Written By: Tom Malone
After years of soggy, boring sandwiches in my sack lunches, nothing tastes better than a warm, crunchy, homemade Panini sandwich. The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo makes Panini-making easy and it has room for two.
This Breville model transforms a dull sandwich into a thriving Panini in a way that resembles a delicious neighborhood deli. Its non-stick press allows for easy use and clean-up, while its sturdy press handle ensures the machine’s longevity. It features one flat and one ridged grill plate to provide crispy grill marks on one side while evenly distributing prime grilling heat across the entire sandwich. The Panini Duo provides enough space for its user to make two Panini sandwiches. Its feet grip strongly to any normal counter surface.
The Breville serves as the perfect after-school snack maker because of its operation ease. If I had a Breville Panini Duo as a middle school kid, I would have made a Panini every day. It provides a nice substitute for the plain peanut butter and jelly sandwich too.
The flat and ridged grilling plates can take a while to warm up, leaving time for hunger to build. Panini construction can get tricky when it comes to thick sandwiches. Though the top grilling plate does hinge to accommodate large sandwiches, the heat dispersion can be unbalanced. The Panini Duo works better with small sandwiches. It’s a good thing there’s room for two.
Typically, the Panini Duo sells for about $70, while the Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press sells for about $50. Both have non-stick surfaces and even heat distribution. It has removable plates for easy cleaning and weighs less for easier mobility (though the difference in weight is small). The Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press’ top plate hinges more readily than the Breville, allowing for even heat distribution when cooking thick sandwiches.
The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo Panini Press does its job. It gives teenagers and parents the ability to transform a boring sandwich into a crispy, delicious work of culinary art. This Breville cooks evenly and thoroughly and it will stand the test of time that so many other kitchen appliances seem to fail.