Review on DeLonghi CGH800 Contact Grill Panini by Dionne Reyes

I bought it in 2016 and use it from steaks to toast. I do not recommend the former. Only suitable for panini or cuban pancakes. Pros: heats up quickly. Holds the heat (even with frozen hamburger patties, but I wouldn't do that). Bake evenly. with bits and wet paper towel to finish) Cons: Lubrication is an issue. I'm not usually a gamer, but every time I use this it's a little game whether the lube spout drips and returns to the base of the device. It doesn't have a spout, so the fat just drips back under the lip and spreads all over the countertop. Sometimes no problem, sometimes I think I should just throw it away. If the top lid is lifted after cooking, grease and condensed steam will drip onto the counter from the hinge area. When you open it 90 degrees, the shelf closest to the hinge is actually a little farther from the back of the baseplate, so it doesn't catch on the baseplate grip area and just drip onto your counter. It would be 10/10 for me if that oily lip wasn't giving me any trouble. It pretty much rules out anything that isn't a sandwich as juice or fat ends up on my kitchen counter. If you're just using this for sandwiches it's pretty great, but you'll need to use thicker and more filling bread as the bottom ridges are deeper. If you're making fried cheese or something with potatoes or white bread, the bottom piece will have a well at least 1/4" deep and the top will brown nicely with the "grill" marks. If you can't handle these problems, then I really recommend you take a cast iron skillet, get a clean brick (sanitize it and wrap it in foil) and just cook your sandwiches that way, you really don't need it.