Since we’ve been living outside of the US, it’s become more important for us to learn how to cook our American comfort food at home. For us, that means Mexican food. One of the easiest ways to prepare Mexican at home is with an electric quesadilla maker. Here are our recommendations for the best quesadilla makers for home.
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The Best Quesadilla Maker Reviews For 2023
There’s a lot that goes into purchasing the best quesadilla maker for your home. We cover everything in detail below, including a full review of each recommended quesadilla machine. If you are short on time, though, feel free to use the table below to find our top picks.
Also, we recommend Amazon for purchasing your next piece of cookware. First, Amazon has one of the most amazing cookware selections for the home. We used Amazon a lot when living in Spain and still use it now that we live in a small Irish city. It just provides us with a lot more variety.
Second, we try to recommend products that are part of Amazon Prime, which provides purchasers with free and often super-fast delivery. (Get 30 days of Prime free here.) Almost all of our recommended quesadilla machines are Prime eligible, although there are possibly a few specialty pans that are not.
What Is A Quesadilla Maker
At its most basic, a quesadilla maker is a specialized press used to heat tortillas along with quesadilla fillings. These small kitchen appliances plug into the wall but can be stored when not in use. They have a toxin-free non-stick surface. This makes it easy to remove the quesadilla when ready.
The electric quesadilla pans usually come with dual, multi-pocketed cooking surfaces. The cooking surfaces are on the upper and lower parts of the quesadilla maker. The pockets are the spaces where you prepare the quesadilla. Place tortillas over the pockets, next fill with cheese and other ingredients and the quesadilla is ready in minutes.
Why Buy A Quesadilla Maker
So, why buy a quesadilla maker? It’s the most convenient way to cook quesadillas at home. Trying to make quesadillas in a conventional frying pan can be difficult and messy. Here are just some of the reasons why they are a good investment.
First, they save time. As the quesadillas maker is pre-heating, prepare your ingredients and fillings. Once the ideal cooking temperature is reached, cooking time is less than 5 minutes.
Second, they are easy to use. Most of our recommendations are non-stick quesadilla makers. They seal the tortillas, preventing spillage. They cook quickly and are easy to clean after.
Some of the quesadilla makers are also pretty versatile. They can be used to make a variety of hot sandwiches.
Reviews Of The Best Quesadilla Makers
For some strange reason, all of the makers we recommend to make the perfect quesadilla at home are red. Not sure why that is. Regardless, they will all help any budding home chef make fabulous homemade quesadillas super easy. Some of them can also be used to make other dishes as well, making them quite versatile. Here are the best quesadilla makers on Amazon.
Hamilton Beach Quesadilla Maker
Size: 10 Inch
Hamilton Beach’s Quesadilla Maker makes perfect quesadillas each and every time. Cooking in under five minutes, the Hamilton Beach Quesadilla Maker features dual, non-stick cooking surfaces.
Its built-in indicator light lets you know when the quesadillas are finished cooking. The locking lid prevents messes by keeping the food inside the quesadilla. The Hamilton Beach’s cooking surface is formed to create six even quesadilla wedges.
Compact in size, the Hamilton Beach takes up little counter space and stores upright. It’s backed by a limited manufacturer’s warranty and comes with a recipe booklet.
Our Pick: For Great Value From Quality Appliance Manufacturer
Black & Decker Quesadilla Maker
Size: 8 Inch
From a leader in home appliances, the Black & Decker Quesadilla Maker quickly and easily cooks up fresh and delicious quesadillas. The 8-inch non-stick plates cook the quesadillas from both sides. This provides faster, more even results. The Black & Decker comes with 6 deep-dish quesadilla pockets. It also features an innovative press to seal in the quesadillas.
A convenient Power ON and Ready indicator lights assist in cooking to perfection. Slip-resistant grips for easy use and vertical storage make this the perfect home quesadilla maker. A limited manufacturer’s warranty is included.
Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker
Size: 12 Inch
Our Pick: For A Large Quesadilla Maker
The Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker from Salton serves up hot and tasty quesadillas in minutes.
A built-in power light illuminates when the Santa Fe is plugged in and ready to use. Its ready light indicates when the quesadilla has finished cooking. The Santa Fe’s metal cooking plates are coated with non-stick Teflon making cleaning a breeze. The cooking plates are 12 inches in diameter and divided into six manageable sections. The quesadilla maker has a built-in drip tray to catch grease or melted cheese.
