Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press with Cool-Grip Spiral Handle, 4.5 inch X 6.75 inch, Black

I have been on a cast iron craze lately. I have been collecting Lodge products, and eventually it came to this little uni-tasker. I waffled a bit....like I said, it is a uni-tasker. Some reviewers say they use it for other things like grilling chicken and such. But I was looking to straight up make paninis. In the end I just decided to go for the bull and get it. And boy am I glad I did! You have a few options in how you can use this item...the Lodge grill pan is the best since the ridges in the bottom of the pan match those on the panini press. However, if you don't mind too much if the bottom of your panini does not have ribs you can use a plain flat bottom skillet (make sure your skillet is big enough in diameter!) The third option is the one I am using at the moment, which is the Lodge pro 2 burner griddle. I use the ribbed side, which does not match the panini press (the ribs are narrower and spaced further apart) but accomplishes the general idea. I do plan on getting the ribbed grill pan at some point, but for now things work well this way. So, when the product arrived I gave it the usual 2 or 3 extra pre-seasonings using palm oil shortening in a 350 degree oven. Then it was time to get to work. I placed my pro 2 burner griddle on med. high heat (I have an electric stove, so used the 5 1/2 mark on the front and rear burner knobs) to pre-heat for about 10 minutes. I placed the panini press on a third burner to pre-heat by itself using the same setting, 5 1/2. Made up the panini using olive oil brushed on the outside of the bread, set it down on the griddle and (with a gloved hand!...don't forget the handle will get very hot!!!!!) waited about 3 minutes. The press stuck a bit to the bread on top a bit (I continue to have this minor issue, and I think it is not because of the seasoning lacking, but just the way the ribs kind of like to hold the bread a little bit), but I took a butter knife and used that to kinda just hold the bread lightly while I pulled out...pop, press came off just fine. Alas the bread on top was mildly toasted, but not browned (tasted just fine, and was like white toast, but definitely not what you expect from a panini). The bottom, however, was just fine, excellent, perfect in every way. This led me to believe the press was either not hot enough to begin with, or that I needed to compensate for the fact that the minute it goes on top it is losing heat where the pan underneath always has heat. So the next time I made a panini I pre-heated the bottom pan as normal (5 1/2 setting), but the press I heated to a higher temp (7 1/2). With 10 minutes of pre-heating it actually started to lightly smoke, so I could tell I had it much hotter. And sure enough this time the top and bottom came out an even dark brown. The actual process of grilling the panini only took about a minute and a half to two minutes. Dark, brown, delicious! So that is the biggest tip I can give. Pre-heat your panini press to a decent degree higher than your bottom pan. One other thing to note has to do with cheese. When using sliced cheese or at least a light amount of shredded you should have no problems. However, I made a panini today using a good mound of shredded cheese, and while the whole sandwich was warmed all the way through the cheese deep in the middle did not melt to that stringy, classic "grilled cheese" kind of consistency. So a little experimenting in that scenario may be needed. So here are some "recipes" (I hesitate to really say they are such since, well, it is just a grilled sandwich after all.) So far they have all been using homemade artesian bread from my Lodge dutch oven. It is a buttermilk, cheddar and herb bread that is proving awesome for paninis (and if anyone wants the recipe I can gladly post it here if they like along with instructions on how to make great bread in your dutch oven!) Actually, I must correct myself....one batch of panini were made on store bought, fresh made artesian sourdough (available from the bakery at Hannafords). Tasted good too, but the Buttermilk/cheddar/herb bread is better in my opinion. Turkey/Bacon/Cheddar/onion panini: Get some sliced turkey from the deli. Some nice sliced sharp cheddar. Cooked bacon slices. Sauté up some onions (by all means use raw onions, but onions sautéed in butter have such a wonderful sweet flavor and texture!) Take your bread slices (about 1/2" thick slices work best) and brush on some olive oil one side of both slices. Assemble your panini w/ olive oil sides facing out. Place on grill/pan, plop on the panini press and cooked to desired color on the bread is reached (should not take more than a few minutes) using the instructions/tips noted above in main review. Bacon/Cheese/onion panini: Take some bacon slices. Get a fine variety of shredded cheese. In this case I used cheddar, jack and a quesadilla cheese. Once again bring out my favorite style onion, the sautéed kind. To get the best results lay down half your cheese on the bottom slice, stack on your bacon, onions, and then the other half of your cheese followed by your final slice of bread. The cheese on both sides helps to "glue" everything together when all melted. From here on ditto above. Roast beef/mushroom/Cheddar panini: Pretty self explanatory. Get some sliced roast beef from your local deli. Sauté up some mushrooms (yeah, I know, sautéing vegetables adds more work...but trust me, it is WORTH it!). Sliced mild or sharp cheddar (I don't care much for swiss cheese, but I assume it would also make a nice substitution here). From here on ditto above. Some other ideas I am planning on trying at some point: Bacon/sun dried tomato (processed into a paste)/spinach/cheddar Sautéed green pepper/sautéed onion/sautéed mushroom/cheddar Italian sausage/sautéed onion/sautéed pepper/mozzarella/marinara sauce

