The best sandwich press in NZ overall is the Breville Toast and Melt 2-Slice, a compact flat press in brushed stainless steel with die-cast arms and a floating top plate that adjusts through four heights to suit different bread thicknesses. Whether that shape is right depends on what you actually make, because a flat press gives you a panini crust while a sealed jaffle iron is the only way to get the crimped, molten toastie most of us grew up on.
A good sandwich press turns leftovers into a hot lunch in a couple of minutes, whether that’s a classic toasted cheese, a deep-filled jaffle, or a proper panini crust.
We’ve compared 10 sandwich presses available in New Zealand, from compact 2-slice models to family-sized 6-slice units and sealed jaffle irons, so you can match plate size, capacity and style to how your household actually eats.
Comparison Table
| Product | Best For | Key Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Breville Toast and Melt 2-Slice Sandwich Press | Best Overall | 2000W · 4-height adjustable floating plate · PFOA-free non-stick · 2-slice capacity |
| Breville Toast and Melt 4-Slice Sandwich Press | Best Premium | 2200W · 7-height floating hinge · 4-slice extra-wide plates · 2-year warranty |
| Sunbeam Turbo Crunch 4-Slice Toastie Maker | Best Deep-Fill | Turbo crunch boost · DuraCeramic non-stick plates · extra-height sealed hinge · 4-slice capacity |
| Healthy Choice 3-in-1 Sandwich Maker | Best Multi-Plate/Versatile | 900W · 3 interchangeable plates (sandwich/waffle/panini) · deep non-stick plates · locking latch |
| Sunbeam Café Style 6-Slice Sandwich Press | Best for Families | 2400W · AnyHeight adjustable plates · 6-slice capacity · pull-out drip tray |
| George Foreman Fit Grill Medium | Best Compact | 1500W · clip-in drip tray · adjustable flat/angled grilling · 3-year warranty |
| Breville Power Toastie 4-Slice Toastie Maker | Best High-Tech | 2000W · scissor cut-and-seal action · digital countdown timer · 4-slice capacity |
| Sunbeam Café Style 4-Slice Sandwich Press | Best Value | 2400W · AnyHeight adjustable plates · 4-slice capacity · non-stick coating |
| Tefal Inicio 4-Slice Sandwich Press | Best Non-Stick | 2000W · 3 adjustable lid heights · 29 x 26cm cooking surface · dishwasher-safe juice tray |
| Tefal Inicio Compact 2-Slice Sandwich Press | Best Entry-Level | 1000W · 3 adjustable lid heights · 23 x 14.5cm cooking surface · dishwasher-safe juice tray |
1. Breville Toast and Melt 2-Slice Sandwich Press
A compact two-slice flat press from Breville, one of the most recognised names in small kitchen appliances, suited to singles, couples, or anyone wanting a fuss-free way to make toasted sandwiches or melts without giving up much bench space.
It has a brushed stainless steel body with die-cast arms for durability, and a floating top plate that adjusts to four height positions to suit different bread thicknesses. Both plates use a PFOA-free, titanium-infused non-stick coating.
The 2000W element brings it up to temperature quickly, and the flat plates deliver an even golden crust on both sides. It suits open-faced melts just as well as fully closed toasted sandwiches.
Being genuinely compact, it only makes two sandwiches at a time, so it will feel slow for a larger household wanting to feed everyone at once. The flat plates also don’t seal the edges, so saucier fillings can escape at the crust.
Pros
- Adjustable four-position floating top plate
- PFOA-free non-stick coating on both plates
- Compact footprint suits small kitchens
- Strong customer rating from over 800 reviews
Cons
- Only two slices at a time
- Flat, open plates don’t seal in wetter fillings
- No digital timer or automatic settings
Key specs: 2000W · 4-height adjustable floating plate · PFOA-free non-stick · 2-slice capacity
2. Breville Toast and Melt 4-Slice Sandwich Press
The larger sibling in Breville’s Toast and Melt range, built for households that regularly need four sandwiches on the table at once rather than one at a time.
It has a brushed stainless steel housing with a floating hinge that automatically evens out pressure across thick or thin fillings, plus extra-wide flat plates. Storage is tidy too, with a clip that holds the plates shut, a rear foot for upright standing, and a built-in cord wrap.
Seven adjustable height settings give more control than most presses in this category, running from thin toasted sandwiches through to thick open melts, and the wider cooking surface handles four large sandwiches in one batch.
It is a genuinely bigger appliance at over 4kg with a larger footprint, so it needs more cupboard or bench space, and the higher price puts it well above entry-level presses.
