Jennis,
I recently purchased the Panini grill from King Arthur, and so far have
used it to grill whole Portobello mushroom caps. Just bought some flour
tortillas to use to make quesadillas filled with a cheese mixture with
Mediterranean flavor: cream cheese mixed with Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes,
onion, and seasonings. Will give you an update later on how they fare.
(They do beautifully on my outdoor CharBroil electric grill, so I figured
they'd do nicely on the Panini grill whenever it is cold or rainy outside.)
The grill is fairly substantial, though not as heavy as the commercial
Panini grill they have at one of the restaurants at the university here in
Ashland. The grids are nonstick, and reverse from a grill to a griddle(flat
surface for pancakes, etc.). It heats up quite rapidly. The grids open in
two positions for contact grilling and for broiling/reheating, and fully
flat open to make a double surface for slower grilling/cooking. Have not
yet tried it for other vegetables or to grill split focaccia or other
filled sandwiches, but that will be the next project.
If you want a REAL Panini grill, and I didn't see it until after I got the
one from KA, check out the commmercial American-made Panini grill from
Williams-Sonoma. The grids are cast iron, and it looks just like the one
at the university restaurant. It is expensive, but as with anything of
quality and lasting value, you get what you pay for!
Happy Grilling!
Carolyn