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.Introduction
We test five two-slice and eight four-slice sandwich presses, priced from $19 to $140
With a good sandwich press you can create delicious café style lunches and snacks at home. CHOICE has tested 11 sandwich presses for performance and ease of use (two previously tested models are still on the market and are also included in the table). We've also noted how they coped with thicker sliced bread types and harder crusts.
Unlike a traditional sandwich maker, a sandwich press won’t seal the edges of a sandwich and cut it in the middle. Instead, two non-stick hot plates press and heat.
- Some models are more versatile and have a bonus feature that allows you to lock and adjust the height of the top plate allowing you to grill open snacks or toast thicker pieces of bread. This design is much more versatile, letting you create delicious choices like smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers on Turkish bread or chargrilled veggies, pesto and bocconcini on herbed focaccia.
- If you intend on using a sandwich press regularly, and are cooking for more than one, spending a little more for a four-slice press is the way to go. It accommodates two serves of bread like focaccia comfortably, whereas for most two-slice presses you may find different bread types may hang over the edge leaving parts untoasted. However, we were impressed with the Breville BSG520 Toast & Melt 2 slice sandwich press; it has a good size plate that can accommodate more than other two-slice presses.
- Take care when using your sandwich press as the surfaces get very hot. The hotplate can be exposed around the edges and the stainless steel exterior reaches dangerously hot temperatures. Ensure you operate the press using the heat resistant handle and keep little hands away at all times.
For more information on Benchtop appliances, see Kitchen.
Brands tested
Two-slice sandwich presses
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Belle Stainless Steel Sandwich Press SP2 (A)
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Breville BSG520 the Toast & Melt 2 Slice Sandwich Press
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Homemaker 2 Slice Stainless Steel Sandwich Press LW-010D
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Kambrook Profile compact sandwich press KSG220
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Sunbeam GR8250B Café Press Brushed - 2 slices
Four-slice sandwich presses
- Abode 4 Slice Sandwich Press
- Breville BSG540 the Toast & Melt 4 Slice Sandwich Press
- Modern Living LW-031
- Ronson RSG400 4 slice sandwich press
- Russell Hobbs Sandwich Press RHSP801
- Russell Hobbs Reflections Panini Press 10814
- Sunbeam GR8450 Café Press. 4+
- Tiffany SP4 (A)
(A) Previously tested models.
How we test
Performance To see how well the sandwich presses handle various types of bread, CHOICE's home economist, Fiona Mair, subjected them to three tests. The first one, with a cheese and tomato sandwich, established the machines' performance with basic tasks: how well they fit regular sized bread, whether the cheese melts or the tomato turns soggy. Because this test is based on the Australian Standard AS 1907P-1976, we used these results for the toasting score (colour and evenness of browning) in the results table.
Extra tests We also conducted tests with thicker-sliced focaccia (filled with pesto, marinated eggplant, red capsicum, semi-dried tomatoes and bocconcini cheese) and hard-crusty panini (filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese) to see how well the sandwich presses handle trickier types of bread and moist fillings.
Ease of use Fiona assessed how easy the sandwich presses are to clean, inside and out. She also looked at their versatility: Are the plates large enough to hold various types of bread? How easy are they to load?