As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
[Top 7] The Best Grill Press for Home Use – Tips and Guide in 2023
You need the best grill press to help flatten out your burgers, grill panini sandwiches with more pronounced sear lines and achieve the crunchiest salmon skin. The BBQ grill press is a simple, must-have tool for all grillers to produce sumptuous meals.
These tools are inexpensive, versatile, and effortless to use. With proper care, this model can last a lifetime. So, if you are looking to up your grilling game, you can’t simply go wrong with a grill press.
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press (Wood Handle), Weighs 2.8-pounds | PrimeEligible | Check Price | |
 | Lodge LGP3 Rectangular Cast Iron Grill Press, Pre-Seasoned, 6.75-inch x 4.5-inch | PrimeEligible | Check Price | |
 | Victoria Rectangular Cast-Iron Meat Press with a Wooden Handle, Preseasoned with Flaxseed Oil, Made in Colombia | PrimeEligible | Check Price | |
 | Bellemain Cast Iron Grill Press, Heavy-duty bacon press with Wood Handle, 8.5-Inch Round | PrimeEligible | Check Price | |
 | Evelots Cast Iron Bacon Press/Burger Smasher/Grilled Cheese-Heavy Duty-Frying Pan/BBQ Grill/Griddle-Wood Handle, 7 Inches Round | PrimeEligible | Check Price | |
 | Outset Cast Iron, 8 x 8 x 3.25 inches, Round Grill Press | PrimeEligible | Check Price |
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Sadly, with hundreds of options out there, choosing the right bacon press or steak weight can be challenging. Without further ado, let’s consider the best BBQ grill press to hasten your cooking process.
What is a grill press?
A grill press is the perfect tool for making sandwiches that need grilled or broiled. A standard sandwich has two slices of bread and your choice of meat, cheese, or condiment filling in between those slices. Grill presses – also called panini presses – look like a waffle iron you use to make breakfast waffles, but they have ridges on the face sides. These ridges help seal the sandwich so the ingredients don’t fall out as it cooks.
Many people prefer to use a grill press because it makes every bite delicious from first to the last bite. The crunch from the exterior gives way to deliciously melted beef, chicken, turkey, ham, or whatever other meat you’re using as well as cheese and crisp veggies.
Read more to discover the list of best grill presses.
The Best Grill Presses Reviews in 2023
Here are top-rated grill presses to buy
Top 1 – Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press
The Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press earns a spot on our list with its ample weight, sturdy cast iron construction, elegant appearance, and reasonable price tag. This grill press offers a sizable footprint, which makes it a go-to for grilling meats.
Furthermore, this model features a cast iron construction, making this press a little heavy to get the job done effortlessly. Weighing only a little over 2.8 pounds, this BBQ press has the perfect weight behind it to squeeze out unnecessary grease and promote uniform heat distribution for excellent results.
This model leaves your bacon with beautiful sear marks and crunchy. This cast-iron press is handsome, and its cherry wooden handles offer a comfortable handling experience.
All in all, the Cuisinart CGPR-221 Cast Iron Grill Press is an elegant press with a decent size, weight, and price tag. Even better, this best cast iron grill press is backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty to guarantee impressive durability and satisfactory performance.
Top 2 – Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press
When it comes to aesthetics, you want to stick with the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press. This model is a perfect tool for making flat, crispy, and crunchy bacon. This rectangular press measures 6.75-inch by 4.5-inch and weighs about 3 pounds to help squeeze out unwanted fat for a healthy meal.
That’s not all: this model features a cool-touch handle with a spiral design and hammered finish – making this unit visually appealing. This best griddle press is suitable for use on the stovetop, in the oven, on a pan over a campfire, or the grill. With this press, grillers can easily speed up the cooking process.
Furthermore, this model comes pre-seasoned with a natural oil for excellent food release performance, which gets better with use. This press features a heavy-duty cast iron base to add some weight to it.
Aside from its appealing aesthetics, this model does its job impressively and quickly without being at risk of burning your hands. More so, it requires the least maintenance. All you’ve to do is hand wash, towel dry, and apply a small amount of cooking oil for durability and better performance.
More so, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press is simple to assemble with pliers and a screwdriver.
Top 3 – Cuisinart CGPR-223 XL Cast Iron Griddle Press
If you need a large griddle press to help flatten and press out unwanted fat and grease, the Cuisinart CGPR-223 XL Cast Iron Griddle Press is your best bet. This extra-large product measures 10-inch by 10-inch, which makes it perfect for commercial purposes.
What’s more? It features a sturdy cast iron grill that guarantees almost a lifetime performance. Further, it comes with a large, comfy wooden handle to offer an overall eye-catching look. This press’s base has a ridged surface to help you create the perfect sear marks on your grilled sandwiches, burgers, or steak.