Pros
- Seven-position height adjustment
- Floating hinge evens pressure automatically
- Four-sandwich capacity in one go
- Two-year warranty, longer than most in this category
Cons
- Larger footprint and heavier to store
- Noticeably pricier than compact 2-slice presses
- Flat plates still don’t seal the crust edges
Key specs: 2200W · 7-height floating hinge · 4-slice extra-wide plates · 2-year warranty
3. Sunbeam Turbo Crunch 4-Slice Toastie Maker
A dedicated jaffle-style toastie maker from Sunbeam for people who want a properly sealed, deep-filled toasted sandwich rather than a flat open press, good for families who load their toasties generously.
The extra-height hinge holds the bread firmly in place so fillings don’t slide or squeeze out during cooking, and the plates carry Sunbeam’s DuraCeramic coating, a PTFE and PFOA-free surface pitched as more scratch-resistant than standard non-stick.
A dedicated turbo crunch button gives an instant blast of extra heat for a crispier finish, and Sunbeam positions it as faster-heating than its own older models, with four toasties cooked at once.
This is a single-setting jaffle iron rather than a height-adjustable press, so it suits sealed toasted sandwiches specifically and is less flexible for other uses like grilling steak or bacon.
Pros
- Extra-height hinge stops fillings sliding or squeezing out
- Turbo crunch button for extra crispiness on demand
- Durable ceramic-style non-stick coating
- Upright, space-saving storage
Cons
- Single fixed setting, no height adjustment for other foods
- Four-slice capacity may not stretch to a larger family in one round
- Wattage isn’t published on the listing
Key specs: Turbo crunch boost · DuraCeramic non-stick plates · extra-height sealed hinge · 4-slice capacity
4. Healthy Choice 3-in-1 Sandwich Maker
A budget-friendly multi-plate machine from Healthy Choice for anyone who wants one appliance that covers toasted sandwiches, waffles, and paninis rather than buying three separate machines.
It ships with three removable, non-stick coated plates that swap in and out of the same base unit, along with a locking latch and cool-touch handles for safer handling.
The plates are cut deeper than a typical flat press, so it copes reasonably well with generously filled sandwiches, and indicator lights take the guesswork out of knowing when it’s hot and ready.
At 900W it heats more slowly than the higher-wattage dedicated presses in this list, and its customer rating is a little more mixed than the single-purpose options, suggesting build quality is less consistent.
Pros
- Three interchangeable plates in one appliance (sandwich, waffle, panini)
- Deep plates suit generously filled sandwiches
- Cool-touch handles and locking latch for safety
- Useful for small kitchens short on appliance storage
Cons
- Lower wattage means slower heat-up than dedicated presses
- Customer ratings are more mixed than single-purpose models
- Storing three plate sets still takes some cupboard space
Key specs: 900W · 3 interchangeable plates (sandwich/waffle/panini) · deep non-stick plates · locking latch
5. Sunbeam Café Style 6-Slice Sandwich Press
The largest model in Sunbeam’s Café Style range, built for bigger households or anyone who regularly needs to feed a crowd without cooking in multiple batches.
The patented AnyHeight Control Lever adjusts and locks the top plate to suit anything from a thin toastie to a thick steak, and a pull-out drip tray with curved plate corners is designed to make wiping up oil and crumbs simple.
With six slices cooking at once and a fast claimed heat-up time, it is built around speed and volume. Sunbeam positions it as equally happy searing steaks or cooking a full breakfast as it is making toasties.
Its wide plates mean it takes up noticeably more bench and storage space than a standard 2 or 4 slice press, and being a flat rather than sealed-edge design, it won’t hold in loose or runny fillings the way a jaffle iron does.
Pros
- Fits six sandwiches in one batch
- AnyHeight lever adapts to steaks, wraps and breakfast foods, not just toasties
- Fast claimed heat-up time
- Pull-out drip tray simplifies cleaning
Cons
- Large footprint needs more storage and bench space
- Flat plate design won’t seal in wetter fillings
- Amazon’s own listed weight for this unit looked inconsistent, so it isn’t repeated here
Key specs: 2400W · AnyHeight adjustable plates · 6-slice capacity · pull-out drip tray
6. George Foreman Fit Grill Medium
A compact contact health grill from George Foreman that doubles neatly as a panini press, ideal for singles or couples who want one small appliance that handles grilled sandwiches, paninis, and quick meals like bacon or chicken.
The single medium grilling surface has a hinged lid, a clip-in drip tray to catch fat and crumbs, and an adjustable rear foot that lets it sit flat for pressing sandwiches or angled for grilling meat.
