Yesterday, we talked about what, in my view, was the best infomercial-pitched item ever - The George Foreman Grill. The Foreman has been going strong for almost 20 years now. It has inspired quite a few variants and copycats. Today, I'm going to look more at the variants.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of "items that remind me of the Foreman Grill", is the Sandwich Maker. Salton and other companies make these machines. They utilize the same clamshell design, with contact plates that simultaneously cook both sides. With the basic sandwich maker, it's designed to make two sandwiches, and will cook & cut them in barely any time at all. This is a nice quick one for making grilled cheese sandwiches (which can be expanded on to your liking). I've seen these small appliances ranging from $5 to $20, depending on store and sale.
A more upscale version of this is the Panini Press. These gizmos utilize a lever to hep compress sandwiches. As opposed to the above sandwich maker, the panini presses allow for a larger variety of sized breads to be used. These presses offer a greater deal of flexibility on the possibilities in the kitchen. They tend to come at a steeper price, as well.
Another of the more popular clamshell cooking appliances is the Waffle Maker. Like the Sandwich Maker, these tend to come in a variety of manufacturers and styles. I have seen them beginning at about $5 on sale, and higher. The base units I've seen have been rectangular, and have offered the capacity to make two waffles simultaneously One simply needs to pour the batter into the lower portion, and close the lid. Waffles are done shortly. There are higher priced units, some capable of cooking 4 or more waffles at a time, others that rotate, and more. Like some of the Foreman grills, and Sandwich Makers, many of these do not have removable cooking plates.
There are some products on the market that have removable and interchangeable plates for the grill. Several years ago, we got one that has the Sandwich Maker, and Waffle Maker plates, allowing for one device to be used for multiple purposes. With the removable plates, cleanup is a bit easier. You still need to be careful, though, Abrasive cleaners and pads can damage the non-stick surfaces.
One of the clamshell grills we've gotten a lot of use over the years from is the Quesadilla Maker. We're currently on our second one. I've come up with some fairly clever creations with it, too. It's fairly simple to operate. Plug it in, lay one tortilla down, add cheese (and other ingredients as desired), top with tortilla, press down, wait, remove. The grill scores the tortillas in six sections so they may be easily cut.
I've also seen several other - Makers on store shelves. I've seen Donut Makers, Fortune Cookie Makers, Mini Cupcake Makers, Muffin Makers, and a few others. There are a lot of them that I've never tried (or considered trying). This is not to knock any of them, as everyone's kitchen mileage may vary. The price points seemed to be on par with other clamshells, and likely they would behave about the same way, but for different edibles as the finished product.
Economical Value:
It's hard to give a clear "value judgment" on these small appliances. Ultimately it depends on your needs in the kitchen. Grabbing a $5 Waffle Maker on sale is still a waste of money if you don't ever make waffles. Most of the pros and cons for these gadgets is a matter of personal taste. It's a matter of deciding what's right for you. For us, the Quesadilla Maker has been a big win, while the Waffle/Sandwich Maker has not gotten as much use. I have a hard time justifying the potential use of some of the appliances I've seen on the shelves (this explains why they haven't been tested out). However, your results may be far different, and that Fortune Cookie Maker may be enough to make your future bright in the kitchen.
In general, I find these to have some good gift value. Thyey're great for young folks, college kids (dorm dwellers, please check rules), apartment dwellers, single or folks with small families.
Check back tomorrow, as we're going to stay in the kitchen, with something fun for the whole family!
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