For quick cooking, heat the griddle press to the exact temp of your pan or grill before placing it on top of your food. This model’s large surface allows it to press six burgers or 4 sandwiches simultaneously. Hence, you want to own the Cuisinart CGPR-223 XL Cast Iron Griddle Press for cooking pork chops, and bacon or for securing your hot dogs on the grilling machine.
This drill press has a decent weight to provide the much-needed pressure to allow you to cook your sandwich evenly and add those lovely char marks. After cooking, this grill press is a breeze to clean.
Top 4 – Victoria Cast Iron Panini, Grill Press, Burger, Bacon.
If you don’t want to spend lots of time cooking, the Victoria Cast Iron Grill Press is your best bet. This model halves your cooking time while delivering stunning sear marks. This cast iron grill presses a little over 2 pounds to let you flatten out the bacon and squeeze out unwanted fat from your burgers.
Above all, this burger press feels comfortable and secure to handle. The handle is wooden to offer a nice touch and sufficient grip, even for people with large hands. Further, this press is made of cast iron to allow you to cook faster and press efficiently with the right weight behind it. Also, it’s wide enough to press a couple of pieces of meat at a time.
Unlike most models out there, the Victoria Cast Iron Grill Press features a textured base for a slide and slip-free experience. In addition, this unit comes already assembled and pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil.
All in all, the Victoria Cast Iron Grill Press is perfectly sized, rugged, and reasonably priced
Top 5 – Bellemain Cast Iron Grill Press
Next on the list is the Bellemain Cast Iron Grill Press with a stylish and sturdy build. This model weighs about 3 pounds to guarantee sizzling bacon and perfectly seared steaks. This model features food-grade cast iron construction that helps seal in your food’s flavor and keep a steady temperature throughout your cooking.
That’s not all: the model can be seasoned for a wonderful non-stick performance for quick food release and easy cleanup. The build quality is another impressive thing about the Bellemain Cast Iron Grill Press.
This best grill press for smashing burgers, and sandwiches come with a cool-touch wooden handle for comfortable and secure handling. Plus, its base comes with grill lines to leave delightful sear marks on your food.
Top 6 – Evelots Grill/ Bacon Press
If you hate to cook bacon and have to worry about it curling up, you should consider Evelots Grill/ Bacon Press. This product delivers crispy bacon in a short cooking period.
This best bacon press comes with a 6-inch long handle and a 7-inch wide base to let you cook hash browns, hamburgers, grilled sandwiches, sausage, quesadillas, and many more.
Top 7 – Outset Cast Iron Round Grill Press
Coming with an 8-inch broad base, this drill press is more than enough to press a couple of steaks, and bacon at once. It features a cast iron construction to allow you to squeeze the excess fat without sweat.
More importantly, the Outset Cast Iron Round Grill Press comes with thick grooves to allow you to create mouthwatering sear marks. Plus, it comes with a cool-wood handle for comfortable and better handling.
How to clean a panini press machine?
1) Unplug your device from the source of power. Always check the wattage of the machine so you know how much current it draws while plugged in an outlet.
If there are no data regarding this information available, then use an appliance tester – plug it into the wall socket where the device is situated and turn on your gadget. Then take note of how many watts are registered by the appliance tester or voltmeter.
2) Remove all removable components like plates (for the grilling function), drip tray, hinge, etc.
3) Place a damp cloth or paper towel in a bowl and add salt. Stir well then pour the mixture into the removable compartments or plates of your machine. Another alternative is to mix baking soda with water instead of salt. Let it soak before rinsing everything thoroughly with clean water.
4) After washing all components, make sure you dry them up with a lint-free cloth. When placing back these parts, ensure that they are not obstructing any moving/rotating parts inside your panini press machine otherwise this might cause damage later on due to friction which can lead to dangerous accidents when in use again.
5) Visually check internal electrical wiring for any visible damage. These wires have normal wear and tear so take a look at these parts to be sure that there are no frayed or broken strands that might cause electrical problems later on after the machine is plugged in again.
6) Lubricate all hinges, locks, and sockets with light oil. Take care not to overdo this by applying too much lubrication because excess oily substances inside your device can catch fire when heated up – possibly damaging your panini press machine instead of cleaning it properly.
7) Check for any loose screws, nuts, or bolts. Tighten these parts if necessary but do not apply excessive force as this will strip the threads of the screws/bolts involved.
8) Lastly, plug your panini press machine back into the source of electricity and perform a trial run. Make sure everything runs well without any hiccups or problems with components before using it again.
How Do Commercial Panini Grills Work?