Lodge cast iron products are known for durability and this one will likely be never replaced!! I love that the handle construction is very sturdy and well made, and doesn’t heat up like the rest of the press... I can easily reposition without needing oven mitts. I’ve carpal tunnel and have no issue which maneuvering this over a steak or even Cuban cheese toast. The spacing for your grip in the handle is large enough not to worry about your knuckles hitting the hot area. This was very well thought out construction to a few small points that make a big difference. Cast iron always takes that extra step to wipe down with oil to clean, and this is no different. This could also be considered an inheritance piece as it’s that durable. It does it’s job very well, great weight that’s not light nor too heavy. I purchased a tomahawk steak, and those things are huge! It would not completely fit in my Lodge cast iron 12” pan as the bone sticks out, so I used this grill press and it was very much needed!! It held down enough of the steak’s angle where bone met meat so that it could cook up in the pan. Without the press, it wouldn’t have. I’ve also used on regular steaks and it provides an even cooking rate, which I love! Sometimes a pork chop or steak may bevel a bit with the sides curling but this grill press prevents that. It’s big enough for one whole avg steak, but I’ve also used across 2 steaks for a more even cook. Love this and wish I had bought it sooner! We don’t make a lot of steaks but now it’ll be a staple for when u do.

I really cannot find any down side to this grill/pan press. It is precisely as advertized, does the job I bought if for, is attractive and the thing will last far, far beyond my lifetime. This is the third press of this sort I own; all by lodge. The grill press being reviewed here is seven inches in diameter. The working side (the bottom) is completely flat as a good grill press should be. This one of course is round and I purchased it to use with two specific pans...both being round. Of course I use this press on our flat square grill also, as well as the gas grill on the porch. Traditionally, I suppose, these are made to make your bacon flat. Curled-bacon is a pain, cooks uneven and well, just looks unsightly...especially if you have an obsessive sort of personality. Be that as it may, this little thing does indeed give me perfectly flat bacon. I also use it on hamburgers, ham steaks, grilled sandwiches and anything else that needs a bit of pressure. When I grill particularly thing cuts of meat (pork in particular) on the grill, I often times find the edges curling. This thing puts a stop to that. This product does require some slight assembly on the buyer's part. We are talking putting two screws, two washers and two hex nuts into place. This is not high tech stuff folks; a small pliers or crescent wrench and a small screwdriver is all you need and the procedure takes about three minutes. I do believe this is the only product I have ever purchased which required "some" self assembly where I did not have parts left over; I mean I am the sort of guy who can purchase an anvil to set on my work stump near the barn and have something left over...it is pathetic. This particular piece is of course cast iron which means that if you take care of it properly they will still be using the thing six generations from now. DO NOT put this into the dishwasher. I use a lot of cast iron cook wear and trust me; keeping it clean and healthy is not a great chore. You simply wash it off with hot water and a non abrasive scrubber (I never use any sort of detergent on mine), let it dry thoroughly and apply a light coat of veggie oil. It does not take much oil and the procedure is quick. As to the complaint that the screws in this device will "collect dirt," I have not found this to be the case at all. It is no more difficult to keep clean than any other piece of cook wear and if you should happen to miss a speck or two of grease, the heat during the next you use it to cook with will pretty well kill any grunky that may be lurking there. The top of this press has been hammered and forged with a nice "hammered" looking finish which makes it look like a good cast iron piece should look after years of use...you get a head start on the process! Now a word about the "Cool Grip" spiral handle: This handle is made of metal. If you were not sleeping through Jr. High science class, you will know that metal conducts heat. Yes, this handle does get hot, especially it you use it on your open gas grill and it is advisable to use some sort of heating pad (I like gloves) when you lift the thing off the pan or grill. The handle will not get as hot as the actual press, but hot it will get! I have no complaints as to this product; only praise. Like another reviewer there though, I do wish that Lodge would make presses to fit all of the different size pans they offer. This would be of great help. Don Blankenship The Ozarks

