Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker - Silver

When I first saw this I was skeptical that it would work without making a mess to clean up afterward. I've bought many of these little gadgets in the past and usually the clean up is never as easy as it is shown on TV or the product doesn't quite come out the same. This one works great!! I was eager to check it out when I first received it from UPS. I didn't have any english muffins and just had some thin lite bread in the fridge so just used that. Seasoned it first (and I highly recommend doing this every time you use it) with some vegetable oil after I washed it like recommended. I heated it up, squeezed the first piece of bread in so it fit in and didn't leave any gapes, added my cheese and bacon, then an extra large egg (it's what I had) and then gently shaped the top piece of bread to fit too without squeezing out the egg. Came out great! Then my daughter came over and I remembered I had some frozen pancakes in the freezer and offered to make her a sandwich and she loved it. My "McGriddle" is made with two small blueberry pancakes (store bought that come in a big bag). I put the first one in, put a small bit of maple syrup to coat it, add some cheese and the sausage or bacon (have done both), then the egg and the top pancake that I also put a thin layer of maple syrup as well. Those come out tasting so good! I've made them with English muffins, bread and pancakes. I believe because I season it with the vegetable oil each time after I've cleaned it and it's dried that when I go to use it nothing sticks at all. I don't have the white residue from the egg that one of videos showed except once and that was when I made another sandwich right after the first one. It wasn't a big deal, still cleaned up easily. I also tried to make a Reuben style sandwich as well. I used Weight Watcher's rye bread that I put in and squeezed into the bottom to fit, a little mustard, Swiss cheese, pastrami and sauerkraut and the top piece of bread also molded to fit. I had the "egg" tray slid out when I tried this and the top bread didn't brown because it wasn't up high enough but it was warm and crispy. I may try to arrange the ingredients a bit differently next time and leave the "egg tray" in this time and put the meat on top of that so it gets a bit hotter because it was just warm before and the bread should toast nicely. Bottom line is, you could make a variety of hot sandwiches in this and doesn't necessarily have to be for breakfast. One thing I did notice and I think others had mentioned was the top and bottom having a sticky residue feeling to them after using. I ran into this too and as it tells you not to use a scrubbing pad on it it is hard to get rid of. I do have non scratch type scrubbers for my smooth top stove and I gently tried using that. Still found it was sticky. One of the things that I think helps tremendously is that after your sandwich is done leave it on and closed while you eat and then wet a dish cloth and wipe the top and bottom with that being careful not to burn yourself and that helps remove that residue. I also just rinse and repeat and wipe down the rest of the the cooking surfaces as well. A couple of other tips, if you want to try making a sandwich and your bread is too big and you don't want to deal with trying to squeeze it in just use the one of the circles to "cut" the bread like a cookie or biscuit cutter and it will fit perfectly. The pancakes I use are varied in shape and sometimes too big too fit and are frozen so trying to use the cookie cutter idea isn't plausible so in that case I just trim them around the edges a bit with some kitchen scissors I have. Also, the sausage I buy that is round is rather small and we found the first couple of sandwiches would slide around so, after I microwaved it to thaw, I mashed it down a little bit to spread it out to fit better and give you more sausage per bite (and I do recommend thawing out any frozen meat first in the microwave). We also like to scramble up the egg sometimes before we pour it in and that works out well too, haven't tried this yet but for a western style sandwich you could scramble up the egg, pour it in and throw in a little bit of chopped up peppers and onion. Things I haven't tried but think would be good for hot sandwiches are Italian bread with butter spread on it and garlic powder sprinkled on top of that with the buttered side facing the heating sides and maybe some mozzerella and mashed meatballs or sloppy joe mixture on the inside, the reuben style I already mentioned, maybe a hamburger bun with a thawed chicken patty and your choice of cheese. Basically, just be creative and don't just limit your ideas to breakfast. Edited on 1-18-2014 Still enjoying my sandwich maker very much. One thing I'd like to suggest and it worked well for us is that if you are making your own biscuits or buying a can of pillsbury grand biscuits you can make up a batch of sandwiches or cook for a crowd easily. While the biscuits are baking in the oven I cook up a couple of eggs at a time in the sandwich maker. I crack an egg in a bowl, scramble it up a bit, pour one egg in the bottom slot, quickly scramble up another and pour it into the "egg" slot and cook for about three minutes. I repeat this process while the biscuits are baking and then when they are done I put my sandwiches together reserving the last two hottest eggs for my husband and I to have a hot sandwich. I get everything ready ahead of time, precooked bacon and the cheese out and just do it like a quick assembly line. The rest of the sandwiches I individually wrap in wax paper and have some breakfast sandwiches ready to throw in the microwave or for my husband to take a couple to work with him. I like that the sandwich maker makes perfectly round little egg patties. Think you could cook up a dozen eggs like this and freeze them too to have a quick and handy, throw in the microwave, pre-cooked egg whether you wanted it in a sandwich or just to throw on a plate with some bacon or sausage.

