Just in time for your holiday shopping needs, may I present…
The Roots and Grubs Holiday Emporium
Everything in the store–kitchen gadgets, books, and toys–is something I actually own, use, and highly recommend. And I only included items that would make good gifts. I’m sure I’ll add more over the next couple of weeks, so feel free to check back. Yes, I make a small commission on anything you buy.
Happy shopping!
What’s the lowdown on that panini press? Is it your first, or is it simply the best one you’ve tried? Advantages? Disadvantages? One of the comments features someone complaining about the lack of an on/off switch – is that really a big deal? Or are they all mostly the same?
(In case you couldn’t tell already, I’m aching to get me a lovely panini press of my own.)
ian, I can’t imagine why you’d need a on-off switch on a panini grill.
I researched a bit before buying ours, and while I didn’t actually try any others, this was the one that felt most solid. It’s also the choice of Jeffrey Steingarten.
The only disadvantage I can think of is that if you want to really press a sandwich, you can’t just pull down hard on the handle or the machine will tip; you have to grab a towel and press down directly on the (hot) top surface.
I’ve been interested in an immersion blender, mostly for making soup; what do you blend with it? I can’t imagine getting rid of the jar blender (actually, I just got a new one)–even if it does sometimes seem like overkill to have both a blender and a food processor–but I use them both all the time. Could you, or do you, make smoothies and hummus with the immersion blender? What about frozen/blended drinks?
The immersion blender does work well for milkshakes and banana-based smoothies. It doesn’t crush ice, and I don’t like hummus.