Done. Sold.

I have been waiting a long time for Sunbeam to release a “sandwich press” in their Cafe Series product range. Coming March 2008 is a Cafe Series Contact Grill, the GC8900. The problem is, it’s marketed as a grill / barbecue, not a sandwich press. I guess the main difference being that it has much higher heat output for grilling and the top plate has those ribbed grills in them (I love those lines on my steak but not on cheese sandwiches). So I don’t think the product is really suitable for my needs.

Regardless of whether it suits me or not, I would love to have it, but at $249 RRP I don’t think I can shell out for a product I absolutely won’t use. I already have a George Foreman grill and don’t use it. So this new barbecue grill from Sunbeam, that features a super “2400 watt butterfly shaped elements for even heat distribution” probably won’t be taking up any of my bench space, even if it does “store vertically” to take up less of said space.

I love the Sunbeam Cafe Series and have 5 of the products already, so I want to collect them like a set. I currently own the Sunbeam Cafe Series models:

• Sunbeam Cafe Series Blender (PB9500)
• Sunbeam Cafe Series 4 Slice Toaster (TA9400)
• Sunbeam Cafe Series Food Processor (LC8900)
• Sunbeam Cafe Series Kettle (KE9200)
• Sunbeam Cafe Series Deep Fryer (DF7700)

I am not much of a coffee drinker, so I don’t have any of the Sunbeam coffee making products. However, I would like to purchase their big Cafe Series Mixmaster (MX8900) in stainless steel, I just need to come up with a reason to use it.

I love all things black and silver, so I really love the brushed stainless steel Cafe Series models, but I don’t like the coloured versions of this product line. Nor does everyone else, considering the amount of “red” cafe series products you will find for sale on eBay.

Another thing I don’t like about the range is the Sunbeam Cafe Series Juice Extractor (JE8900). It looks the same (shape and some materials) as their standard series. I believe this is the only product in the line that hasn’t been designed independently. It seems like they just took their current one and added a bit more stainless steel, a new badge and $100 on the price tag. Also, in the standard range the product is called “Cafe Juicer” or something, they even put “cafe” in the name to confuse people. That is bad.

I buy the Sunbeam Cafe Series for their look, their build quality and basically because I am a sucker for the “commercial” design. In reality I know the basic white products at half the price probably do the same job just as well, but I am prepared to pay the extra for the so-called “performance” models.

I just wish they’d brought out a regular sandwich press!

Posted by: tron

barbecue, cafe series, contact grill, sandwich press, sunbeam

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