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Today, I want to talk to you about your breakfast habits. In an ideal world, we would all be able to have a delicious and nutritious breakfast on our plates in a matter of minutes. However, so many of us find ourselves grabbing a takeaway meal on the way to work, eating quick-fix unhealthy solutions at home, or even skipping the meal altogether.
We can make excuses now and then if we have a busy schedule or we want a weekend treat. But, unhealthy options and expensive take-out breakfasts quickly become the norm. There are alternatives out there that can save us time and money and offer a tastier, better breakfast. One that I want to introduce to you today is the Hamilton Beach Breakfast, Sandwich Maker.
I am going to review this appliance below, offering a more in-depth look at the features, pros, and cons than you get with my other comparison guides. I want to highlight the benefits of choosing this system as a way of upgrading your breakfast regime.
But, I will also mention some of the issues to watch out for. Before we look at this machine and how to use it, let’s consider why so many people turn to this sort of all-in-one breakfast sandwich maker.
Why do people add a breakfast sandwich maker to their range of kitchen appliances?
You might wonder why you should add a device like this to your current arsenal of kitchen appliances. After all, you already have the means to cook lots of great breakfast food items with your pans and toasters. The main difference here is the simple fact that everything you need is in one appliance.
1: You don’t have to locate the right pan for your egg and then another for your bacon.
2: You don’t have to deal with the hassle of realizing that one of those pans isn’t clean because “someone” didn’t do the dishes last night.
3: You don’t have to worry about watching the heat on two burners on the stove while also juggling the rest of the prep tasks.
How often have you walked away to slice up a muffin or some cheese and returned to find the bacon burning or the egg starting to stick to the pan? An all-in-one appliance like this is a quick way to cook everything for a breakfast sandwich in one go instead of dealing with all those different pans and the annoyances that come with them.
An all-in-one approach doesn’t just make it easier to get started with making breakfast, but it also means that everything is ready at the same time. No more trying to keep one thing warm without it overcooking while dealing with another item that is a little underdone. Put everything in the device, close it up, wait the appropriate time, and enjoy your breakfast.
Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Makers for teens and college kids.
On that note, there is a good chance that more people in your life will be able to get that enjoyment and the nutritional benefits of a good breakfast with a machine like this.
We want to teach our kids that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – ideally with them eating something a little more nutritious than a bowl of sugar-coated cereal or a pop tart. But, those instant morning treats are usually a lot easier to make and offer more instant gratification than something like a cooked breakfast.
The last thing that teenagers need is to feel like making breakfast is another chore. So, teaching them to make a range of fun, healthier breakfast sandwiches in a machine like this can pay off. There are also lots of people that buy this appliance for their college-age kids, or for those just starting out in their first apartment.
Young adults can set this up in a tiny kitchen or even a dorm room and make a better morning meal. Of course, this “breakfast” food doesn’t have to be a morning meal. This 5-minute cooking experience for a nutritious sandwich also helps with late-night study sessions, gaming streams, and more.
How do you use a Hamilton beach breakfast sandwich maker?
Hopefully, so far I have convinced you that this sort of device is a great idea for your family, either at home or as a gift for kids at college. So, let’s take a closer look at how the Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker works to highlight that ease of use and the appeal to those that don’t normally like to cook. This machine has a 4-step system. As you will see below, this is open to adaptation with the food items used. But, the basic process remains the same.
Courtesy Aline Peres Martins
1) The first step is to build the base layer. This means placing the bottom half of the bread/bagel/muffin/etc in the pan with any meat, cheese, or other items on top.
2) Then you add your egg into the pan above.
3) Next add the top bread layer to complete the structure of the sandwich.
4) Finally, all you need to do is close the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes. As you will see below, you can play around with the time.
The benefits of choosing a Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker.
Let’s start by looking at the benefits of this machine. The most important of these have to be the ease of use and speed in which you can achieve a great-tasting breakfast.
Speed is important with these appliances and there is the promise here that you can have a full breakfast sandwich in just 5 minutes. That is the maximum amount of time that it should take from closing the lid on your creation to getting your cooked meal.
Of course, there is a little bit of prep time to consider. However, the design of the machine means that this is minimal. You can slice the bread and add it in place quickly enough. You put your next layer on top in seconds. Then you can just crack the egg into the pan. This quick fix is probably faster than making a pop tart when you consider the cool-down time on those pockets of nuclear-heat.
The ease of use continues with the fact that there really is nothing to think about other than adding the ingredients and closing the lid. This idiot-proof approach makes it a hit with all kinds of users that were perhaps wary of such an all-in-one machine.
Unless you were to overfill the machine or leave it cooking for hours, you can’t do much damage here. You can, however, cook the egg and toast the bread without thinking about it.
It also doesn’t hurt that these benefits all come in a machine that looks pretty nice. The compact shape is a must for any small kitchen. Students in tiny dorm rooms can figure out a way to set this up somewhere with ease.
It also comes in a few different colors. So, if you don’t want a more traditional black or silver, you could go for something brighter.
This Hamilton Beach sandwich maker also allows for experimentation as needed.
