De'Longhi CGH800 Retro Contact Grill and Panini Press 14.8 Inch

I bought this panini press based on other Amazon reviews and am so glad I did. This press stores on its side, so it takes up little space in your cabinet, it's super easy to clean and it comes with an actual cookbook called "Delizioso!" which is full of delicious recipes ranging from breakfast style panini all the way through dessert style panini and crostini. This panini press heats up quickly and cooks evenly. The first time I used it, and every time since, my panini came out perfectly. And, I was impressed with how easy the clean up was. I use this press at least 3 times a week to feed my family of 4, and can't imagine not having it. It's so easy to make healthy lunches and dinners with this press. Just throw in a fresh salad at dinner time, and you're set. Literally, you have a fantastic meal in less than 15 minutes. My favorite panini are tomato, fresh basil and mozzerella cheese on rustic whole wheat bread, cheddar cheese, pre-cooked bacon and tomato on honey whole wheat bread, diced chicken, diced dried apricot and mayo on rustic whole wheat bread, and stuffed french toast. If you like cooking at home, like food that tastes delicious, yet don't want to spend a lot of time cleaning up or prepping then this is the panini press to get. Also, this press says it holds 2 sandwiches, but really you can easiy do 3 at a time-maybe 4 depending on how big you make your sandwiches. This is an awesome piece of kithchen equipment.

Was skeptical of all the good reviews on this Panini Grill especially at the price. I have been completely blown away by how well it performs. It heats up very fast and seems to have very even heating across all of the grill surfaces. It will toast up and crust with grill marks a ham & chesse panini sandwhich on whole wheat in a matter of 2-3 minutes. Have used it to cook bacon which it will do in a matter of about 5 minutes to a crispy texture. The heat setting dial is easy to see and use and seems to control the heat very well. Cleaning the unit is accomplished with a warm wet rag very easily. The grill plates do not remove and as such it easier to clean when they are slightly heated. I am very impressed and very please with the inital performance of the grill. The true test of this will be to see how it holds up long term. I am very pleased at this time with this purchase - Great value at this price point.

I'd like to point out a fact for the people that are disappointed that there's no on/off switch. The reason is that the number one cause of house fires is faulty appliances, according to the Red Cross web site. My friends house burned to the ground about 5 weeks ago from this. Luckily they got out. You should unplug your toaster as well. For the woman who said her insurance adjuster told her it's bad to unplug/plug, sorry but you should file a complaint with your insurance company about that adjuster so people aren't in harms way from their bad advice. This is a great panini press. It works perfectly. It seems to be of good quality. I looked at the Cuisinarts and they seemed cheap. Every Breville I looked at was broken at the store. I wanted the Villaware but they stopped making it because they were bought out by another company. As far as grill marks, I think you want them. It heats up the inside quicker. I was in Rome 11 months ago and my panini had grill marks. I just ate a breakfast sandwich on home made Italian bread and it was light golden brown, and piping hot in the middle. The cheese was oozing and the outside had a nice crunch. It had carmelized red onion with a balsamic reduction. I brushed the outside with EVOO, which contributed to the crunchy and delicious exterior. It was totally awesome. Edit: December 24, 2012-grill still works perfectly after 3 years. Gets used every week.

Since purchasing this panini press a month ago, we have used it many many times. The press heats up very quickly and cooks a sandwich in minutes. This particular unit can be used to cook meat, but I haven't tried to cook any raw meat with it yet. I have pre-cooked some thinly sliced chicken breasts and then used the press to reheat them and it worked wonderfully for that purpose. I do like the deep grooves that funnel away excess fat ect. and deposit it into the included cup. It's a nice feature and makes for healthier eating and easy clean up. The only negatives I have about this product are that the adjustable top of the press needs to be manually adjusted, so this means needing a strong set of tongs because you may not know it needs to be adjusted until after the unit is hot. Also, there is no On/Off switch, the unit is on when it is plugged in and off when it is unplugged (not really a big deal, though). And the press is suppose to have a "lock" button that keeps the top and bottom together so that it can be carried by the handle, but the "locking" feature is a joke. It's just one small plastic tab that when pushed is suppose to lock into the frame, but it does not stay put at all. That would be my biggest complaint about this product. All in all, we like this panini press very much and will continue to get much enjoyment from it!

We've had this for 10 years. It still works great. If it ever breaks we would definitely buy another one!

Not exactly what I was looking for but it does a decent job of grilling. I was looking for a grill for grilled cheese sandwiches and this certainly does the job, and my wife loves the panini's we now make, but I realized after the fact that what I was looking for was a flat grill like my mom used to have. No great problem, just not what I was looking for exactly. But I'll certainly keep it as it does the job well. Pros: > nice and compact > a little locking lever on the right side to keep it shut when not in use (so it doesn't fly open when you're moving it about) > moderately light > creates a nice grilled look on the sandwiches (and some chicken we did) Cons: > the temperature control dial is a flimsy loose dial > the grill plates are not removal, so clean up is more awkward > the oil collection cup is a separate piece and small, I think it's likely to get lost soon enough

I own two panini makers- this one and a Breadman. They are both very good machines and both do a great job with panini. The marks left on panini by the Breadman are a little deeper (which I like) and the controls/lights are nowhere near the problem some people think. Likewise cleaning the Breadman has not been a problem - but this is only for panini. In short, if all you are doing is panini save the $20 and buy the Breadman. For the price the build quality is amazing. However, if you are using it for anything else in addition to panini like burgers, chicken. etc then the DeLonghi is your machine. With variable temperature, grease drain spout etc the DeLonghi is more versatile and is a wonderful, high quality machine. It is also easy to clean. I do not like the marks left on the bread as well on the DeLonghi but that is personal taste and not a reason not to buy the machine. The build quality is also very good but it is a bigger machine than the Breadman if that is an issue.

This is an excellent panini maker! Makes what would normally be a basic, boring sandwich and makes it taste like a gourmet delicacy! I have had one for several years and recently purchased another as a gift because she wanted to steal mine ever since she had her very first panini! It is easy to use and easy to clean as well. It is attractive enough to leave on the counter top and does not need to be hidden. It has a light to let you know it is ready to use, and you can control the temp by a little knob depending on how you want it to cook. When I first got mine I wondered if I would use it often enough to justify the cost, and the answer turned out to be 'yes' I use it pretty regularly! You do have to use good bread though, I often use ciabatta bread that I have to slice myself... don't use Wonder bread or you will be seriously disappointed!