George Foreman claims a fast heat-up and a real-world time of under six minutes from switch-on to plate, with a non-stick surface the brand says wipes clean in one pass after cooking fattier foods.
It is built and marketed primarily as a grill rather than a dedicated sandwich press, so it lacks the deep-fill sealed edges or multi-height sandwich-specific features of the purpose-built presses in this list.
Pros
- Doubles as a grill and a panini press in one compact unit
- Clip-in drip tray and adjustable rear foot are genuinely useful extras
- Fast claimed heat-up time
- Three-year warranty, longer than most competitors here
Cons
- General-purpose grill rather than a dedicated sandwich press, so no height adjustment for bread thickness
- Single grilling surface limits it to smaller sandwiches or one or two at a time
Key specs: 1500W · clip-in drip tray · adjustable flat/angled grilling · 3-year warranty
7. Breville Power Toastie 4-Slice Toastie Maker
A four-slice toastie maker from Breville aimed at people who want the sealed, cut-and-crimped classic jaffle style but with more precise control than a basic model offers.
Jumbo scissor-action cooking plates automatically cut and seal the bread as the lid closes, and the stainless steel body includes a secure locking lid to keep four toasties cooking evenly at once.
A digital countdown timer with an extra-time button takes the guesswork out of timing, letting the user judge doneness rather than relying on a fixed indicator light. It carries one of the strongest customer ratings of any product in this list.
The scissor-seal action works best with standard sliced bread shapes and sizes, so oddly shaped or very thick artisan loaves may not seal as neatly as they would in a simple flat press.
Pros
- Automatic scissor-action cut and seal for a classic sealed toastie
- Digital countdown timer with adjustable extra time
- Very strong customer rating
- Four-slice capacity
Cons
- Works best with standard bread shapes, less forgiving of thick or irregular loaves
- Only a one-year warranty, shorter than some competitors here
Key specs: 2000W · scissor cut-and-seal action · digital countdown timer · 4-slice capacity
8. Sunbeam Café Style 4-Slice Sandwich Press
The mid-sized model in Sunbeam’s Café Style line, a practical everyday pick for a small family that wants more than a basic two-slice press without paying premium prices.
It shares the same AnyHeight Control Lever as its larger six-slice sibling, letting the top plate lock at different heights, with curved plate corners intended to make wiping away crumbs and oil simpler.
A 2400W element gives it a fast claimed heat-up time, and beyond toasties, Sunbeam positions it for searing steaks, cooking breakfast, and grilling wraps.
Like the other flat presses in this list, it doesn’t seal the sandwich edges, so runnier fillings can escape at the crust, and four slices may still fall short for larger households.
Pros
- AnyHeight adjustable plate suits more than just sandwiches
- Fast claimed heat-up time
- Strong customer rating
- Noticeably cheaper than the premium and 6-slice options here
Cons
- Flat, open plates don’t seal in wetter fillings
- Four-slice capacity is modest for a big family
- No digital timer or automatic functions
Key specs: 2400W · AnyHeight adjustable plates · 4-slice capacity · non-stick coating
9. Tefal Inicio 4-Slice Sandwich Press
A 4-slice press from Tefal’s Inicio range, suited to households wanting a well-known European appliance brand at a mid-range price point rather than the two more premium options in this list.
The body has a large carrying handle and three adjustable lid heights, with a spacious cooking surface pitched as suiting four to six servings depending on what’s being cooked.
Beyond toasted sandwiches, Tefal markets the grill and melt functions for eggs, pancakes and cheese-based dishes, and the resistant non-stick plates combined with a dishwasher-safe removable juice tray are aimed squarely at easy day-to-day cleanup.
As a newer listing it only has a handful of customer reviews so far, so its long-term reliability is less proven than the Breville and Sunbeam models in this list, which each have well over a hundred reviews.
Pros
- Three adjustable lid heights for different foods
- Large, spacious cooking surface
- Dishwasher-safe removable juice tray
- Recognised international appliance brand
Cons
- Very few customer reviews on this listing so far, so real-world reliability is harder to judge
- Flat plates don’t seal in sandwich fillings
Key specs: 2000W · 3 adjustable lid heights · 29 x 26cm cooking surface · dishwasher-safe juice tray
10. Tefal Inicio Compact 2-Slice Sandwich Press
The compact 2-slice version of Tefal’s Inicio press, aimed at singles, students, or anyone with limited kitchen space who still wants a named-brand appliance rather than a generic option.
It keeps the same three adjustable lid heights and grill-and-melt functionality as its larger 4-slice sibling, just scaled down to a smaller cooking surface and a lighter aluminium build.
