Panini Press & Waffle Maker (& dodgy toasted sandwiches) (High Wych CM21)

Working up to yesterday, but mustn't be left unattended. Needs repair. As you will see from photos, the plastic plate covering the temperature dial has lifted up, and I haven't found a glue that will hold it permanently. The grill plates are barely used; waffle has a few spots of degradation (see photo), the sandwich plates have significant peeling to the non-stick coating. That's the main reason why I replaced it. I am deliberately not photographing those plates: You really should not plan to use this for sandwiches, because you would be eating the chemical coating. I put up with the weird dial issue for several years.

This 1st generation "3-in-1 sandwich maker" is more than 20 years old, but I bet it will still work beyond the lightweight one I have replaced it with! The casing is robust-- I can't believe they are made out of plastic nowadays. You can press down on this without fear of breaking it, if you have thick bread. The hinges float to accommodate different thicknesses. The interchangeable plates are a heavy grade of metal. They are theoretically non-stick, but I'd advise spraying them with oil or using a bit of butter, especially for waffles. Unlike reviews I've read about modern versions, they clamp in securely. There are 4 temperature settings, albeit a bit fiddly to adjust due to the aforementioned repair needed. Most new ones nowadays only have one setting: On or Off. To that end, this does NOT have an auto-switch off. Original manual included, which has a waffle recipe in it. I very nearly kept this, for when the new one fails. Better to go to a new home!