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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
I'm im-Pressed: A Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo Nonstick Panini Press Review
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...
Published 7 months ago by L. T. Beasimer
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
Wonderful solidly designed and built press that really would have been better with removable plates.
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...
Published 7 months ago by W. C. Bryant
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
Wonderful solidly designed and built press that really would have been better with removable plates., December 17, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
I'm im-Pressed: A Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo Nonstick Panini Press Review, December 30, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
Great product that works well, however there are better alternatives., November 25, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Very nice sandwich press and electric griddle, December 22, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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).
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Would be much better with removable grill plates, December 31, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Makes a good sandwich, December 14, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I like this machine, its easy to use - just plug it in and it's on. The red and green lights on the front make it easy tell when the unit is ready. It makes not only great sandwiches but quesadillas too. The top heating plate is grooved while the bottom is flat. The nonstick surface it has makes it easy to skip the added fat when using a frying pan to make grilled sandwiches. The surface has been easy to wipe clean (the grill plates aren't removable). The cord is easy to put away and the fact that it can easily be stored in a vertical position is a nice bonus. The downside is that it's one more additional appliance I need to store and clean. You also need to turn you sandwich pretty quickly if you want the grill lines on both sides. While the manufacturer says it can be used as a "griddle" as well, I tried making pancakes on it, but they came out very pale. Maybe I needed to close the lid after each batch to keep the bottom surface element hot. I'm not sure I would recommend this to someone unless they were passionate about Panini sandwiches.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Compact and durable., November 30, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
What it does, it does well, December 10, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Nice Sandwich Maker But Plates Are Not Removable, November 28, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Breville Panini Maker is a sandwich maker that has a ribbed top plate for the grilled look to food and a flat plate on the bottom that also acts as a griddle.
The machine doesn't have an on/off button or temperature controls, you just plug up and it's on. The lever on the side does slide from lock position to open and then to a few different positions that keeps the lid at different heights so you can toast or just melt, etc.
The machine is basically just a sandwich maker but I did make bacon and eggs with it and they turned out delicious. It takes just minutes to make crispy bacon.
Pros: Handsome, Sleek, Stainless Steel
Very Heavy Duty, Nice Cord
Gets Very Hot
Cons: (Biggest One for Me) The Plates Are Not Removable for Easy Cleanup
No On/Off Button, Temperature Controls, Timer, Or Dinger of Any Kind
It's A Little Small, Two Sandwiches Is All That Will Fit At A Time
Overall:
It's a nice Panini maker, it does what it says it will do but for not much more money, you could buy one of the grills that has removable, interchangeable plates and you could also grill meats, make waffles, etc. They also are a little bigger. My husband bought me the George Foreman G5 a few Christmases ago and I used it so much (almost every meal) that the finish on the non-stick plates were getting worn. That was my only complaint with it. Non-stick finishes are usually the first thing to wear. I recommend the George Foreman G5 highly.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Makes a good sandwich, hard to clean, November 27, 2009
This review is from: Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This machine is very attractive sitting on my counter. It makes excellent sandwiches, which is what it is intended to do. You can also use the bottom flat grill for eggs and pancakes, but I don't think I would use it for that because it would be extremely messy. I made a couple of different sandwiches using the recipes in the included book and they were pretty tasty. The only thing I don't like about this is that it doesn't have removable plates like my George Foreman grill, which makes it much harder to clean. I like the fact that the back is unhinged so you can make some pretty thick sandwiches and not have to worry about them getting completely smashed. Overall, it does what it is designed to do, and if you love Panini this is the machine to get. If you would like a grill that does other things as well, check out the George Foreman G5. That way you don't have to take up counter and cupboard space with several different machines.
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