Is a Panini Press a grill

Most times we might be hungry and try to get our favorite to eat and on trying to get it, you might be confused by some terms. For the lovers of Panini, which is a loving food for most people today. You might hear something like Panini Press and Panini grill, and start to wonder if they are the same or not.

A counter or stovetop grill used to make the traditional panini, a small Italian sandwich. Also called Panini Maker, Panini Press or Grill Press, the Panini Grill contains ribbed heating plates on the top and lower layer that press and grill the bread in one operation. This feature creates a golden, crispy crust on each side of the sandwich without having to flip the sandwich to grill the opposite side. 

Typically, the sandwich is filled with a variety of ingredients such as cured meats, cheese, roasted peppers, roasted eggplant, sweet basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and other similar sandwich fillings. As the weight of the grill presses against the top and bottom of the sandwich, the inner fillings and crust are compressed just like the crust into a compact sandwich

So is a Panini Press the same as a Panini grill? No is the short answer. Though both the Panini Press and the Panini grill have the same output, the machines or makers are different. What do I mean? Let us look at the makers.

What is a Panini Press?

The basic design of a panini press and a panini grill is the same.

There are two ribbed(grill) plates, one on the bottom and one on the top that are used to apply pressure to the sandwich, compressing it.

The main difference between a Panini press and a Panini grill is the heat source.

When we talk of a panini press, the heat source of the maker is outside – from your stove, gas top or campfire if you’re having a barbecue outside.

You can say that the Panini press is the traditional or local version of the well known Pani grill. When we talk of their working principles, they are the same like the waffle irons. This maker can be used anywhere you can get an outside heat source like the stovetop or campfire

The Pan-Style press is the commonly seen and used Panini Press and it is made from cast iron with grill raised ridges on the top and bottom whereby the sandwich is placed in between them. 

All you need to do to have a panini with the Panini Press is to heat up the cast iron pans which have the sandwich in between on any heat source like the stovetop for about 10 minutes, then you will have a nice food to eat.

Advantages of a panini press

• You can take it with you to any where you are going with looking for electricity to power it
• You can easily store them in your kitchen cardboard
• Can be used on a stovetop, barbecue, or campfire.
• It has low buying cost and maintenance cost too

Disadvantages of a Panini Press

• It takes more time to heat the pan
• Heat control is difficult since there is no heat regulation button
• It can’t cook large amounts of food
• You must be experienced to make a nice sandwich from it 
• Extra oils and fats remain after cooking which makes cleaning difficult

What is a Panini grill

Unlike the Panini Press that has an outside heat source, the Pani grill has an inside or internal heat source (heat generator)

The top and bottom raised grill ridges are connected to the heat source that makes it easy to heat the sandwich without sourcing for heat outside.

You can also say that the Panini grill is a grilling maker for sandwiches which has its own heat source and it is unlike the Panini Press which relies on the heat from outside to cook the food. 

Since it can generate its own heat using electricity, you can say the Panini grill is the electric version of the panini press. For it to work, you need to provide and electric outlet where it will be plugged to the electricity

As with most of the electrical appliances we have in the kitchen, all you need to do to cook a food on the Panini grill is to plug the Panini maker in the electric current and it will heat up with the press of a button.

Many of the  panini grills are equipped with a grease cup which helps in the automatic collection of any extra fat from the sandwich as it cooks

For proper maintenance of the machine, you need to turn off the machine after use, remove it from the electric source and allow it to cool. After that, you need to remove the grease cup which collects the excess fat from the sandwich and put it away. Then remove the plate and clean them with ease. 

Advantages of using panini grills.

• Easy to operate
• Many cooking options
• Easy to heat up 
• Large space to cook big food
• Healthier cooking as it removes excessive oil 
• Efficient in temperature control

Disadvantages of Using a Panini Grill

• You might not be able to move it to any place of your choice
• You must have a power source to use it
• It is bigger than the panini press
• It is moderately expensive

Can I use my panini press as a grill?

Grilled cheese, meat and fish will be irresistible for anyone who has ate it before and loves buying them. This is because of the smoky taste for the ones grilled on the traditional grill wire and also the texture, which is always attractive.

We will be happy to have our own indoor grill at home but most times finance might be the problem. Not every one of us can afford to buy all the kitchen aids we need. So we must try to see how we can Multi use any one we have.

Can I use my panini press as a grill? Yes! You can use a panini grill as a grill and it will be very effective. One reason you will enjoy using the panini press on grilling is because it has top and bottom plates filled with raised ridges which causes grills on the food. This will remove the time used in flipping the food over to grill the other side in an ordinary grill maker.

Can you make toast on a panini press?

Toasted bread is another food that people like, especially college Students. Most times you will wake up and it’s already late but egg must be in your breakfast but you can’t make an egg source then. Toasting bread is another option for you, but toaster might not be available.

There is a substitute or alternative to bread toasters. That is the panini press. With the Panini Press, you can toast your bread and get the same crispy taste you the toaster oven will give you.

Can you make a toast on a panini press? Yes, you can toast on a panini press if you like and still get a good result.

Can you cook eggs on a panini press?

Do you like egg omelette? Can you prepare it yourself? Do you know how to go about preparing egg omelette on the Panini Press? If not, let me show you how to cook an egg on a panini press.

Yes you can cook eggs on a panini press and it will taste good. All you have to do is have the right ingredients and add it the right way. Let us now see how to cook egg on a panini press.

How to cook egg on a panini press

To cook egg on a panini press, you need all the ingredients you need and then follow the procedure below. 

Ingredients for egg omelette

1.  Slice of bread
2. Bacon
3. Butter
4. Cheese
5. Eggs

Procedures to cook egg on a panini press

Step 1. Break your eggs and pour in on a plate. Mix with veggies, onions, pepper and salt. Then put on a frying pan and place it on the Stovetop. The temperature should be low so as to enable the egg Cook slowly to get a nice egg source.

Step 2. Spread some butter on one side of the bread. Put the cooked egg on one sliced bread and put cheese on the other slice. Place the bacon on one of the bread and cover it with the other. Apply butter on the sides that are on the top and bottom of the merged bread.

Step 3. Rub fat on the Panini Press or put foil on it to avoid the bread sticking to the maker. Heat for some minutes and place the bread in the panini press and cover it.

Step 4. Allow it to cook for a few minutes and remove it from the press. It is ready to eat.

Step 5. Don’t forget to clean the panini press as soon as it cools down for easy cleaning and durability.