Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker

Verdict

With its large size, the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker can make big toasted sandwiches without having to trim the edges. Its swappable plates add flexibility with waffles and paninis options, too. Although simple to use, I did find the Snack Maker slow to cook, particularly with waffles, which didn’t come out as well done as I’d hoped for; toasted sandwiches and paninis were better. For more occasional use, where flexibility is required, this low-cost device is a good addition to any kitchen.

Introduction

Combining a toasted sandwich maker with a panini press and waffle maker, the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker is remarkable value.

It could save on valuable kitchen space by reducing the number of appliances you need and Its large size makes it ideal for bigger slices of bread, but it is a little slow at cooking.

Design and features

• Large internal size
• Swappable hot plates
• Not dishwasher safe

From the outside, the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker looks like a regular sandwich maker, with a fold-down lid and lock that holds it in place. Open it up, and the sheer size of it becomes apparent.

Designed to take larger slices of bread and deep fillings, this is a larger-than-average sandwich maker. Normally, I’d have to cut the crusts of my bread to fit them in a sandwich toaster, but I didn’t have to do that here.

The sandwich toaster plates can be removed, giving the option of installing the two other plates: a panini press or waffle plates. Being able to swap between the three options makes this a useful multi function device. And, as the plates are that big, they’re easy to store and don’t take up a lot of cupboard space; I found that I could fit the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker and all of its plates in the same cupboard space as my old toaster.

The plates are not dishwasher safe, and should only be cleaned by hand. I found that the non-stick coating was good, so it didn’t take long to clean up.

As with other sandwich toasters, the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker is simple to use. Turn it on and wait until the green light has turned on, showing that the device is at temperature. Then, add in your ingredients, close the lid and keep cooking until you’ve got the desired results. That’s it: there’s no temperature or timer controls on this model.

Performance

• Excellent toasties and paninis
• So-so waffles
• Slow to cook

I started by making toasties, using thick-sliced supermarket bread, packed full of cheese. I buttered the outside of the bread, to help crisp it up. My sandwiches fitted perfectly into the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker, and it was easy to close the lid.

I did find that it took at least 10 minutes per sandwich, which is slower than on my previous toasted sandwich maker. Ultimately, the results were worth it: a crispy exterior and a nicely melted interior.

Similarly, paninis came out well with a warmed interior and nice lines across the bread. Again, the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker was quite slow to cook.

I then moved on to making waffles. The manual doesn’t advise on the mixture to use or cooking settings, so I used my standard waffle mixture, carefully filling the dual slots with the batter.

As the Salter EK2143 3-In-1 Snack Maker is quite a large device, the waffles it makes are huge, so make sure you make enough batter to go around.

After a few minutes, I found that the batter had risen inside the machine, so I closed it and left the waffles to cook. After a few more minutes, I could see that the underside was cooking faster than the top side. Ultimately, I had to use plastic utensils and flip the waffles over mid-way through cooking to get an even finish all over.

I found that the result was waffles cooked all the way through, but they weren’t quite as well done as I’d have hoped, and I’ve had better results with a dedicated waffle maker.

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