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I'm looking for a small cooking apparatus that I can use to make Croque Monsieur. I've used this kind of device before but I don't know which words to use to google for it. Here's how I made a Croque Monsieur from the past:

  1. Place a slice of cheese and ham between two bread slices
  2. The sandwich is placed in between two grills which press against it like a jaw
  3. After a few minutes, parallel grilled marks are left on both sides of the sandwich

Think of the above machine as a closed book engulfing a sandwich. What's the English name of that machine and is it available in small size(my kitchen has limited space).

Thierry Lam
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  • You could just pop it under the grill in your oven. Of course, true Croque Monsiuer is dipped in egg and fried in a pan with butter. – ElendilTheTall Apr 16 '12 at 07:56

4 Answers4

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The device is called a "panini press" and they're available fairly small. I've seen ones which aren't much larger than a toaster.

BobMcGee
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I think you're looking for a "sandwich press", does it look like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GR-1-Griddler-Panini-Sandwich/dp/B000CPZXGO ? Or perhaps like this.

FrustratedWithFormsDesigner
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While as BobMcGee says a panini press gives you the apparatus you were thinking of, I would like to add that there is an apparatus especially for making croques. An old one looks like this, a newer version like this.

I googled 'croque monsieur machine' to get the results, it's the term we use here (Belgium). It's fairly cheap and is about as large as a waffle iron.

Community
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Mien
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My only comment on this is that I've never had a croque in france cooked on a panini press.

The authentic ones are always sautéed. Personally I make them by buttering the outside of the bread, and shoving the sandwich into a cast-iron skillet. Don't need to press on the top either - that leads to it being more like a panini which I find is compressed - the french croque isn't.

Basically, it's a fried cheese and ham sarni - not a grilled panini.

Alex
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  • Nitpicking maybe, but you don't sautee a sandwich. It would involve chopping it and keeping the pieces in motion in the pan. – rumtscho Apr 16 '12 at 08:44
  • I do chop up a loaf (slice the bread) and then keep it in motion in the pan. That results in an even brown toasting of the bread rather than hotspots, etc. :) – Alex Apr 17 '12 at 00:50