Mario's Panini Grill & Press

At my husband's suggestion, my father-in-law bought me a panini grill and press from Mario Batali's new line of cookware, The Italian Kitchen for Christmas.  Since then, I've used it several times, although, I'm ashamed to admit, not to make authentic Italian panini.  I have made tuna melts, and grilled cheeses, and croque monsieurs, and so far everything's turned out extremely well.

The pan is cast iron with an enamel finish, and it holds heat beautifully.  I'm not a big fan of single-use kitchen gadgets, so it's nice to know that this can be used as a regular old grill in the wintertime, and, since it's oven safe as well, I could use it to make pressed half chickens, although I already own a ceramic dish for that; I suppose I could make two at the same time, then.

The sandwiches so far have come out exactly as you'd expect from a good panini; crisp on the outside, melty and gooey on the inside.  Nothing has burned, or stuck, everything's cooked through, and it seems to be relatively easy to clean.  If you're for some reason in the market for a panini grill/press, I'd definitely go for it.