At 1000W it draws noticeably less power than most other presses in this list, which suits occasional use, and the dishwasher-safe removable juice tray keeps day-to-day cleanup simple.
The lower wattage likely means a slower heat-up than the 2000W-plus presses elsewhere in this list, and like its larger sibling it currently has only a couple of customer reviews to go on.
Pros
- Compact footprint suits small kitchens or single use
- Three adjustable lid heights despite the small size
- Dishwasher-safe removable juice tray
- Lower price than most full-size presses here
Cons
- Lower 1000W element likely means slower heat-up than higher-wattage models
- Very limited customer review history so far
- Smaller cooking surface only suits one or two slices at a time
Key specs: 1000W · 3 adjustable lid heights · 23 x 14.5cm cooking surface · dishwasher-safe juice tray
How to Choose a Sandwich Press
Flat press vs sealed jaffle iron
Flat presses toast bread on both sides without sealing the edges, which suits open melts and thinner fillings. Sealed jaffle irons press the crust shut, so sauces, baked beans or extra cheese stay inside rather than oozing out onto the plate.
Capacity
A 2-slice press suits singles or couples, while a 4 or 6-slice model saves time for families or anyone regularly cooking for more than two people at once.
Plate height adjustment and versatility
Presses with an adjustable floating plate or lever can also handle steaks, bacon and eggs, not just sandwiches, which adds everyday versatility beyond breakfast and lunch.
Cleaning
Removable, dishwasher-safe plates make cleanup far easier than fixed plates, especially for deep-fill models where melted cheese can catch in the corners.
For the rest of the kitchen, the guides to microwaves, rangehoods and toasters are worth a look.
Verdict
The Breville Toast and Melt 2-Slice is our top overall pick for most kitchens, combining a trusted brand, adjustable plates and a compact footprint. Families wanting to feed everyone in one batch should look at the Sunbeam Café Style 6-Slice, while the Healthy Choice 3-in-1 is the most versatile if bench space for multiple appliances is tight. Whichever you pick, matching plate capacity and style to how your household actually eats sandwiches matters more than chasing the highest wattage on the spec sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a flat sandwich press and a deep-fill jaffle iron?
A flat sandwich press uses two open, non-stick plates that toast bread on both sides without sealing the edges, which suits open melts and thinner fillings. A deep-fill jaffle iron has a raised lip or hinge that presses and seals the crust shut around the filling, so it’s better suited to generous, saucy fillings that would otherwise ooze out. Both styles toast the bread, but the jaffle iron is the traditional choice for a fully enclosed toasted sandwich.
How much wattage do I actually need in a sandwich press?
Most household sandwich presses sit somewhere between 900W and 2400W, and higher wattage generally means a faster heat-up rather than a hotter finished result. For everyday toasties, anything from around 1000W upward is usually fine, while presses above 2000W are handy if you’re regularly cooking for a family and don’t want to wait long between batches. Wattage isn’t the only factor though, as plate size and hinge design matter just as much for even cooking.
Are non-stick coated plates on a sandwich press safe to use?
Modern non-stick sandwich press plates are typically PFOA-free, and many newer models use ceramic-based coatings as an alternative to traditional non-stick surfaces. To keep any coating in good condition, it’s best to avoid metal utensils on the plates and to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions rather than scouring with abrasive pads. A well-maintained non-stick coating should last for years of regular use.
Can I cook things other than sandwiches on a sandwich press?
Many flat, height-adjustable sandwich presses can also handle steaks, bacon, eggs, fritters, and grilled vegetables, since the adjustable top plate can be raised to suit thicker foods rather than pressing flat like a dedicated jaffle iron. Multi-plate machines take this further, with interchangeable plates for waffles or paninis as well as sandwiches. A basic single-height jaffle iron is more limited and is really designed around sealed toasted sandwiches specifically.
How do I clean a sandwich press properly?
Always unplug the press and let the plates cool before cleaning, since food residue is easier to remove once it has hardened slightly rather than while it’s hot and soft. Wipe non-stick plates with a soft cloth or sponge, and check whether the plates are removable and dishwasher-safe, as many newer models allow this for a more thorough clean. Avoid submerging the base unit or any part containing the heating element in water.
Do I need a sandwich press with removable plates?
Removable plates make cleaning significantly easier, particularly for deep-fill or multi-plate models where crumbs and melted cheese can otherwise build up in hard-to-reach corners. They also mean a single base unit can sometimes switch between sandwich, waffle, and grill plates, adding versatility beyond toasted sandwiches. Fixed-plate presses can still be wiped clean effectively, so removable plates remain a convenience rather than a strict necessity.
