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A complete guide to buying sandwich makers
Would you waste your time making toasts or sandwiches on a gas stove and increase the chances of getting your hands burnt? Or let a simple easy to use sandwich maker do the task for you? Guess what, 99% mothers and busy office workers prefer electric toasters and sandwich makers to provide them with the sumptuous snacks to live by.
What is a sandwich maker?
How does a sandwich maker or a toaster work?
Types of Sandwich makers
1- Panini press-
This sandwich maker can make varieties of sandwiches. It has a basic function of a grill, but it can be a replacement of a toaster too. It has plates on top and bottom. When closed, it heats the food. You can also prepare pancakes, kebabs, burger patty, etc. with Panini press.
2- Four-triangle sandwich maker-
This is a common sandwich maker found in most of the households. It has four square plates which cut sandwiches into two along with heating them. The way to use it is to close the plates with the bread and fillings inside which transforms it to four triangularly shaped sandwiches in less than 5-10 minutes.
What are the advantages of using a Panini Press?
Lover of breads
If you are a lover of different kinds of breads and want to experiment some wonderful snacks, then using a Panini press is an obvious choice. Add as much fillings as you want to get the best snack for yourself.
Not just a plain sandwich
Bored of having sandwiches? Try different recipes with fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood and eggs! How about a chocolate sandwich filled with some strawberries? Or prepare an omelet with lots of mushrooms and cheese!
Stuff as much as you want-
With sandwich makers the slices and the quantity of fillings is limited. You need to be careful with the thickness as well. However, a Panini press lets you add any amount of stuffing you want. The bread gets toasted properly and the ingredient gets cooked well.
Heavy duty plates-
Since the Panini press can cook a good amount of snacks; it is equipped with heavy duty plates. The seared lines are well formed on the toasted bread and make it crunchy and tasty.
Greater space equals less mess-
With sandwich makers the shape and size of bread slices is limited. But a Panini press has good space to keep things in right order irrespective of the amount of ingredients you stuff.
What are the Salient Features of a sandwich maker?
Removable plates
Almost all types of sandwich makers have removable plates. This is an important feature as it helps in easy cleaning. It is obvious that you don’t want to rinse the body of the sandwich maker as it will result in damaging the internal parts as well.
Power-
The fewer the number of slices, the less power it will consume. There are high powered sandwich makers that heat up fast and makes sandwiches much faster thus saving your time. You will notice that most of the sandwich makers consume around 700-750 W and is a pretty normal rating.
Number of slices-
Sandwich makers can take up to 8 slices. It depends on the model you choose. Most of the medium priced sandwich makers offer 2 slices. This is sufficient for families with 3-4 members.
The type of plate
It is better to go for a non-stick surface, which can be cleaned easily. Plus if you are making a sandwich with cheese then it won’t stick to the surface. Sandwich makers have different plates like grill plates, non-stick plates, and sandwich plates. Some come in combos too! You can choose the one you like.
Adjustable heat settings-
Not many come with this feature. With adjustable heat settings you can customize how hot or crispy you want your sandwich to be. Most of the sandwich makers usually have red and green light indicators. The green light is the alert that your sandwich is ready to be served.
Functions-
Functions may differ according to the brand and price. Certain sandwich makers can only toast bread slices and compress them while there are other sandwich makers that offer both toasting and grilling functions. Some higher-end models will offer grilling, toasting and waffle making. Higher the price more will be the functions.