This was delightful! What an easy and fast way to make breakfast. It’s compact to save space. It’s simple to clean. Highly recommend

This is an OK sandwich maker. It had even heat. The size was good. Husband used it for a while but then went back to the way he used to make the sandwich. Guess he thought this gadget was a bit of a hassle to use. It seems to work as it should. I do think it’s just as easy to make a sandwich like this in the frying pan. That way, there is no extra gadget hanging around.

This product lives up to the hype. I have to admit I am a bit of an appliance junkie. But as a vegetarian, and someone who has very little time in the morning to eat breakfast, my fast food options are limited to Starbucks and Panera Bread drive thru ($5/sandwich +$5 for a coffee drink I'm always tempted to get) or a donut from the Krispy Kreme drive thru (cheaper but not a very balanced breakfast). So when Amazon suggested this for me, I read the reviews and I was convinced although I was a little hesitant because like I said I am a appliance junkie and often buy useless crap I never end up using again. But this has already paid for itself in a week of breakfast at Starbucks/Panera. I even didn't entirely read the directions at first and didn't "season" it with oil and it still was fine to clean. In fact all I needed was a damp paper towel. So far I've used it all week without any oil (I probably will start once I get to the store and buy some of the natural version of Pam from TJ's) and I've yet to have to do more than wipe it down. Anyways, I noticed a lack of reviews on vegetarian meats so here is what I've done: I've used Trader Joe's extra sourdough english muffins, Morningstar Farms maple flavored frozen veggie sausage, a free-range egg, and a slice of organic mild cheddar cheese. I was worried the frozen veggie sausage wouldn't cook all the way through since some people complained about that with their frozen Jimmy Dean sausage, however it was perfect for my Morningstar Farms veggie patty straight from the freezer. The only problem was the sausage patty was too thick to put cheese on top without closing all the way. So what I did was break up my slice of cheese into 1/4ths and pile it on top of the raw egg right before I put the top muffin on so the egg cooks with the cheese. I think it comes out really well this way. I cook for the whole 5 minutes and I don't set the timer until I close the lid. Some people complained about raw egg touching the english muffin, but I think of it like french toast and actually really like it! I have many more options to try and am excited to be no longer limited to only one vegetarian sandwich item on the menu and pay a small fortune to buy it. I just wanted to share a few ideas I had for other vegetarians (often I find many vegetarians aren't aware of just how many meat substitutes are out there). - Yves Meatless Canadian Bacon - This is really good and so is their pepperoni! In Seattle they sell it at PCC, but I imagine in other cities you might be able to find it at natural foods stores and sometimes I see it at Fred Meyer. - Morningstar Farms Bacon, Sausage Patties, and Sausage Links - I've seen these sold in every grocery store - Quorn naked "chikn" filets - this is the only vegetarian chicken I've had that actually has the same texture as chicken and tastes just like it. You can also buy their strips as well. Fred Meyer/QFC has the best selection and price but I've also seen it in other stores as well such as Whole Foods. - Tofurky deli slices - I love these so much. They taste just like turkey lunch meat. These can be bought almost anywhere, I've seen them the cheapest at Trader Joe's. - Lightlife Veggie Sausage and Bacon - I like how their ground veggie sausage comes in a tube. Most of their products are refrigerated instead of frozen. Anyways, I could go on about the exciting possibilities, not to mention what you could do with tofu and endless different kinds of cheese (Trader Joe's has a pretty amazing selection!) as well as veggies and herbs. Bottom line: If you are trying to talk yourself out of buying this because you think you don't need it or its a waste of money, just stop thinking and buy it, you won't regret it!

I bought this with the intention of saving 20-25 dollars a week on breakfast sandwich's on my way to work. Tough times these days with inflation through the roof. At current costs with Eggs + an English muffin, you can make an egg sandwich for roughly .83 cents as opposed to 4.50-5.00. That's a big savings. So I watched a ton of YouTube videos on this device until it began sparking an interest. This device is essentially a clam shell grill. Yes, I could cook an egg, toast a muffin on my own and I am sure it would work fine. The machine on the other hand gives you a rounded egg suitable for a sandwich and overall heats the entire thing with a light toasting on the upper and lower Muffin. I found after using it, I made over 6 sandwiches over the weekend and find it's relatively easy. While the unit is powered on, you can use the Pre Heat time to get the prep work done. Spray, Egg, Muffin split etc. Put the items in and (4 minutes seems to be the sweet spot for me) for the cooking time. Just an FYI, Fold the cheese in four corners and lie on the bottom Muffin for the best results. Also season the egg after you crack and break the yolk before the top muffin is put on and do not open to check on the cooking in progress. Do not use more than one egg in the upper chamber, it will leak as it expands and cooks. Also, I find that cutting the muffin with a knife rather than pulling apart will give you a better equal half than the top usually being less dense when pulled apart. Have faith that 4 minutes is all you need. When cleaning up, just use a damp sponge and wipe while cooling down. Less chance of any stickiness for the next cooking cycle. You really do not have to hand wash this if you neat with the cheese. A wipe down is fine, then just damp sponge it clean to avoid scratching the surfaces. The egg meshes to the top of the muffin and makes for a pleasing first bite experience. It's very different from a traditional Egg McMuffin and much fresher. I plan to make some changes, add some spinach and veggies, but overall I am pleased and recommend this device. It's part novelty, but very functional and useful.

