Breville Panini Press

This morning I decided to treat myself to a Panini press.  I’ve wanted one for some time, as I think Jim and I will get a lot of use out of it.  I have a Le Creuset griddle and a cast iron press that I use now, and hate.  The cast iron press is great, the Le Creuset griddle, not so much.  It is a nightmare to clean, although it makes a killer steak!

Williams Sonoma has the Breville Panini Press on sale this month for a decent price.  I love my other Breville products!

I also looked at the Cuisinart 5-in-1 griddle, but I don’t want anything other than the Panini grill.  While the Cuisinart has the advantage of the plates being removable for easier cleaning, the edges are raised which means if you’re grilling meat, the fat can’t run off… and if you’re grilling a juicy vegetable, the juice can’t run off which means it won’t grill as nicely, it’ll simmer.  Blech.

One thing I don’t like about searing anything in the house is the incredible amount of smoke it creates.  I do a lot of searing… outside! It will be interesting to see if this creates less smoke.  Probably not.  I’m going to install a commercial vent in the kitchen when we build the house!

This is my Christmas present to myself, since I’ll be spending the holiday alone this year.  I’ll be cooking my all-time favorite meal, Pioneer Woman’s Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion Bleu Cheese Sauce and thought I’d try it on the Panini grill.

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