TL;DR
Get baking supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor Lizzy Briskin reports testing nine ways to use a panini press beyond making sandwiches. The ideas range from hash browns and halloumi to frozen dumplings and cookies, with suggested cooking temperatures and times; results may vary by appliance.
Good Housekeeping has outlined nine ways to use a panini press beyond sandwiches, based on tests by Kitchen & Cooking Lab contributor Lizzy Briskin. The suggestions include crisping hash browns, cooking frozen dumplings and making chocolate chip cookies, offering home cooks more uses for an appliance designed to heat food between two hot plates.
Briskin says she tested the ideas using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle. The article’s central point is that contact with heated plates on both sides can help crisp and brown foods without turning them individually. The recommendations provide specific temperatures and cooking times, though readers should check their own appliance’s instructions and cooking performance.
The savory options include frozen hash browns cooked at 450°F for six minutes; halloumi at 350°F for five to six minutes; and leftover cornbread at 350°F for five minutes. The article also suggests cooking frozen, fully cooked meatballs at 400°F for about five minutes and frozen chicken nuggets at the same temperature for about six minutes. For both meatballs and nuggets, it says to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Other ideas span meals and dessert: pineapple rings at 425°F for three minutes, French toast at 350°F for five minutes, frozen dumplings at 400°F for nine minutes, and golf-ball-size portions of chocolate chip cookie dough at 350°F for six to seven minutes. Briskin suggests greasing the plates for some foods and notes that shorter cooking can leave cookies softer.
A Small Appliance With More Uses
The list gives owners a way to use a panini press for more than grilled sandwiches, potentially making it useful for quick snacks, breakfast and leftovers. Its two-sided heat can reduce the need to flip foods, while the ridged plates leave browned marks and crisp surfaces. The tested examples also cover both frozen convenience foods and fresh ingredients.
The recommendations are not a guarantee of identical results across models. Plate size, heat settings, food thickness and the appliance’s design can affect cooking. The most practical safety detail in the report is its instruction to bring the frozen meatballs and chicken nuggets to 165°F internally; cooking time alone should not replace checking temperature where the source specifies it.
Products Worth Considering
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine with Built-In Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel
Breville Smart Grinder Pro Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel
Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Tests Were Done
The source is a Good Housekeeping report titled “9 Clever Ways to Use Your Panini Press.” Briskin, identified as a contributing analyst, writer and recipe developer in the organization’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab, says she assessed the ideas using one particular grill-and-griddle model. The supplied material does not give a publication date.
The nine suggestions are ranked from least to most surprising in the original report, beginning with hash browns and ending with cookies. Briskin’s listed experience includes a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and testing kitchen products. That background explains the article’s testing perspective, but the supplied source does not describe a comparative test across multiple panini-press models.
“There’s no need to thaw anything for this one.”
— Good Housekeeping report
Results May Vary by Press
The source does not provide the article’s publication date or explain whether the nine methods were tested on other appliance brands. It also does not report side-by-side comparisons, broader performance measurements or reader results. Cooking times are recommendations from tests on the named model, not confirmed timings for every press.
For foods not assigned an internal temperature in the report, the source gives time and temperature guidance but no additional doneness checks. The supplied material also does not specify storage advice for leftovers or detailed handling steps. Readers should follow food-package instructions and their appliance manual, and use a food thermometer for foods that require a safe internal temperature.
What Home Cooks Can Try
The report does not announce a follow-up test or a new product release. Its practical next step for readers is to choose an idea suited to their meal and appliance, then check the food as it cooks rather than relying on the listed timing alone. Users can start with a simple option such as halloumi or pineapple, or try frozen items while checking the package directions and temperature guidance.
Briskin’s nine suggestions range from breakfast to dessert, but the article’s results are tied to one tested grill-and-griddle. Whether the same timings produce comparable browning on other models remains unreported.
Key Questions
What did Good Housekeeping test?
Contributor Lizzy Briskin tested nine non-sandwich uses for a panini press using a GreenPan Elite Multi Grill & Griddle, according to the report.
Can frozen food go directly on a panini press?
The report’s recipes place frozen, fully cooked meatballs, chicken nuggets and dumplings directly on the press. It gives times and settings, and specifies that the meatballs and nuggets should reach 165°F internally. Follow package and appliance instructions as well.
What can a panini press make for dessert?
The report suggests cooking chocolate chip cookie dough in golf-ball-size portions at 350°F for six to seven minutes. It says to cook for less time for softer cookies and cautions they may not look like oven-baked cookies.
Will the suggested cooking times work on every model?
The supplied report describes tests on one named grill-and-griddle and does not provide comparisons across models. Results may vary with appliance design, food thickness and heat output.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
