As I have mentioned several times in my panini grills marketing through Ebay , companies that manufacture panini grills have succeeded in confusing the heck out of customers by manufacturing cooking surfaces made of aluminium , stainless steel, ceramic, glass and of course the original and the one that I believe in " cast iron" I believe it is a waste to consider anything but cast iron for panini as it is for cooking steak in steak houses. I have also a very imformative way of a handing panini which I call the four step system.