Thanks to their convenient compact size, commercial panini grills are easy to fit into even the smallest of kitchens (though larger units like our Duo Plus Series come with optional casters if you need more flexibility). Once you’ve installed your new grill, all you have to do is plug it in.
The next step is placing your sandwich inside the top plate—or whatever food item you plan to cook today. Make sure it’s wrapped up tightly so that the cheese doesn’t leak out during the cooking process. Then, simply wait for a few minutes or press the start button to get things started!
Depending on which model you choose, this could take anywhere from 60 seconds to three minutes. When done properly, sandwiches should come out hot and crispy with melted cheese in between layers of bread. Plus, they’ll emit an intoxicating aroma that will drive your customers wild—just make sure they don’t burn their mouths when they try one!
Factors to choose the best grill press for home use
These days there are many grill presses available in the market. The most common one is the cast iron grill press. There are various factors to choosing the best grill press before buying it. Some of these factors are discussed below;
Material
The material of the grill press determines its weight, durability, and maintenance cost along with easiness to use it. If possible, try to go for nonstick aluminum or cast iron grill press rather than stainless steel because they are light-weighted compared to other materials.
Handle
When you buy a new product, always check its handle before buying it so that you can confirm if its grip is comfortable or not while using it. Handle also plays an important role in determining your cooking time.
If you are using a handle that is too difficult to use, then you would not be able to grill your food properly and it may take more time for grilling.
Nonstick Coating
Nonstick coating prevents the food from sticking to the surface of the grill press which will reduce your cooking time by 50% or even more than that.
The best material for nonstick coating is stainless steel because it can last longer than other materials like aluminum or cast iron.
Price
Price also plays an important role in choosing the best product. It is always recommended to purchase a multi-purpose grill press rather than buying multiple single-purpose tools like cheese toast tongs, fish turner tongs, etc…
Cleanup
After cooking food on your grill press, you should clean it with warm soapy water immediately otherwise the leftover will be difficult to remove if left for a longer duration. So never forget to check its cleaning factor before buying it.
If you heat your grill press after every usage then there is no need for any cleanup or else you can follow any other method for easy removal of stuck food from the surface.
Weight
The weight of the best grill press determines its portability and easiness to use while cooking. If the weight of your grill press is heavy then it will be difficult to use it while grilling food;
You should always try to purchase a light-weighted grill press tool that can be easily used by both left and right-handed people.
Steps to Use a Grill Press
- Start Grilling your Meat – Grill your favorite cut of meat to the desired done-ness. For example, if you’re cooking a burger, cook it to about medium doneness.
- Take your Grill Press and Press it – With your other hand, take the grill press and lower it on top of one half of the cooked meat patty so that it lies flat on top.
- Lift the Grill Press to Check Progress – If you see steam coming off of the top of your hamburger patty, then lift your grill press to check progress. If you just hear sizzling, then wait until more steam has accumulated before checking again. Be careful not to let all of the heat escape by checking too often.
- Remove the grill Press and Enjoy your Meal – Once you see steam rising from the top of your meat patty, then it’s time to take off the grill press. The burger should be well seared on one side (and ready to flip over to sear the other side).
- Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until burgers are done. If burgers aren’t yet done after using the grill press, place them back on the heat for 1-2 minutes or until desired doneness is reached.
- And that’s how you use a grill press! Easy, right?
Helpful Information: Preheat the Grill Press. Start Grilling the Meat. Take the Grill Press and Start Pressing. Lift the Grill Press to Check Progress. Remove the Press and Enjoy a Perfectly Seared Meal.
Are grill presses worth it?
A grill press is a great tool for making the perfect meal. You can get that seared steak, crispy-skinned fish fillet, or browned grilled cheese sandwich you’re looking for when cooking at home with this kitchen appliance!
Why would you use a grill press?
A grill press is a tool that speeds up cooking times for burgers, sandwiches, and other foods. It’s typically made from cast iron, but can also be manufactured from aluminum or glass depending on your preference.
How do you grill burgers on a press?
Place your grill press over the heat and preheat it before placing it on a side, upper rack, or directly below. Use gloves when handling hot items to prevent burns!
What temp kills bacteria on the grills?
When you’re planning on cooking anything that requires high heat, it’s important to preheat the grill or equipment for 15-25 minutes. This should range anywhere from 400 -450 degrees Fahrenheit at 350°F and above 300 ° F if using lower temperatures before starting your meal so as not to have any accidents happen while trying
Conclusion
You should consider one of the Best Grill Press as your final choice. The last thing you want is to end up with a grill press that doesn’t get the job done, or worse – damages your meats and vegetables!
We’ve compiled our list of what we believe are some of the best-selling products on Amazon to give you more information about which grilling accessory might suit your needs most effectively.
We hope this helps make selecting a new BBQ tool easier for you!
