized tortillas. There seems that there is no science in the world of tortilla manufacturing, so the size of the tortillas will vary. Overall, a little practice and you'll find the size that works best.

Our favorite is a BBQ Chicken Quesadilla. Chop some grilled chicken, mix with BBQ sauce and add chedder cheese. 4 minutes on the quesadilla maker, top with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro.

Yummy!

We got this quesadilla maker for Christmas and have been very pleased with it until today when the handle broke off. We were just making quesadillas with cheese in them so it wasn't too full of ingredients. I guess that part was just cheaply made.

This is what my 18 year-old high school senior wanted for Christmas. He loves it! Takes it to his friends' houses to make fresh hot quesadillas. Its simple to use and clean-up is easy. The cord is a bit short so you can't go far from the outlet.