A Panini Press, also known as a Panini grill or sandwich press is a vital gadget for any kitchen. Put together some of your choicest fillings, add a reasonable amount of cheese to act as a melt factor, and hurray! You have just made a tasty sandwich in a ridiculously quick and simple manner.

Majority of the kitchen gadgets are very easy to use, but the most difficult aspect of it is the cleaning part. This has discouraged a lot of people from owning these useful and exciting-to-use appliance. Cleaning a Panini press requires some skills and knowledge if you really want to have a wonderful experience with it.

This article will be showing you some easy and simple steps to follow on how to clean Panini press. You can use just one minute to get this done if you strictly adhere to these tips. But before we look at these steps, let’s see the challenges most people go through in cleaning this gadget.

The Challenges Involved in Cleaning a Panini Press

Assuming you just finished using your Panini grill and it got messy during the process. One would think that it can be easily cleaned just like other kitchen utensils such as pots, toaster oven, etc. Unfortunately, it is not as easy and simple as that. This grill can be a bit tricky to clean for two reasons:

• Some Panini grill are made with the plates permanently attached to it, which means cleaning must be done as it is. This can be an annoying and messy task to handle, and can be dangerous if you leave the press plugged to an electric source while cleaning is done. To be on a safe side, check manufacturer’s instruction manual on how to go about the cleaning.
• Most Panini grills usually come with non-stick plates, which enhances your cooking experience. Unfortunately, you need to be extra careful to keep the non-stick properties intact. Just as the previous point, go through the manufacturer’s manual alongside the tips below to find out ways to clean Panini grill plates non-abrasively.

How to Clean a Panini Press

It is quite simple to learn the steps involved in cleaning a Panini grill, and the good part of it is that you don’t require any special cleaning agent or equipment to make it an easy task. These methods are not just for home use sandwich grill, they are also effective ways on how to clean a commercial Panini press. Below are five ways to get rid of melted cheeses, food residues, and oils without stress.

Make use of your dishwasher

This is suitable for Panini press that have removable plates. If this is the case, you may still want to check the manufacturer’s manual to see if it’s recommendable to wash the plates in dishwasher. This method is by far the most efficient and easiest way to clean the plates and make them shiny. Just ensure that the plates are cool before cleaning them

Soak your plates

If the manufacturer of the sandwich grill recommends that you do hand washing only, not minding if it’s a removable plate or not, all you have to do is to simply fill your sink with hot water and add some dishwashing soap to it. Leave for some time, so that the melted cheese and other food residues get softened, then look for a soft cloth to gently wipe.

Try to use dishwashing soap on non-removable Panini press plates

If you are using a non-removable plates, you can also use dishwashing soap to take care of it. Just as in the previous step, get a bowl, fill it with warm water and add dishwashing soap to it. Get a soft cloth, rag or sponge, dip it into the foamy water, and then rub gently on the plates until all residues are removed. Try as much as possible not to use too much water so as to protect the electrical parts of your Panini grill. Don’t ever use rough cloths or abrasive sponge on the plates and make sure the press is switched off and unplugged before carrying out this cleaning process. You may endanger your life if you leave the switch on because water is a good conductor of electricity.

Just wipe the plates

If the quantity of food you are cooking with your Panini press is small, you may not need to go through the dishwashing process. Just use a soft cloth to wipe off any particles and soak up any oil deposits. If you are using this method, ensure that you do thorough cleaning always to prevent the build-up of germs and other bacteria.

Scrape off with chopsticks

If some stubborn melted cheese got stuck to the plates and you have tried the various methods, but to no avail, you can gently get them off by wrapping a soft cloth at the end of a chopstick and use it to scrape the cheese. Don’t ever use steel wool, knife, or any other objects that could adversely temper with the non-stick plates.

How to Clean Panini Press by Minimizing the Mess

Different reasons lead to a messy Panini grill – the quantity of oil used, the type of filling used, and how you want your sandwich to be filled.

• If you enjoy eating your Panini with some cheese, these cheese will melt and escape from openings in your bread made from your bread machine, pouring out on the plates of the Panini press. You may try to reduce the amount of cheese used if this happens constantly.
• Majority of Panini grill makers recommend that you use little quantity of oil on the plates to prevent sticking. If this oil get trapped between the ridges of the plates, it becomes difficult to get rid of it. Apply just a light touch of oil.
• If you think you are hungry and you overstuff your Panini, all the filling will surely topple out as you close the Panini press, messing the whole place with food residues. Just make the recipe modest – you’re still going to enjoy every bite of it.

Now that you know the best way to clean a Panini press, you can start enjoying your Panini press without worries about the cleaning of the plates. Just make sure you do the cleaning before the oils and food residues get hardened on the plates.

Still Frustrated?

If you’re still frustrated by trying to clean your panini press, then you should grab the OXO Good Grips Electric Grill and Panini Press Brush. It’s very inexpensive and is incredibly effective.

Like any brush, you simply brush the panini press and all of the food remnants will be removed. It’s that easy!

Click the button to get the best price on the OXO Good Grips Electric Grill and Panini Press Brush:

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