The Santa Fe features stay-cool handles for safe usage. The unit locks together for compact, upright storage. The Santa Fe quesadilla maker comes with its own recipe book and is covered by a one-year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
El Paso Quesadilla Maker
Size: 12 Inch
Spice up your evenings with homemade quesadillas using the El Paso Chile Company Quesadilla Maker. Featuring dual non-stick heating surfaces, the El Paso Quesadilla Maker cooks hot, fresh quesadillas in less than five minutes.
Its built-in reservoir collects excess grease and melted cheese making cleaning quick and easy. The El Paso Quesadilla Maker comes with a built-in indicator light to let you know when the cooking surface is ready to use.
The quesadilla machine comes with a limited manufacturer’s warranty and includes a recipe booklet.
Elite Quesadilla Maker
Size: 11 Inch
Elite Cuisine’s Quesadilla Maker makes restaurant quality quesadillas at home in only five minutes. Easy to use, its built-in indicator light lights up when the non-stick heating surface is ready to use.
The dual heating surfaces feature built-in scoring guides which produce 6 even slices of quesadillas. The convenient drainage rim allows the grease and melted cheese to easily drain. This plus the non-stick surface makes clean-up quick and easy.
The Elite Cuisine is compact which saves counter and cabinet storage space. A limited manufacturer’s warranty is included with the Elite Cuisine.
Dash Quesadilla Maker
Size: 8 Inch
The Dash Express is a compact griddle perfect for cooking up juicy burgers, pancakes, and cheesy quesadillas. This compact griddle features dual 8-inch PFOA-free, non-stick cooking surfaces. It is not only a quesadilla maker, but can be used for sandwiches, burgers, and more, making it quite versatile.
The Dash Express takes up minimal counter space making it ideal for smaller kitchens, dorm rooms or traveling. Easy to use, simply plug in the Dash Express and wait for indicator light to turn off. The non-stick surfaces provide an even cook for consistent results. Anti-slip feet provide a safe and stable cooking platform. The Dash Express comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty and recipe book.
We like Dash products. They make some great air fryers as well.
George Foreman Electric Quesadilla Maker
Size: 10-Inch
The George Foreman Quesadilla Maker makes hot and cheesy quesadillas for the whole family to enjoy.
This 10-inch round quesadilla maker is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store. Its non-stick cooking surface can handle even the cheesiest of quesadillas. With six deep-dish pockets, you can hold up your quesadilla with all the fixings without the worry of it spilling over. A Press and Seal feature locks down the cooking lid and seals the quesadilla together.
Its slip-resistant grip is designed to keep the Foreman Quesadilla Maker from sliding on kitchen countertops. The Foreman’s built-in cord wrap and vertical storage take up little space in the cabinet. It’s perfect for smaller kitchens, dorm rooms, and the office.
What To Look For In A Quesadilla Maker
Size And Capacity
Quesadilla makers come in a variety of sizes. 8, 10, and 12 inches are the most common sizes. A 12-inch quesadilla maker is probably the largest available without purchasing a commercial quesadilla maker.
Choosing the right size depends on your unique needs. For couples or those in smaller spaces like an apartment, a smaller quesadilla maker might be appropriate. For families with more mouths to feed, the 12 inch quesadilla maker is more suitable. It’s also important to pay attention to how much filling each model can hold.
Heat Distribution
Thorough and even heat distribution is the key to good cooking. Both on a stovetop griddle and with a quesadilla maker. Not all quesadilla makers come with this feature. This can create undercooked quesadillas.
Ease Of Use
Learning to make delicious quesadillas shouldn’t be difficult. Many quesadilla makers come with indicator lights to prevent overcooking. Even with this feature, the quesadilla should be easy to operate for first-time users. Clear how-to-use instructions should be included. Models with a recipe book are a plus.
Materials
Quesadilla makers need to stand up to the riggers of everyday kitchen life. Strength and durability are essential. Quesadilla makers are made using a variety of materials including stainless steel and plastic. Regardless of the materials used, it should conduct heat while remaining safe to use.
