Best Commercial Panini Press Guide for Sandwiches, Burgers, & More
If you're shopping for the best commercial panini press for grilled cheese, sandwiches, or burgers, this guide will help you know what to look for. With a commercial panini press, you can quickly and easily create a sandwich with appealing grill marks—a staple in cafes and sandwich shops—or cook traditionally grilled items such as steak, chicken, and quesadillas. We'll help you understand the features and benefits of a panini press, including plate styles, materials, and configurations, to ensure you find the best sandwich maker for your business.
Are Panini Presses Worth It?
Panini presses offer menu versatility and expansion. They can also quickly heat up items without expending large amounts of energy. They are worth the investment for operations needing hot sandwiches or quick grilling.
Key Benefits of Panini Presses:
- Simultaneously cooks both sides for faster service
- Works for paninis, grilled cheese, burgers, quesadillas, and proteins
- Occupies less space than griddles/charbroilers
- Helps improve food presentation with grill marks
- Supports menu expansion without overhauling the kitchen
Do I Need Grooved, Smooth, or Combination Plates?
Panini press plates are available in three styles: grooved, smooth, or a combination of the two. Each produces different results, so consider how your product should look once it's pressed and cooked. Learn more about smooth vs. grooved plates.
Grooved plates on the top and bottom create grill marks customers associate with freshly cooked food. These plates provide the signature look of a panini and can mimic sear marks on proteins like chicken or steak without a traditional grill.
Smooth plates offer full surface contact, making them ideal for preparing foods that would usually be cooked on a griddle, such as hamburgers and French toast. Because these plates don't produce the grill marks that grooved plates do, they're often preferred for meals like burritos and quesadillas.
Combination plates generally have a grooved top plate and a smooth bottom plate. This enables the product to have grill marks on top, while the bottom acts as a griddle to cook food evenly. However, some combination panini grills feature two presses side by side, one with smooth plates and the other with grooved plates, giving cooks the full functionality of both styles.
Best Panini Presses for Grilled Cheese, Burgers, & More
| Food Type | Recommended Style | Reason | Shop Top Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Cheese | Smooth | Encourages even browning and consistent melt | Waring WPG150 |
| Quesadillas | Smooth | Prevents unwanted sear lines and maintains even appearance | MoTak PGSS14 |
| Paninis | Grooved | Signature grill marks and uniform compression | Star Grill Express GX10IG |
| Hamburgers | Smooth | Flat contact ensures proper sear and degree of doneness | Winco ESG-1 |
| Chicken & Steak | Grooved | Sear marks replicate appearance of grilled items | Waring WPG300 |
| Multi-Use Menu | Combination | Flexible for sandwiches and proteins; cook multiple food types at once | Waring WDG300T |
Decide if you want smooth plates for effective heat, grooved plates to leave grill marks, or a combination of both.
Which Plate Materials Do I Need?
Commercial panini press plates are typically made of cast iron or aluminum, though vitroceramic plates are less common. Depending on how the equipment is used, each material has pros and cons, so it's important to understand the qualities of each in order to make the most informed decision.
Cast iron plates take longer to heat than the other materials, though they also retain heat longer. They distribute heat effectively, cost more than other materials, and require occasional seasoning. Most commercial panini grills are made with cast iron plates. This style is a good fit for a variety of kitchen setups.
SHOPAluminum plates, the most economical choice, heat up quickly and transfer heat efficiently. They're ideal for quick service applications or when the panini press is only needed periodically.
SHOPVitroceramic plates made of a glass ceramic cook food using both radiant and contact heat for consistent cooking. They're nonporous and resistant to carbon buildup, so they're simple to clean.
SHOPPick the best material based on your budget, business volume, and maintenance capacity.
Should I Get a Single or Double Panini Press?
Whether you need a single or double sandwich press depends on the product volume you want to produce. If you have a low-volume establishment where you'll only operate your panini press occasionally, a single unit would work. Single units occupy less space than double units, so they're best for places with limited counter space. The main drawback to single units is that they can only cook one food type at a time.
A double panini grill can cook two items at once, making it suitable for medium- to high-volume settings. Some units can have a combination of plate configurations, enabling the user to cook foods on smooth, griddle-like surfaces or on traditional, grooved surfaces. Because double panini presses require more counter space and power, they're ideal for kitchens that need high throughput. Many of the best commercial panini grills with double configurations include independent temperature controls for added flexibility.
Consider how much product you'll need to prepare daily and how much counter space you have. Ensure you choose a model that can meet customer demand.
What Features Should My Panini Grill Have?
Leading commercial panini grills include various features to support grilling. It's important to understand these features before purchasing a unit to ensure you can implement them. The best panini presses often include:
Adjustable plate heights: Some units have a top plate with an adjustable height to accommodate thicker sandwiches.
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Nonstick coatings: Ensure food remains intact instead of sticking to the plates, simplifying cooking and saving cleaning time.
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Programmable timers: Keep track of the cook time for the operator. Some electronic timers are programmable and usually feature three different settings.
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Custom heat cycles: Available on units with built-in USB ports, enabling the user to program custom heat cycles. These units usually include a flash drive.
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Look for features that improve cleanability, customization, and consistency, depending on your operation's needs.
- Know what you're serving. Are you preparing items that look more appealing with textured grill marks or foods that would cook better on a griddle-like surface?
- Select your plate materials. Cast iron is the most common option. Aluminum is often an economical choice, while ceramic is the easiest to clean.
- Choose a single or double panini press. Measure your counter space and balance your kitchen's output with the size of the unit your operation can accommodate.
- Decide which special features you need. Do you want a timer to track cook times, a nonstick surface to facilitate product release and cleaning, or a USB port for adding customized recipes?
Explore panini presses at KaTom to find one that suits your needs.
Shop Top Reviewed Commercial Panini Presses
- Winco: Offers sturdy, affordable models with smooth or grooved plates in both single or double versions
- Waring: Features versatile grills with program cooking timers and options for thicker items
- Star: Sells a large catalog of cast iron and aluminum plates with durable hinges and raised edges to minimize spills
