How To Make A Perfect, Crunchy Panini Without A Panini Press

Paninis are one of the pillars of the sandwich community, as evidenced by the fact that they have an entire appliance named after them. And what an appliance it is: a panini press may not be essential technology, but there's no denying the satisfaction that comes from a perfectly squished sandwich. There's no magic behind how a panini press works. It's just weight and heat, so it's easy to replicate at home. If you don't have a panini press on hand but still want to try this paneer panini with tikka masala jam, all you need is something heavy.

The weight most people probably already have in their kitchen is a flat-bottomed, heavy pan. A cast iron skillet, like the one preferred by José Andrés, works particularly well due to its weight and even heat distribution. If you don't have any especially weighty cookware, you can place a pot or even a clean brick on top of the pan. For more convenience, you could instead pick up a grill press, like this cast iron one from Cuisinart. These tools are designed to press food evenly while cooking, and are made of heat-conducting material that leads to expertly pressed, toasty paninis.

Cooking a panini in a pan on the stove will give you the most control with your makeshift panini press, but you can achieve similar results by making your sandwich in the oven. Just place the panini on a baking sheet, then use a heavy oven-safe grill press or skillet as a weight. This method is ideal when making multiple paninis at once: drape a piece of parchment paper over the sandwiches, gently put another baking sheet on top of the paper, then stack your weights onto the baking sheet.

This trick works for any dishes that could benefit from a bit of flattening, from quesadillas to toasties. It's also the best way to get a crispy crust on a grilled cheese sandwich. Squished sammies tend to stick together better, so this method is great for making on-the-go snacks. For a quick breakfast, use the technique for a breakfast sandwich stuffed with eggs, cheese, and bacon. This just goes to show that "proper" panini presses may be luxurious, but they're not necessary if you want to craft a delicious sandwich. Grab a pan, and start pressing yourself!