Never endure a squashed toastie again

What is the Sage Perfect Press?

This is a premium sandwich toaster engineered to deliver café-quality results at home, without the common issue of squashed or flattened bread. Its standout feature is the innovative ‘crush control’ hinge, which utilises a counterweight system to apply minimal pressure, ensuring the sandwich is toasted to a golden crisp while the fillings remain fluffy and intact.

However, unlike other sandwich toasters, this design has fixed flat cooking surfaces rather than interchangeable ones, such as ridged panini plates or waffle irons. The focus here is purely on achieving top results rather than offering a wide range of culinary uses.

Priced at £99.95, this model sits at the higher end of the market, also evidenced by the weight and quality of the materials used. With basic sandwich toasters available for less than a third of the price, is this press worth the extra dough?

JUMP TO:

I tested the sandwich press over several weeks using different styles of bread, including standard white sliced, sourdough and hefty seeded and rye breads. I buttered my bread on the outside and filled my sandwiches with a selection of popular fillings, making everything from tuna melts and prosciutto panini to baked beans and cheese toasties. I also reheated croissants and pizza to check for warmth and toasting versus squashing.

I evaluated how long the press took to heat up compared to other sandwich toasters, as well as how easy it was to operate, including using the crush control and lock features. I monitored the speed and evenness of the toasting and how well the filling melted without being flattened.

I also scored the toaster on the quality of its build and practicalities, such as the length of the cord and how easy it was to clean and pack away.

Score: 4.5/5