I bought this for cooking bacon. It's really too small for that purpose. I'm sure it works just fine for hamburgers, small steaks, grilled sandwiches, whatever. But useless for bacon. The quality is fine; it's certainly a weighty cast-iron. But I don't love the screw-on handle. It allows food bits to get stuck to the screw. That makes the underside hard to clean. For comparison, I'm including photos of my older Lodge press that has no screws and at 8" x 8", is a better size for bacon.

This review is for the 7.5” grill press. You need to accept that this is heavier than most other grill presses, even at this size. That weight comes in very handy when you’re trying to sear a steak, or when cooking a large package of bacon. It’s also great when you’re cooking sandwiches or making paninis, because you can easily get 1 - 2 underneath. Mexican food? Yep. For a single burger, it’s a bit overkill, but it definitely does the job well. I wouldn’t 2 at the same time for smashburgers, and you want to space out the patties due to the size of this thing. Now people will ask, “does it stick?”. It can, but that can happen with any press regardless of what it’s made of (don’t believe the marketing hype of some of the other brands). You’ll quickly learn that all you need to do is to put the press on the grill or griddle for about 2 minutes for the surface to heat up a bit and you’re good. “How hard do you need to press?” Not very. That’s the point of why this thing weighs close to 5lbs. Cleaning is a breeze. Sponge and water. One of those chainmail cleaners if things get gnarly. Yes, this is seasoned. And yes, you will see a spot where it looks like it’s worn or maybe even a little reddish. That’s normal and it’s from the manufacturing process. Nothing wrong with the press, and you can clean and season that spot as part of your normal maintenance. When it comes time to season it, wear a pair of disposable gloves (optional) and/or a rag or towel you don’t mind getting covered in oil. Just apply whatever seasoning oil you prefer and coat the thing. Once you’re done place it on a baking pan in the oven and heat at 375 for about an hour. I don’t recommend using paper towels due to them tending to leave remnants while applying oil. Last comment/question I hear a lot of is “does it get too hot to hold?”. It’s metal, so depending on the heat source and how long you leave it in contact, yes the handle can get toasty (welcome to the principle of thermal conductivity). In normal use, you’re not going to have a problem. It’s a LOT of metal to heat up, and those springs on the handle keep you from directly touching the handle. In normal use, it might get a little warm, but you’ll never have an issue. That’s my not-so-short review. Hope it helps! I’ve found this to be a great addition to my kitchen, both indoors and out. One last bit of advice - don’t use this with any kind of non-stick griddle or pan. This thing is cast iron and it will scratch the heck out of the non-stick surface.

Great for English muffins.

This flat-bottomed press is advertised as a way to keep bacon from curling, among other uses. As some reviewers noted, the size of this press is too small to cover strips of bacon, so I'm not sure it is the best use of it. However, I purchased it for one specific use: to press and grill Cuban sandwiches. While I have a nice panini press which is used a lot, it has elevated grill sections so doesn't press the whole sandwich down as is preferred when pressing a Cuban sandwich...all of the bread should be pressed down and grilled until it is crunchy. I had been using a couple of heavy sauce pans placed on top of the sandwich placed in a skillet, but it was too unsteady. This item takes care of that issue. It sits perfectly on top and makes it easy to press down while heating. This may be the only thing I use it for, but since I love Cuban sandwiches and eat them often, it will be used often. Some reviewers experienced problems attaching the handle onto the press, many citing screws that either did not attach easily or protruded too far from the bottom. I did not have those issues; the handle attached easily enough, and no protrusion of the screw heads. It seems sturdy enough, not wobbly at all. Other reviewers cited rust. It is too soon for any rust to have developed, having only used this twice, but I will keep it wiped off so as to minimize this problem. So far, this press works just as I had hoped. And unlike some buyers reported, the handle did not get too hot to hold at all, didn't even need a pot holder. I'm glad I bought it.

Exactly what I wanted. Great for burgers or bacon. Easier to clean than expected. I did season it again myself before first use, but I never trust the "pre-seasoned" cast iron.