tell me quick - can I use my waffle iron for panini?

15 years ago

Okay, you can can go ahead and tell me that of all the stupid questions I've asked (and usually on a last minute basis, like this time), this is the stupidest. I know.

But can I?

The panini makers at the store look a lot like waffle irons to me.

If not, what's the best way to try to get that crunchy, dense effect, with what I have in the house? I do have a griddle, a broiler, etc.

I want to do goat cheese and roasted red pepper on fairly sturdy bread, if that makes a difference.

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Comments (6)

Lars
15 years ago
You might be able to use yours, but I cannot use mine because it does not open enough to get a sandwich inside. I use two cast iron skillets instead and put the sandwich in the large one and the smaller skillet (heated) on top of it. Or you could put the sandwich on your griddle and put a heated cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich.

Lars
nancylouise5me
15 years ago
Probably not. Panini machines have a weighted top that help squish the top half down. Many also cook on both top and bottom. As Lars stated the waffle maker isn't hinged in the right way to open up enough. He does have a great idea for a make shift panini grill thou. A heated cast iron pan is just the right weight for the top part. NancyLouise
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I had a Belgian waffle maker that lasted us about 7 years and then died. I moaned to my mother, who'd had one of the variety your friend wants. She promptly went into her hutch and pulled out her old one, and GAVE it to me....complete with the instruction booklet! It was so old that the address for Sunbeam did not even include a zipcode...it gave an old zone address (something like Oakland 18, CA, though that wasn't it). Your friend may not like used stuff, but the older appliances like that had a tendency to last a lot longer than some of today's stuff. About 2 years ago, we found that mice had chewed on our old toaster cord in the travel trailer. It was a CLOTH cord. We took it to an appliance guy. It cost us about $20 to change out the cord for a new one, but that toaster made far better toast than any toaster we've ever had. It still does. My parents had given us that one, too ... it had been my late grandparents' toaster. DonnaR/CA
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FOAS, that's a good tip, I still over fill my waffle maker sometimes. Bobby, it's all a matter of practice, soon you'll know how full and how long to cook them. I like whole grain waffles, but the kids like the fluffy white ones so that's what I mostly make. You have a recipe you like, so I say keep using that and keep practicing. As I mentioned, I still over fill mine sometimes, if I get distracted and don't pay close enough attention, and then I get that mess to clean up. Maybe less of a mess, thanks to FOAS... Annie
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gellchom
Original Author
15 years ago
It worked!

I used bread shaped like a half-oval, with goat cheez and roasted red peppers (not stuffed, just enough) and buttered the outsides of the sandwiches lightly. I heated the waffle iron and put the sandwich in for three minutes, then flipped it and turned it 180 degrees, and then another three minutes. I put a heavy metal casserole on top to weight it down.

It came out thin and crunchy and wonderful! We both liked it a lot. I think you could make a thicker sandwich by peeling it open and inserting more fillings after it's done (i.e., the bread is compressed and crunchy and the cheez is melted).

I think I'll be eating these for breakfasts for a while. Mmmmm

Our waffle iron has a carousel pattern on it, so the sandwiches were amusing as well as yummy.

Thanks for your suggestions.
soonergrandmom
15 years ago
I use my electric quesadilla maker.
lindac
15 years ago
One of my waffle irons has a reversable grill...flip the waffle side to "non waffle" and it works!!
hawk307
15 years ago
Gellchom:

I put this in about a year and a half ago.

Did not seem to get any interest.

I used Wheat Bread for this one, it is a little darker.

The Waffle Iron makes a nice pattern.

Sorry I am a little late.

LOU

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tell me quick - can I use my waffle iron for panini?

Comments (6)

Lars

nancylouise5me

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gellchom
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tell me quick - can I use my waffle iron for panini?

Comments (6)

Lars

nancylouise5me

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gellchomOriginal Author

soonergrandmom

lindac

hawk307

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gellchom
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