Customer Reviews

Imusa Panini Press

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OTHER MACHINE: We bought and used another nice panini maker. That one is sturdy and worked well. But it's grill plates have deep ridges that
1. burn the food at the ridge before the food at the groove is warm
2. destroy the bread.

So even though we already had a griller that works, we bought...

THIS MACHINE: We bought this one because it's GRILL PLATES ARE FLAT, THEY HAVE NO RIDGES, so it heats the sandwiches evenly and very quickly, and squashes them flat. Oh yeah! Perfect.

BUY THIS for sandwiches. Excellent, excellent sandwiches.

DO NOT BUY THIS as a grill for burgers, steaks, etc. There's no fat run off channel.

BEWARE Don't get confused. Imusa also makes a Cuban Sandwich panini maker, that has ridges.

Function: On and Off. No heat setting. Top plate is 375 degrees F, bottom plate 350 degrees F.

We use this at least every other day. Makes wonderful sandwiches; much better than a typical sandwich maker since you can make them in any thickness and with any size bread. Warms the insides up just right and browns the sandwiches to perfection. The best thing is that there are no ridges to gather debris - so easy to clean. Who needs ridges on their sandwich anyway? It doesn't add to the flavor - get this one since it is a cinch to use! Got a really great deal from Amazon early on - about half the current price, but I still think it would be worth it.

For the money this is an excellent product. I agree with an earlier reviewer regarding the lack of ridges. Yes, the ridge pattern toasted into the bread is ascetically pleasing but makes for more difficult cleaning. I have no regrets purchasing this appliance.

I had a Breville flat panini maker, and used it for EVERYTHING. I never use my stove top, and haven't for more than 3 years. This type of unit, with the flat plates is just awesome. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find. You can cook anything under the sun for one or two people. After that, it doesn't work as well. When you're done, close a couple wet paper towels in the unit while it's cooling down, and cleanup is a breeze. I HATE cleanup, so if I think it's easy, it really is.

This unit is almost exactly the same as my older Breville. There is one flaw, though. The Breville had a slider on the side that let you set the level of the cover, so it doesn't have to set directly on the food. If you are just making sandwiches, it might not be a big deal. But when you're cooking eggs or pancakes, it's a disaster. I have to manufacture some sort of wooden wedge to put in the side. Truly a pain. But worth it until other manufacturers get off the STUPID corregated design. Do you really need grill marks????? Don't be fooled by the grease drains on those units. If you don't cook real greasy food in the first place, you don't need it. I never have extra grease, with the exception of bacon, but you just put a paper towel in with it.

Would rate it 10 stars if it had the slider mechanism. I really can't live without this unit.

This sandwich maker is great for grilled cheese, grilled subs, grilled burritos. Everything I make in it is ready in just minutes! I haven't stop using it since I got it and it has been a great investment. Heats up in just a couple of minutes. It doesn't have a way to adjust the temperature.

We looked around a lot for a flat panini press (with no ridges) but just couldn't find one till my wife found this.The ones with ridges are a pain to clean and the sandwiches cook unevenly. We use it almost every other day and it makes fabulous sandwiches. We wipe it clean with paper towels. It is easy to clean and use and not pricey !

I spent months deciding what press was right for me.... grill marks vs no grill marks.

I decided that the grill marks really just dented the bread and made clean-up harder.

This press heats up in 1 minute and grills a perfect sandwich in 2 minutes. I love everything about it. I hate cleaning, and this thing is as low-maintenance as it gets. Cheese can melt over and burn without worrying about it sticking to the grill.

I would recommend this Imusa press to anyone.

I just purchased this Imusa Panini Press at a local department store yesterday. After pouring over all the reviews on Panini makers, I picked out this one over the West Bend 6112 Panini Press and Sandwich Maker which I think might be equally as good. Made my first panini this morning and it was fantastic. No sticking or burning, with melted cheese over my nicely heated ham and pepperoni in the center of the sandwich. It was like I was eating a $8.00 sandwich at the local bistro. This unit heats up quickly, maybe 3 minutes or so and the sandwich was done in about 2 minutes. With the weight of the panini maker and the rubber feet, it should not slide around on your countertop. This unit is quite heavy and seems to be of very sturdy construction compared to several others that I looked at when visiting a few retail stores.
The only problem may be the chrome finish. I think it may scratch even when using a damp paper towel with windex to wipe it down. I found a micro fiber cloth and that seems to remove finger prints and restore the original high shine of the chrome without scratching. The non stick coating looks good, but again only time will tell.
I only gave it only 4 stars because durability is still in question as yet. As far as quality of the product as I see it now, it would be 5 stars for sure.

I AM MORE THAN PLEASED WITH MY PURCHASE. IT WORKS WONDERFULLY, IS EASY TO CLEAN (HAS NO GRID RIBS), LOOKS REALLY NICE ON MY KITCHEN COUNTER, AND THE PLAIN OLD SANDWICH HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A GOURMET LEVEL. IT IS A WONDER HOW GOOEY MELTED CHEESE, TOMATO AND FRESH HERBS BLEND SO WELL TOGETHER !!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I wanted a sandwich press with flat plates, so I decided to check this one out in person. If you're interested in doing so, they carry this press at some Target locations at just under $40. I didn't plan to purchase the press at Target (due to their recent irksome political contributions), just to check it out.

Though neither the specs or on-line reviews reveal it, this is a 1400 watt unit. It has the advantage of two flat plates, but I thought the non-stick surface seemed cheap compared with that of the Breville I eventually purchased. The surface was a bit rough, and it lacked to slick feeling of most high quality non-sticks. While pictures of this unit make it look very much like the Breville, it is made of aluminum, rather than stainless steel. My experience is that this will make it much harder to keep clean.

Though I wanted flat plates, I ended up opting for the 1500 watt Breville press with a corrugated top plate. Though the two units appear rather similar in photos, the Breville is much more solid in person. The grooves on the top plate are not very deep, so it still heats well and is very easy to clean.