With a Panini costing near £5 in most delis, we thought it would be a great idea to try and find the best Panini maker on the market right now, while keeping price in mind.
The common misconception is that it can be difficult and time consuming to make a good quality Panini. However, having tested a few of these different machines, we found it to be the complete opposite.
It took us less than 10 minutes to make about 4 fresh and great-tasting sandwiches.
Most importantly, it was incredibly cost effective and very easy to clean up afterwards.
Comparison Table of our top-rated Panini Maker Brands
| Product | Capacity (Panini’s) | Power (Watts) | Warranty (Years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breville VST026 | 4 | 2000 | 1 |
| Breville VST025 | 2-3 | 1000 | 1 |
| George Foreman 14181 | 4 | 1500 | 1 |
| Andrew James Sandwich Press | 4 | 2000 | 1 |
| Russell Hobbs 17888 | 4 | 1800 | 1 |
* At time of publishing
Top 3 Panini Sandwich Makers Reviews
1. Breville VST026 4 Slice Sandwich Press
(4.6 / 5)
Out of all the different products we tested, the Breville VST026 sandwich maker was easily our favourite. It looks quite stylish and should easily blend into your kitchen. The material used is stainless steel, and there is a nice silver finish.
It’s also quite big so there is plenty of space and you can make up to 4 sandwiches at once.
Focaccia and Ciabatta breads can be used due to the “floating” hinged lid, so you can make hot and delicious toasted Panini’s in less than 5 minutes. The top plate can be easily adjusted as well, so using breads that are thicker is not an issue at all.
Topping wise, you can do pretty much anything, from cheese to chicken and steak. It heats the sandwich very well so you don’t get any cold meat.
The non-stick aluminium plates make it incredibly easy to clean up afterwards, so you can enjoy your delicious sandwiches instead of thinking about cleaning up. You also don’t need to butter the bread or put in any oil at all.
You certainly don’t need to be an experienced cook to use this maker. There are only 2 indicator lights: power-on and ready-to-cook, which makes it very easy for anyone to use.
All you do is put on your preferred ingredients, put the sandwich inside and leave for a couple of minutes.
Once you’re done, simply wipe with a soft damp dishcloth. It really is that easy.
There is a locking mechanism, so you store it upright when not in use, saving space in your kitchen.
Overall, costing just under £40, we absolutely loved the Breville VST026 Panini maker. It is so convenient and easy to use, and makes an absolutely delicious sandwich. We highly recommend it!
2. Breville VST025 Sandwich Press
(4.6 / 5)
This is basically a smaller and cheaper version of the Breville VST026 we discuss above.
Instead of 4 sandwiches, this one can only make 2 big or 3 normal sized ones.
It’s a little bit cheaper at under £30, so if you don’t plan on using it on a daily basis and want to save as much money as possible, this is definitely a viable option.
The build quality is sturdy and the design is exactly the same. It’s made of stainless steel, and the silver finish looks stylish.
The “floating” hinged lid still exists and the adjustable plate again helps to accommodate different types of breads.
The same flat non-stick plates are built-in making it easy to clean up afterwards.
Like the VST026, there is a cool-touch handle to easily open it and the non-slip feet ensure it stays in place.
Priced at under £30, this is an excellent Panini sandwich maker and identical to the VST026, apart from the size. The end result was delicious, which is why we highly advise you to get this if you want a small sized sandwich maker.
3. George Foreman 14181
(4.4 / 5)
George Foreman has become a household name and is known for high quality kitchen appliances.
With the 14181 Grill, you’re not just limited to sandwiches but can actually cook a variety of different foods.
It looks very nice and features an elegant silver finish. The metal handle allows you to easily open it without being exposed to the heat.
You also get a drip tray in the package, which is where all the fat and grease is channeled.
The grilling surface measures 464cm2, which should be ideal for roughly 4 portions of food.
There are basically 2 parts to the process that this grill uses.
Firstly, you have the contact grill, which is basically non-stick and cooks from the top and bottom. It allows quick results as well as complete grilling throughout. Then you have the elevated grill, which is the top plate. This is designed for cheese toasties, tuna melts, pizzas and many more items.
The “floating” hinge allows you to use thicker breads such as Ciabatta.
