Customer Reviews

Rome's #1305 Panini Press Cooker, Cast Iron with Steel and Wood Handles

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

 

 

I loved the idea of getting a cast iron panini cooker because I wanted to avoid the nonstick panini grills out there. It is a very heavy piece, so if the user has problems with hand/wrist strength, this may not be the item for you. The unit is made to be used on the stove (electric or gas), cooking the panini on one side and then flipping over to the other. The two cast iron plates come completely apart at the hinge, and you then have each plate attached to a metal rod with a wooden handle, making clean up easier. However, if the handle problem is fixed, I believe that this would be a really nice item to have in the kitchen.

I gave this only 4 stars because when I attempted to unscrew the metal rods from the plates in order to place the plates in the oven to "season" them as instructed, one wooden handle started spinning around the metal rod, and therefore I could not unscrew it from that plate. Looks like the handles are poorly attached to the metal, and should be secured much tighter. So, I am returning the unit after not having been able to test it out, so I can't speak to how it works.

This is a cast iron panini press. Which means it is heavy, especially with the long handles. Because it is iron , you need to cure it before using it the first time, so that it will not rust over time. This means you unscrew the handles, place oil in side the surface of the press and leave it in the oven for an hour so that the oil seals the surface. This is a one-time thing. Once you start using it, you should avoid using water to clean it, - use a dry sponge or paper towels. One useful feature is that you can unhook the two surfaces, and place each one on a burner to preheat the press before using to make the paninis even faster.

The paninis come out outstanding. I use it on a gas burner at home, an electric burner would not work. I have not tried it in the grill or outside, but reckon it would work as well as in the gas burners.

I have used the Foreman-type panini makers that you plug in, put the paninis are infinitely better with this product. I would use the plug-in type only to make a grilled cheese sandwich for the kids.

Some tips with the paninis- use the best bread you can find, like a baguette, make sure the filing has adequate salt and paper, rub olive oil on both outer surfaces to get the crispy crust, turn often and open the press to see the toasting progress.

Enjoy!

I bought this as a gift for my mom and dad. They used it and said that it made a great panini sandwich. They will definitely be making many more!

I needed to lose weight in order to lower my blood pressure and I decided to cut back on my caloric intake.Cooking for myself I thought that vegetarian panini's would help me control my weight.This panini maker is just what I needed.Buying club rolls at my nearby bakery,I hollowed them out and filled them with all kinds of vegetables and low fat cheeses.After spraying the inside with olive oil,and on a low-medium flame,this cooker cooked the panini to prefection in 6 minutes (three minutes on either side).Voila perfect,crunchy panini.Since it's solid cast iron it will last a life time!!

This is a very nice panini press the only thing I don't like about it is the latch that keeps the handles together other then that it grills great

As another review said, it's cumbersome with its long handles. However, the long handle would be useful when cooking by campfire. We've only used this at home on our gas stove and do find it a bit ungainly but manageable. We own many cast iron pots/pans and use them daily. This panini press is one of our favorite tools. It's smaller than a typical electric panini maker and certain can be used without electricity.

We also have a Rome waffle maker that works well, too. We use that almost every weekend.

I love panini. This does make a good sandwich but it is awkward to use. It would work great on the grill or over a fire when the long handles would be a good thing. On the stove in the kitchen, they are too long. I would not recommend this.