Check out some of the best value commercial panini presses for cafes, restaurants, food trucks, and more…
Whether you run a restaurant, café or food truck or food stall business commercial panini press grills are an important piece of catering equipment.
Not only can you make paninis but you can also serve a wide range of other popular food products such as grilled cheese sandwiches, vegetables, chicken breast, burgers, and many more.
So what are the best commercial panini presses out there?
In the article, I’ve put together 5 of the best commercial panini presses, ranging from small to larger models to help you decide which is the right one for you.
1. Happybuy Commercial Sandwich Press Grill (Best value)
Power: 1800 watts
Cooking area: 23cm x 23cm
Features:
- Stainless steel/cast iron
- Adjustable temperature control
- Non-stick feet
- Heat resistant handles
Pros:
- Best Value
- Space-saving
Cons:
- Small cooking area
The Happy Buy commercial panini press is the best value buy in terms of price and performance of all the five models reviewed here.
It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but is made from good quality stainless steel and cast iron material, and has temperature control (the main things you need from a commercial panini press).
The main drawback with this model of commercial panini press is it’s at the small end in terms of surface space, which may become an issue when you need to cook multiple portions.
You can buy this commercial panini press from Amazon at the latest price
2. Cuisinart GR-150P1 GR-150 Griddler Deluxe
Power: 1800 watts
Cooking area: 30cm x 30cm
Features:
- Six cooking options
- Removable/reversible non-stick grill
- Integrated drip tray
- Dual-zone temperature control
Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Space-saving
- Modern design
- Multiple cooking options
Cons:
- Small cooking area
Moving up slightly in the cooking area space is the Cuisinart GR-150P1 GR-150 Griddler Deluxe.
It has a modern and sleek design and a more generous grilling space at 30 cm x 30 cm which makes it easier to cook multiple portions of food.
One of the main features is that it has six cooking options which means you can turn it into a full grill and griddle and cook a variety of foods (aside from grilled sandwiches or paninis), such as eggs, bacon, or burgers.
However, despite having a slightly bigger cooking area than the Happy commercial grill this model is still at the smaller end.
You can buy this commercial panini press from Amazon at the latest price
3. Cuisinart Griddler Elite
Power: 1800 watts
Cooking area: 30cm x 30cm
Features:
- LCD display
- 60-minute countdown timer
- Six cooking options
- Removable/reversible non-stick grill
- Integrated drip tray
- Dual-zone temperature control
Pros:
- Multiple cooking functions
- Space-saving
Cons:
- More expensive
The Cuisinart Griddler Elite is the upgraded model to the Cusisnart Deluxe and offers a range of extra features.
Aside from having six cooking options, it has a removable grill/griddle which makes it easy to clean, a 60-minute countdown timer for when you are keeping an eye on other things
It also has an integrated drip tray which helps to keep surfaces clean and free from grease.
The main drawback with this model is it is nearly 25% more expensive than the Deluxe model whilst offering the same cooking space.
In reality, if you are only going to use this model for grilled cheese sandwiches or paninis then you can probably get by without the additional features.
You can buy this commercial panini press from Amazon at the latest price
4. Chef’s Supreme – Commercial Panini Grill
Power: 2200 watts
Cooking area: 35cm x 22cm
Features:
- Heatproof handles
- Temperature control
Pros:
- Large cooking area
Cons:
- Lacks additional features
- Grill plates are not removable
The Chef’s Supreme – Commercial Panini Grill is a pretty basic but well-made bit of kit.
It offers slightly more cooking space width, than the other previous three panini presses on the list at 35cm and has temperature control for different food finishes.
However, this model doesn’t have any of the additional features you find with other commercial panini presses on the list such as the two Cuisinart products.
You can buy this commercial panini press from Amazon at the latest price
5. Happybuy Commercial Sandwich Panini Press Grill (Best all-rounder)
Power: 2x 1800 watts
Cooking area: 48cm x 22cm
Features:
- Stainless steel/cast iron
- Adjustable temperature control
- Non-stick feet
- Heat resistant handles
Pros:
- Best allrounder
- Large cooking area
Cons:
- Relatively more expensive
The Happy Commercial Sandwich Panini Press Grill is the bigger brother of the first panini press on the list and is the best all-rounder.
It has the largest cooking area of all the other models (48 cm wide) because it has two separate presses in one unit and is made from commercial-quality stainless steel and cast iron materials.
However, this model is the most expensive on the list and you are really paying the extra price for the additional cooking space rather than any extra features.
You can buy this commercial panini press from Amazon at the latest price
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- 5 Best Deep Fryers For Food Trucks In 2023
Key takeaway
If you are on a tight budget I would recommend going for the 23cm x 23cm Happy Buy commercial panini press (best value).
For what you pay you get a well-made piece of commercial equipment at an affordable price. However, remember it does come with a relatively small cooking area.
If on the other hand, you have a higher budget I would suggest going for the larger 48cm Happy Buy (the best all-rounder).
It has all the same functionality and build quality but has a larger cooking area, which is important for building capacity.
Basically, it’s better to have a commercial panini press that has extra space for more customers than not enough.
Author
Gavin D is the founder of Street Food Central and Tru Foo Juice Bar Co. and has worked in the mobile catering industry for over 7 years.