UPDATE MARCH 2, 2024: I dropped two stars from this. I haven't used the thing in over two months. Why? Because every screw holding it together is solid rust. I saw a couple other reviews mentioning this and am surprised there's not more. So now I can either toss the thing despite it being a rather clever and nice appliance, or hopefully extract at least one of the screws, go to some hardware store somewhere, ask the nice people there if they can match the screw in a STAINLESS STEEL VERSION, pay them money, bring it home, hope I can extract all the other screws, hope the new ones actually do work and that my old, untalented fingers can manage screwing them in, and only THEN might I be able to again use the thing. I dislike hassles. I buy things on Amazon to avoid hassles. Hence the passage of at least two months since it rusted and it still sitting on my counter untouched. So, hey, manufacturer. If you'd like to just send me a new one of these with stainless steel screws, I'm all in for it. I like the mint green. I'll even send you the stupid-screw one if you want it. I'm so torn between really liking it and really not liking hassles, but honestly, I wouldn't gift one to anyone as is or really even be able to advocate for the thing now. I won't bring it up out of the blue, but if someone says, wow, you have such a cool sandwich maker, then I'll have to say, yes, but it involved tassle, and they'll say why, and I'll tell them, and we'll both be bummed about it, and that person will never buy one because they don't like hassles, either. No one likes hassles. Mint green with stainless steel screws. See what you can do. I'm a gadget-aholic, but this was a stretch even for me. Who needs this thing? I have wonderful cast iron pans, a top-notch toaster oven, and the ability to cook everything that goes into a breakfast sandwich - so why bother with this? Because it is WONDERFULLY easy. That's why. It works every time, I never don't make a breakfast sandwich because I don't want to wash it (it's a 30-second chore to clean), and I can snub my nose at the Mc-place I used to go to for these when they cost half what they do now. Win-win-win.

I have enjoyed this egg sandwich maker. It is easy to clean and does exactly what it said it would do make a great sandwich. The only thing to be careful about is it gets very hot

This is the perfect 'no fuss, no muss' 5-minute breakfast maker! We plugged it in, waited for the 'Ready' light to come on (3-5 minutes), popped in our ingredients and in minutes had the perfect breakfast sandwich! I used Orowheat English Muffins, a vegetarian sausage patty, shredded cheese and an egg. Didn't experience one issue that others have had. We looked at the pictures on how to place the items, popped them in and voila! Yummy hot breakfast! BTW..I've forgotten to 'pop the yolk' twice now and it still cooked through and no mess =0) It's important to look at the pics because if you add cheese but nothing on top of it (like my veg sausage patty), the cheese may stick to the plate above it. If you don't want to use a 'meat', then I would recommend putting the cheese on top of the egg and the top muffin over it. I noticed in the 'How To' photo that they used shredded cheese and not sliced which is why I used that type & I pre-cooked my patty since it came from the freezer (isn't that just common sense?!). Remember to use a non-stick spray for ez clean-up! After your done, just pop out the plates, wash & pop them back in...easy-peasy! This little baby should have 5-stars across the board! This was a Christmas gift for my mom who gets up early and enjoys a quick hot breakfast. She loves this little thing & no more frozen breakfast sandwiches hogging space in the freezer! Kids could easily use this (what age is at the parents discretion) & it would be a great gift for the grandparents too! It's so easy to use! Just be sure to tell them to only touch the handles (the plates get HOT! HOT! HOT!) and use a spatula to remove the sandwich from the hot plate. This goes for EVERYONE! And..very important...be sure to unplug it after use (there is no 'on & off' button!) ;) The second best thing about this machine, it's small. So if you don't like cluttered countertops it nicely tucks away in a cabinet/pantry. Paid around $24 for it - don't pay more than $25 with free shipping. If prices jump again (which they did after I bought it), go to your local wally world! =0) PS: Mine came in ez packaging. If you Google Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker you'll find the manufacturer's photos on how to layer your items (click on Images at top of screen). In the event you don't want to do that...Plug in and wait for the Ready light (Green). When it's ready, open it up, spray with non-stick cooking spray (they don't show that), and with the bottom ring down, put your bottom muffin in, add shredded cheese & veg/'meat', lower the next plate and place your egg and top with the other muffin slice, close the top and let it work it's magic. When the green light goes off...it's ready! Lift up from the bottom handle to expose the entire sandwich. Remember, it's going to be screaming hot when you add your goodies to it so be careful & be sure to use a spatula to remove it!!!