Weight
Most quesadilla makers feature a plastic exterior casing. This helps reduce the overall weight of the appliance. The lightweight makes many models ideal for RVs and camping. The lightweight also helps in the storage of the unit in kitchen cabinets.
Cleanup
When it comes to how to use a quesadilla maker, cleanup is probably one of the most important things. After all, you are making a dish with gooey, melty, and of course, melted cheese.
Melted cheese can be difficult to clean up. Many quesadilla makers feature either a Teflon or Teflon-type non-stick coating. This prevents sticking and aids in making clean-up quicker and easier. Additionally, many models come with a built-in drip tray to collect melted cheese, grease, and other debris.
Benefits Of Using A Quesadilla Maker
Quesadillas are one of the Mexican dishes everyone loves. Even those picky relatives and friends who hardly try Mexican dishes always give yummy feedback about a crispy, cheesy quesadilla they once munched on. With origin traced to Mexico, the first quesadillas were believed to be made from folded corn tortillas, but as of today, wheat tortilla is also being used for this special meal.
Options To Make A Quesadilla
Obviously, a quesadilla maker is used in making a quesadilla. Well, a quesadilla is a Mexican food that is made from a mixture of several ingredients and cheese folded into a tortilla which is then pan-fried or baked till the cheese melts.
A quesadilla press or maker looks like a nonstick waffle iron. The nonstick halves are hinged together after the tortilla is stuffed with desired fillings. These halves are closed together, giving out equally brown and crispy quesadilla without the need for turning it over. This makes it better compared to frying or baking the tortillas.
You might be wondering if you can make your own quesadilla, but the truth remains once you get a hang of cooking your own quesadilla, you have limitless options as to what you can stuff in your tortillas.
Like all appliances, not all quesadilla cookers are produced equally. Some will have you with warm tortillas and cold cheese, while some other brands are impossible to operate without getting burnt.
Great use of the quesadilla maker is that it can be used to grill other food. The quesadilla press grill can be used to grill sandwiches and cheese.
Quality Of The Quesadilla
Good cheese makes a good quesadilla. So if you want a good quesadilla, you need to make use of a good cheese. Oaxaca cheese, asadero cheese, manchego cheese, and Chihuahua cheese are all good cheese options to try from.
Efficiency
They are efficient and fast. All you need is to place the pieces of tortillas filled with your desired stuffing and close the upper lid. In just five minutes, be ready to munch on a crispy and delicious quesadilla.
Versatility
Asides from using it to make quesadillas, you can also prepare other cuisines such as pie, sandwich pizza, and omelets to mention a few.
Power Cord
Appliances with longer power cords can be placed in a desired location/position without requiring an extension power socket.
FAQs – Best Quesadilla Makers For Home
For ease of use and ease of clean-up owning a quesadilla maker is absolutely worth it. Using a quesadilla maker will also help ensure that the quesadillas are cooked evenly each and every time.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, crepes, and even omelets are just some of the things you can make using a quesadilla maker.
A light spray of cooking oil will help ensure the quesadilla does not stick. If you are concerned about healthy, oils such as sunflower seed and rapeseed are better than corn or vegetable.
Quesadilla makers come in a range of sizes ranging from 8 to 12 inches. Tortillas come in both 8 and 10 inches in diameter. These different size tortillas are used for different dishes. For example, 8 inches tortillas are used for tacos, while 10-inch tortillas are used for quesadillas, burritos, and enchiladas.
How We Review And Rate Products ⭐️
We only recommend brands we trust. We try to recommend kitchen products we’ve owned or used personally and we offer alternatives. We choose these alternative products based on recommendations from other food bloggers and chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers.
We conduct thorough research on the company, how the products are made, and whether they are a good value for home chefs. This allows us to offer competitive analysis, provide pros and cons of various products, and ensure you are purchasing quality products for your home.
- Some of the kitchen brands we love the most include 360 Cookware, UnoCasa, Calphalon, Ninja, and Instant Pot.
- For wine and drink products, we love Wine Enthusiast, VinGarde, and Danby.
- We often recommend purchasing products from Amazon because of the variety of kitchen and homeware brands they carry.
- Sometimes, we recommend buying a product directly from the manufacturer when we know it’s a brand we trust.
Learn more here.