The main selling point here is the idea of being able to make a full nutritious breakfast sandwich with as little thought as possible. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t play around with your options and see what works. The bottom layer on the base piece of bread is something you can play around with quite easily.
Any sort of cooked meat and cheese will do as long as it fits. This could encourage some students to expand their horizons with new ideas, or simply throw together what is left in the fridge. You might not want to eat their Frankenstein monster of a sandwich, but they could have fun. There are also nearly 30 recipes on the company website to work with.
Some users say that they have been able to play with the timing of their sandwich. Some people may be a little disappointed to find that this machine doesn’t have a timer. You can’t leave the toaster alone and return at the sound of a bell. But, this does mean that you can pay more attention to cooking times.
There are users that realized that cooking for between 4 and 5 minutes allowed for a cooked but runnier egg. You may also prefer things a little more overdone and crispy, so could leave the sandwich a little longer.
The downsides of choosing a Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker
The first possible drawback here may sound a little contradictory. However, this isn’t a versatile as you might think. While you can build a sandwich with all kinds of ingredients and play with those recipes, there are limitations. For example, you are going to be limited in the type of bread that you can use.
A lot of people will use small English muffins in these sandwiches. That makes sense because they are the right size and easy to hold. Some well-known fast-food restaurants do the same. There are also options for using bagels and other round pieces of bread. But, be careful with the fit and the density of the bread.
There are also recipes with croissants cut in half. However, these don’t hold the shape or filling quite so well.
Another risk in playing around with the bread layer is the fact that the base can get a bit wet. Wet ingredients and moisture from the different layers do have a tendency to seep down into the bottom bread layer.
For some, this isn’t much of a problem if they have a dense, absorbent layer, or if they like that sort of thing. For others, it ruins the feel and structure. The last thing you want is the base falling apart when you take it out of the machine.
There are also some issues with the egg layer of the sandwich.
When reading through the more negative comments from users of this appliance, I noticed a common link between a lot of them. That was the egg. The egg layer shouldn’t be difficult. There is a simple pan in the middle that contains and cooks the egg for the desired length of time. That egg then sits nicely in the middle of your creation.
However, there are two considerations here. The first links back to that idea of soggy bread. There are cases where the egg has leaked over or through the joins in the pan. This could lead to it getting onto the bread or just making a mess of the machine.
If you do choose to save time by cracking the egg into the pan, rather than using a jug or mug, this could be even worse. The second is that the egg has stuck to the pan on the first couple of tries. Some say that this issue diminishes as the pan “seasons”. But, be prepared to add some spray-on oil first.
How do I clean my Hamilton Beach, sandwich maker?
These issues with the soggy bread and egg leaking out of the pan lead to some important questions about cleanliness. In these cases, the cleaning process will be a little tougher. You may have to scrub at the main body of the machine a bit to get all the mess off. Naturally, this could be an issue for college kids that don’t want to deal with that sort of chore.
On the other hand, the good news here is that the majority of parts are dishwasher safe. Everything that is removable, such as the egg plan and plates for the bread, should sit nicely in the top rack of the dishwasher and clean up with ease.
I haven’t seen any negative comments about the pieces tarnishing with repeated washing. If you prefer the idea of handwashing – which may also be the only option for college kids – this shouldn’t be too difficult either. The rest of the machine can be wiped down after use ready for next time.
What about a Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker instead?
Before I get to the final summary about this machine, I want to point out that there is an alternative model to consider if you like the idea of making breakfast sandwiches this way.
The Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker is pretty much the same thing in that it uses the same process and pans to create the same sort of sandwich. However, this one has the added benefit of the second set of pans – hence the name.
You can build two sandwiches at once, making this great for couples or if college kids have classmates over. This one also has a timer with an audible tone. But, it will require double the cleaning and more space.
The pros and cons of this Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker.
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]This is a compact little machine that will fit on small countertops with ease.
The choice of colors means you can choose one that suits the space.
The speed of the machine makes it perfect for quicker, healthier lunches.
You can still play around with the timings to cook the eggs as you like them.
The process is idiot-proof, so teens can use this with ease.
There are some great recipes on the website
The removable pans are dishwasher safe.[/i2pros][i2cons]The eggs can stick to the pan the first couple of times.
The eggs can also leak, causing more of a mess.
Wet ingredients can soak into the bread.
The shape of the pans can limit the types of bread and fillings.[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Does this machine offer good value for money?
One of the main reasons to get this machine if you are keen to upgrade your breakfast is the value for money. Not only is this an affordable appliance that does the job promised, but it can also save money long-term.
There are people saving money here by not buying breakfast each morning. You might not consider how much it costs in a month to buy a breakfast sandwich from a restaurant or cafe – even if it’s a really cheap franchise. This is where we go back to that idea of this being perfect for college kids. The money they can save there could go far.
Final thoughts on this Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker.
In short, while there are some small challenges to deal with at first, it is easy to fall in love with this machine. There are buyers online saying that they don’t know how they did without it. I can see their point as this system does have the potential to alter habits for the better.
Play with the recipes and timings, be prepared for a little mess now and then and see how this device can improve breakfast time for you or your college kids. You may be surprised at how much use and fun you get from it.
