5.0 out of 5 stars Good Machine - Realised I don't actually like Paninis

B.B. · 16 May 2025

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5.0 out of 5 stars Cafe style at home!

R. · 6 June 2025

The BELLA Panini Press, Sandwich Maker and Electric Indoor Grill is a remarkably efficient and versatile kitchen appliance that genuinely delivers on its promises. Its 1400-watt power ensures rapid heating, so you can get to cooking quickly, and the double nonstick plates are a standout feature, guaranteeing effortless food release and remarkably simple cleanup – usually just a quick wipe is all it takes.A particularly thoughtful addition is the height-adjustable lid, which easily accommodates everything from thin tortillas to generously thick sandwiches, ensuring consistent cooking and perfect grill marks without squishing your ingredients. It's also notably simple and easy to operate, making it accessible for anyone to use.Beyond just paninis, this device truly shines as an electric indoor grill. It's excellent for quickly preparing healthier meals like grilled chicken breasts, burgers, or seared vegetables, all without the fuss of an outdoor grill.The removable drip tray adds to its practicality, neatly collecting excess fats for cleaner cooking and easier maintenance. Furthermore, its compact size means it doesn't take up much valuable counter space, making it ideal for kitchens of any size. Considering its reasonable price, rapid performance, and overall ease of use, the BELLA Panini Press is a highly commendable and multi-functional addition to any kitchen.

4.0 out of 5 stars Does its job, just be gentle

G.s. · 31 May 2025

I don't know much about the Bella brand but I am guessing they are more of a budget brand of small appliance manufacturer.On first look this machine looks great, when you look and feel a little closer you can see a few chinks in the armour. The stainless steel, while undoubtedly shiny, comes with a few scratches straight out of the box. The handle to lower (and compress the panini) is Ok, but I don't have full confidence to give it much stick as I fear that I could put a little too much torque on it. The lock and unlock knob is pretty weak, however as long as you use the indents on the side of the handle to lock into then it can do its job.But enough on pointing out the flaws, this panini press is very competent at what it does and - according to my wife - makes a tasty panini. It heats up very quickly and fits 2 paninis side by side. For a quick cheese and tomato panini it was 6 minutes on high temperature and moderate compression. Prepping was done with a quick wipe and a spray (and wipe down) of oil.Clean up was easy, I am sure this will get plenty of use. As a budget panini press this seems pretty great - just remember to take it a little easy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Cooking and Easy to Clean

‎.‎.‎.‎. · 15 June 2025

This is not a small device, which for paninis or toasted sandwiches, is actually brilliant.The plates heat up quickly, while the heat control selector makes for easy temperature control (the light to say whether it's up to temp is also helpful).The plates are heavy, too. So compressing the sandwich doesn't need forcing down. But if you do want to, you can push it down, clip it down or even lock the hinge.It's very easy to clean and keep clean.Well made materials, simple design and excellent performance. Defo recommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected - loving the height adjustable plates

S.R. · 21 May 2025

Really good sandwich press, not the biggest out there and if you make homemade bread you might not get two sandwiches side by side.What I especially like with this maker is the height adjustable plates so you can cook evenly without crushing the contents ... which also means less leaking. I have so far tried bacon sandwiches and halloumi panini's and they have both come out perfectly. The temperature dial is simplicity itself and you soon get used to what position for what food you are cooking.Cleaning is done using a light soapy cloth or fine brush as I don't think the plates are removeable.As someone else mentioned, the plates do take a fair while to cool down so do be aware of this after use (and before you begin cleaning).Asking price is good but I notice this this marked as currently unavailable ! Perhaps one to watch.

3.0 out of 5 stars nothing browns

A.C. · 18 June 2025

Quite a large press. I have returned it as I found it did not get very hot. My panini came out looking just as pale as when it went in. I had left it approximately 7 mins. A toasted cheese sandwiches never did get browned. It came out looking anaemic even though the cheese had melted. Also the floating lid did not float too far. The best thing was the drip tray. That actually semi locked in under the front, which meant it did not move to far. All in all I can’t recommend this press.

5.0 out of 5 stars I love paninis

P. · 20 May 2025

Paninis are something else, I absolutely love them, and this panini maker makes them so simple to cook and mine have been coming out great every time. I eat a panini almost every day now, they are so versatile and you can pretty much put anything in them. The panini maker itself is really good, it's very compact but doesn't sacrifice grill space. I really love that it has a temperature dial as I prefer my paninis slightly less crispy so this means I can control that. I do like the compactness for storage although I have plenty of side space for this thing. I do wish there was an easier way to close it onto the panini, or the locking mechanism was designed to put force down on the panini to flatten it more, but otherwise this is great.