The Panini is a tasty sandwich sold at deli’s and coffee shops. Websters describes the Panini as a T raditional, small Italian sandwich filled with meat, cheese, grilled vegetables, etc., and usually toasted.
Last October I purchased gave my daughter an expensive Panini maker for her birthday, and we sure enjoyed some delightful tasting sandwiches from that machine. It made me want to own my own machine, but I don’t have a lot of extra cupboard space and it was a large machine.
When I saw the Rival Mini Grill at my local Walmart store for only $6.79, I didn’t even hesitate to add it to my shopping cart. The box pictured a miniature grill with the same grill lines that Panini makers are known for having. The machine is small, less than a foot in length, and it is not very high so I can store it just about anywhere.
The unit has a plastic grill cover, non-stick grill plates, and lights that tell you when the unit is on and when it is ready to use. The Rival Mini Grill needs to be washed prior to the first use, but even then the first time we used it I smelled that nasty plastic odor. Thank goodness this does fade with use!
To use, close the lid (which reminds me of a waffle iron), and let it heat up while your sandwiches are being prepared. When the Rival Mini Grill is ready to use the green temperature light will come on, which generally takes only three minutes. Open the grill, place your sandwich on the plates and close the lid. When the sandwich is cooking the temperature light will actually go on and off, which just means the cooking unit is working to maintain a constant cooking temperature.
A sandwich can be prepared in the Rival Mini Grill in a mere three minutes! This machine is very versatile, and can do a lot more than just cook a sandwich. You can fill your bread with pie filling and sprinkle sugar on the outside of the bread, which makes the bread crispier. Yummy!
You can also grill foods indoors during the long winter months. This machine comes with a manual that tells you how to grill meats such as hamburgers, beef tenderloin, beef kabobs, pork loin chops, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, smoked pork loin chops and lamb chops. According to the manual, a 3/4″ hamburger should only take 4-6 minutes, and 5-6 minutes if it is a frozen burger.
You can cook poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables too. A boneless chicken breast can be cooked in as little as 11-13 minutes, or until the center is cooked to 170 degrees F. The foods come out with those gorgeous grill marks on the outside surface, and the only time the grill marks are light is when the machine is not properly pre-heated.
I love my Rival Mini Grill and highly recommend it to a small family or single person. You can’t beat the price, and it even comes with a one year warranty.