How do you use a gas grill sandwich maker?

A gas grill sandwich maker is not a product category we have compared. The sandwich makers in our guides are electric appliances that plug into a wall outlet, and the portable gas grills in our guide are open grills that run on propane. No maker in the portable gas grill guide publishes a sandwich maker attachment or a sealed cooking plate for its grill.

If you want a pressed, sealed sandwich, use an electric sandwich maker. If you want to cook a sandwich outdoors on a gas grill, you can do it on the grates with a skillet or foil, but the grill itself does not press or seal the bread.

Electric sandwich makers versus gas grills

The sandwich makers in Best Sandwich Makers for Pressing and Sealing are countertop electric units. The Gotham Steel Nonstick Panini Press Sandwich Maker measures 6.0 inches wide, 12.0 inches deep and 6.0 inches high. The Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker measures 10.39 inches wide, 7.83 inches deep and 5.91 inches high and weighs 4.8 pounds. These are appliances with hinged lids and nonstick plates, not grill accessories.

The portable gas grills in Best Portable Gas Grills for Camping and Tailgating are open cooking surfaces. The Coleman RoadTrip 285 has a 285 sq. in. grilling area and up to 20,000 total BTUs across 3 adjustable burners. The Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill has two stainless steel burners at 10,000 BTU each and weighs 22 lb. None of these makers publishes a sandwich press plate or a sealed cooking compartment for its grill.

So the two categories do different jobs. An electric sandwich maker closes on the bread and cooks both sides at once with a timer or indicator light. A gas grill heats from below with the lid open or closed, and you turn the food yourself. The grill does not seal edges or cut a diagonal indentation.

How an electric sandwich maker works

On the Gotham Steel unit, the maker states that the indicator lights let you know when sandwiches are ready and that the cool touch locking handle keeps the handle from heating up. The maker also states that the plates toast the bread and seal it with a diagonal indentation for slicing in half. The published features describe four toasted pocket sandwiches in less than 5 minutes, start to finish.

The Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker adds a countdown timer with an audible beep and a dual design that cooks one or two sandwiches at once. The maker states that you build the sandwich in four easy steps and that all removable parts are dishwasher safe. The OVENTE Electric Sandwich Maker is listed at 750W and has a power indicator light and a preheat light.

These are the features that make a sandwich maker useful for pressed sandwiches: a hinged lid that applies pressure, nonstick plates, and a light or timer that tells you when the plates are at temperature. A gas grill has none of these as a built in function. You would need a separate pan or press to get a similar result on the grates.

Breakfast sandwich makers and their steps

The breakfast sandwich makers in Best Breakfast Sandwich Makers for Egg and Cheese Stacks are built around layered cooking. The Hamilton Beach Sandwich Stacker states that you build the base with bread, cheese or meat in the bottom layer, add an egg if desired, top with a second slice of bread, close the lid and cook. The maker states that you pivot out the center cooking plate to assemble the sandwich.

The BLACK+DECKER 3 in 1 Waffle Maker, Grill and Sandwich Press uses interchangeable plates that snap in while the appliance is cool. The maker states that you close the lid before plugging it in and wait for the green ready light before adding food. The Chefman Electric Panini Press Grill opens 180 degrees and has a floating hinge that adjusts to any size sandwich.

These steps assume a countertop appliance with a cord and a controlled heating element. A gas grill does not have a center cooking plate to pivot out, a green ready light for plate temperature, or a floating hinge that presses the bread. The cooking method is different, so the instructions do not transfer.

What to check on a portable gas grill for outdoor sandwiches

If you plan to make a sandwich outdoors, the grill you choose should have a lid and a temperature gauge so you can control heat with the lid closed. The Royal Gourmet GT1001 has a lid mounted temperature gauge and a total of 285 square inches of cooking area, including 214 sq. in. of chrome coated cooking grate and 71 sq. in. of warming rack. The Megamaster Tabletop 1 Burner Gas Grill has a stainless steel burner rated at 11,000 BTUs and 360 sq. in. of cooking space.

The Charbroil 1 Burner Portable Gas Grill has 200 square inches of cooking space and porcelain coated grates. The maker states that the piezo electric igniter creates a spark at the burner with the push of a button. None of these makers publishes a sandwich press accessory, a sealed plate, or a recipe program for pressed sandwiches.

For a sandwich on a gas grill, the practical approach is to use a separate skillet or a sheet of foil on the grates and turn the sandwich yourself. That is not the same as a sandwich maker, and no maker in our portable gas grill guide publishes a figure for sandwich cooking time or a sandwich setting. The grill makers publish burner output, cooking area and weight, not sandwich instructions.

Published figures for the two appliance types

The sandwich makers publish small countertop dimensions and wattage. The Breville BSG520XL Panini Duo Sandwich Maker is listed at 1500 Watts and 110 to 120 Volts, with a width of 12.6 inches, a depth of 14.09 inches and a height of 3.7 inches. The Cuisinart Sandwich Grill measures 3.57 inches wide, 3.49 inches deep and 1.41 inches high and weighs 3.55 pounds. The IMUSA Stainless Steel Panini Press is listed at 1200W.

The portable gas grills publish larger dimensions and burner output. The Coleman RoadTrip 285 measures 18.5 inches wide, 32.1 inches deep and 15.45 inches high and weighs 46.67 pounds. The Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill measures 19.0 inches wide, 21.5 inches deep and 14.7 inches high. The Megamaster Tabletop 1 Burner Gas Grill weighs 14.42 pounds. These figures describe two different kinds of appliance, and no figure in either guide describes a gas grill sandwich maker.

If a maker does not publish a sandwich function for its gas grill, this site has not compared one. The absence is specific: the portable gas grill makers publish burner output, cooking area, weight and dimensions, and they do not publish a sandwich press plate, a sealed cooking mode or a sandwich timer. For pressed sandwiches, the electric sandwich maker guides are the ones with published plate designs and indicator lights.