How To Effortlessly Clean A Panini Press

Panini presses are a great addition to any kitchen; they're versatile, relatively cheap, and super easy to use. However, it's important to make sure you clean your panini press regularly and thoroughly in order to extend the life of your machine, and to prevent grime and oils from foods from building up into a sticky gross mess. This is true whether you are using your press to make delicious sandwiches like the copycat Panera frontega chicken panini, or going all out and taking a page from Alton Brown's book to make a panini press omelette (or even a whole chicken!).

Nowadays, most panini press plates have a nonstick coating which makes them easier to clean, but also requires gentle scrubbing. So to keep the coating intact, it is important to avoid materials that may scratch the surface like rough sponges or metal scrapers. If your panini press plates are not removable, you should also be careful about how much water you use because if the water drips into the machine it can cause electrical problems. So, now that you know what to avoid doing, let's take a look at what you should be doing to keep your panini press clean with minimal effort.

The first rule for maintaining a panini maker is to wipe it down or clean it after every use, and don't wait too long. After making your panini, unplug the machine and allow it to cool slightly. While the plates are still warm, take a damp (not wet) towel or paper towel and gently wipe the surface of the plates to remove any grease. If there are burnt pieces of cheese or other ingredients stuck to the press, they'll be much easier to clean while the plates are still slightly warm. 

But what should you do if the press is already dirty and grimy because someone (probably your messy roommate or panini-loving kids) hasn't been taking care of it? In this scenario, you will want to still tackle the messy panini press while it is warm but unplugged. To start, gently scrub the plates with a towel soaked in hot soapy water. If this method doesn't work, try allowing the press to cool, putting a mixture of baking powder and water on hard-to-clean spots, and then wiping it down after 10 minutes. You can also clean between the ridges of your panini press easily using the thick end of a chopstick wrapped in a damp towel. This will allow you to put in more elbow grease when cleaning the hard-to-reach indents of the panini maker.

Even though it probably doesn't take you much time to clean a panini press each time you use it, if you use the machine every day that time can start to add up. Plus, if you add on all the time you already have to spend cleaning the kitchen every day, saving five minutes here and there can make a big difference. So, how can you limit the amount of time you spend cleaning your panini press?

The first thing you can do is avoid cooking messy foods in your panini maker. While it is possible to grill bacon or even cook a whole chicken in a panini press, the grease and fat that gets left behind on the plates at the end of the process may not be worth the ease and novelty of making the dish. Some messy foods are best reserved for dishwasher-safe pots and pans.

Speaking of dishwashers, another way you can save yourself cleaning time is to purchase a panini press with removable plates that are dishwasher safe. This way, when you are done making a whole omelette or a messy buffalo chicken panini, you can just allow the plates to cool and then toss them in the dishwasher. Hard to get an easier clean-up than that!