Whether you're running a booming restaurant or a small foodservice operation, you know there is one staple item on your menu that even the fussiest eater can appreciate — a sandwich. One of the most popular sandwich styles is the Panini. This hot sandwich became popular in Italian sandwich shops in the mid-1900s.
Made on high-quality Italian bread, the Panini is heated with various meats, cheese, and veggies inside. In Italy, they don't always heat this sandwich, so the United States has put its own spin on this sandwich. Customers expect to see the golden stripes where the sandwich was on a grill to know it's a Panini. To make a tasty Panini, you must use only the best cold cuts, cheese, and toppings while layering them neatly and not making them too thick.
If you haven't been making Panini sandwiches in your restaurant or foodservice business, now is a great time to start. Here's everything you need to know about a commercial Panini press.
Benefits of a Panini Press
You might think that you already have enough cooking appliances in your commercial kitchen, or that you can create the same look of a Panini without special equipment, but there are benefits of a press, including:
- Heats more evenly: Since the press compresses the ingredients in a uniform manner, it helps the cold cuts and cheeses to heat evenly. Even heating makes for a better overall Panini.
- It's multifunctional: You can cook other grilled sandwiches and burgers on a Panini press. The press can be used to reheat prepared sandwiches and burgers. You could even use it to grill the burger or chicken patties and then heat up the complete sandwich.
- Easy to clean: Depending on the commercial Panini press model you choose, you may find that the plates and drip pans slide out for easy cleaning. These models are designed so that the plates and drip pans slide in and out with ease, so you can easily clean it between sandwiches.
- Make multiple Panini sandwiches at one time: No matter what you're cooking on your press, there is a lot of room to cook multiple items at once. Instead of putting a single sandwich in a pan to grill it, you can put a family's order into the grill at the same time.
- Control the temperature: When you toss your Panini sandwiches onto a traditional grill, you don't have a lot of control over the temperature. It's a large space that takes time to heat up and cool off. With a Panini press, you're better able to control the temperature, so that each sandwich comes out at the perfect temp.
- Can even be ventless: We've talked at length recently about how and why your foodservice operation would benefit from using ventless technology. You can turn your Panini press and countertop induction griddle into ventless with the Equipex SAV-G {PALI}. It, therefore, opens up more possibilities to add in menu variety, without adding expensive ductwork or permanent equipment fixtures.
A commercial Panini press is essential for every restaurant and foodservice business. With its multi-functionality and ability to control the temperature, the press is the best way to make a toasted sandwich of any kind. When you're ready to talk about a Panini press, contact us for more information.
Paninis are a delicious addition to your foodservice operation menu. Don't hesitate to ask one of our specialists and talk all things sandwiches- they're local experts in the field!
