Press that panini in the toaster

Toast up a panini.

(Credit: DeLonghi)

At some point in the long history of toasters, some enterprising individual realized that setting the thing on its side and giving it a door would create a whole new appliance. Thus the toaster oven was born. All of a sudden, and using practically the same amount of counter space, toasting and heating possibilities were exponentially increased. Since that moment in time, french bread pizza never looked back.

While it is true that the toaster oven is capable of everything from cooking frozen pizza to reheating leftovers, there are a few things the multitalented device has simply not been able to do. While I doubt soup may ever be on a toaster oven menu, at least one thing can be checked off that list: pressed panini sandwiches.

The DeLonghi Panini Toaster Oven (model number EOP2046) features all the bells and whistles we've come to expect from a toaster oven, but takes things one step further by integrating a panini press. An included nonstick grill plate serves as the base for the panini press feature, while a rubberized handle on the outside controls an internal wire rack that acts as the panini press. How well a wire rack emulates a panini press remains to be seen (expect this appliance to hit the shelves any day now), but considering the history of the toaster, this capability to create grill marks is just the start.