How to Use a Waffle Maker as a Panini Press: A Professional Guide.

Do you love paninis but do not own one of the best Panini presses? Worry not. In today’s guide, we’ll look at how we can hack your skillet or waffle maker to make one of these delicacies from the comfort of your home.

What’s more? After looking at the recipe, we’ll also take a brief look at how you can clean your waffle maker so it can keep looking as sparkling clean as it did when you first took it out of its box. Without wasting any more of your time, let’s skip right into it and start by looking at the ingredients required for this delicacy.

• One sliced tomato
• Two slices of sharp cheddar cheese
• Two tablespoons of pesto; bought in a store
• Two slices of bread
• Two tablespoons of softened butter

1. Preheat your waffle maker.
2. Butter each piece of bread on one side.
3. Flip one piece and spread with pesto and top it with the cheese and tomatoes. Also, lay the second piece of bread on the buttered side.
4. Place your bread with its fillings on the waffle maker and cook until melted and golden.

Surprisingly, waffle makers have become more versatile and are not only being used to cook waffles and Paninis, but also a wide array of other foods. In the next section of this post, we’re going to look at 8 other meals you can quickly whip up in your waffle maker, as you get ready to make the most of your kitchen gadget.

Feel free to customize all of them to your liking.

1. Macaroni and Cheese waffle

Imagine a waffle made of macaroni and cheese – a waffle that’s soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. All you need to make this perfect macaroni and cheese waffle in your waffle maker is leftovers of your mac and cheese, breadcrumbs, flour, and an egg.

2. Sweet Potato Waffle

If you’re all about healthy eating and natural foods, then you’ll be thrilled to know that waffles can be prepared using just sweet potatoes. For an even healthier delicacy, spiralizer the sweet potato and maybe mix it with an egg.

3. Cookies

If you’re tired of always leaving your house in a hurry and getting to school or work late because your breakfast took too long to prepare, take advantage of your waffle maker and prepare delicious cookies in less than five minutes.

4. Polenta

Using your waffle maker to cook polenta is an alternative method of grilling or frying. Waffling your polenta is also a great option if you are gluten-free.

5. Falafel

Using a waffle maker for this delicacy lightens up the entire process since you won’t be required to bake or fry your falafels. You can also create toppings using an ingredient of your choice for a tastier lunch or dinner.

6. Omelet

Just add a mixture of a whipped batch of eggs and your favorite omelet ingredients into your waffle maker. That’s all you need for a delicious omelet.

7. Pizza

Surprised that a waffle maker can make you a pizza? You should give it a try, because it not only delivers delicious results, but it also saves you time compared to if you had used an oven.

8. Brownies

Using your waffle maker, whip up some of the most amazing sundaes you have ever tasted. Do not forget some ice cream and plentiful of toppings.

Now that you know how to prepare a Panini and some other foods (that didn’t seem possible) using a waffle maker, it’s time to learn how you can ensure that your unit is always clean before and after use.

Let’s start with a list of things you should never do while cleaning your waffle maker.

• Never use a sharp object or a knife to clean your waffle maker.
• Never use abrasive cleaners, steel wool, or scouring pads.
• Never submerge your entire waffle maker.
• Never clean it while it is still hot. Let it cool off first.

1. Start by wiping the small puddles of oil from your waffle maker using a dry paper towel. This should remove most of the mess. In case of a bigger mess, you may want to remove the plates and clean them separately in the sink (but first ensure that the waffle maker is turned off and completely cool before touching the plates.)
2. After taking apart all the different components of your waffle maker, wipe them down using a damp cloth.
3. For stubborn and baked on batter drips, simply pour several drops of cooking oil onto the area, and let it set for a few minutes. Consequently, wipe it away using a paper towel or damp cloth.
4. Gently wash the cooking plates you removed in warm, soapy water and rinse them.
5. Wait until the waffle maker is all the way dry before putting it away.

I hope this guide has taught you all the basic stuff you need to know about owning and maintaining a waffle maker. But if you have not already own one of these bad boys and would like to, I also acknowledge that picking the best one from the wide array of waffle maker models in the marketplace can be a confusing process.

That’s why I went out ahead of you and created a shortlist of the best five you can pick from. All you need to do now is go through the list and pick the one you think best meets your needs and requirements.