Basically, with the George Foreman 14181 Grill, you not only have a top quality Panini maker but also an all-for-one appliance that grills a wide variety of different foods.
It doesn’t take up too much space in the kitchen either. Thanks to the locking grill plates, it can be easily secured and stored vertically to save space on your kitchen counter.
Having tested it ourselves, we can confirm that it does indeed make a very nice Panini, as well as other toasted sandwiched.
At £35, it is not the cheapest option on this list. However, George Foreman is known for its high quality appliances so you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Cheap Panini Maker Reviews
1. Andrew James Sandwich Press
(4.3 / 5)
If you want a good quality Panini maker, but don’t want to spend too much money, the Andrew James sandwich press is a very good option.
Priced at £29.99, it is made of stainless steel and looks nice.
The size and surface is actually quite large, so you can make 4 sandwiches at once.
You can use Ciabatta and Focaccia bread easily to make your sandwiches in this maker. On top of that, the hinged lid lets you cook no matter what the thickness of the bread is, making it perfect for a chunky Panini.
The cooking plates are non-stick, making it very easy to clean up once you’re done. All the fat and grease is channeled away thanks to the ridged plates and you get beautiful grill lines on your food.
It’s very easy to use as well, with just power and ready light indicators on the front. It is thermostatically controlled, preventing food from overcooking and ensuring an evenly cooked sandwich.
You can use this to grill all kinds of meat, but we solely tried making a Panini and it turned out to be delicious.
At under £30, this is a bargain and might be a very good option for someone.
2. Russell Hobbs 17888 3-in-1
(4.2 / 5)
Costing just under £25, we were impressed by the Russell Hobbs 17888.
It’s not great at grilling meat, but it makes a mean Panini, which is exactly what we’re looking to find.
It’s quite large so you could possibly fit up to 4 sandwiches onto the surfacing area.
It has an interesting feature, where you can open it 180 degrees into a griddle position. This lets you cook vegetables very easily.
The adjustable hinge is perfect when making sandwiches of varying thickness.
The grilling plates are also non-stick, which is ideal when cleaning up afterwards. The addition of the built-in drip tray is handy as well, as this basically gets rid of all the excess fat and grease.
Overall, the Russell Hobbs 17888 is an excellent machine for making very tasty sandwiches and Panini’s. It’s not amazing for grilling meat, but at under £25, it is a very convenient appliance to have in your kitchen.
Buying a Panini Maker: Considerations
Before getting your wallet out, there are a couple of important factors to consider. These are as follows:
Price: For obvious reasons, the price is most likely going to be the major factor. You don’t need to spend a fortune in order to make good quality sandwiches. On this list, we have a maker that costs £40 and one that cost less than £25. However, they all work very well, as we wanted to ensure our readers get the best value for their hard-earned money.- Size: How often will you be making sandwiches and how many people are in your household? There are some products, which let you make up to 4 sandwiches at once, and others, which only let you make 2. You also need to consider how much space you have on your kitchen counter.
- Features: It’s important to ensure that the maker you’re buying has a “floating” hinge, as this lets you easily make sandwiches no matter how thick the bread. You might also want something that looks great and blends in your kitchen. Some options also have non-stick plates to ensure easy cleaning at the end.
Price: For obvious reasons, the price is most likely going to be the major factor. You don’t need to spend a fortune in order to make good quality sandwiches. On this list, we have a maker that costs £40 and one that cost less than £25. However, they all work very well, as we wanted to ensure our readers get the best value for their hard-earned money.Summary
To finish things off, let’s just say that all of the options on this list are excellent if you want to make a delicious Panini.
Our aim was to find a sandwich maker that performed very well and didn’t break the bank.
We tested a variety of different products in great detail and found these to be the very best on the market in this price range
Now, you need to look at each machine and decide on which features are important to you. If you don’t have a particular budget in mind, we would recommend the Breville VST026. It has a large surface area and performs very well. It is, in our opinion, the best Panini maker in this price range.
On the other hand, if you want something that costs around £20, the Russell Hobbs 17888 is a very good option and will no doubt hold a permanent place on your kitchen counter.
We hope you liked these reviews, but if you have any questions, make sure to let us know.