As the first lunch of the new school year commenced, a new table in the far corner of the dining hall sparked great interest from the Belmont Hill community. Sitting beside the recently created deli bar next to the library annex, six shiny new panini machines, accompanied with non-stick oil and instruction manuals, awaited their first customers. Wanting to be the first to try these new machines, a large, anxious crowd surrounded that small corner. After a round of fresh pressed sandwiches, paninis instantly became a new lunch favorite. However, multiple factors caused the panini presses to be shut down after only a few days.
First the panini oil, intended to prevent the bread from sticking to the machine, was deemed too unhealthy by many students. Many paninis also stuck to the machines despite the oil. Next, the smoke produced by the panini presses proved to be an issue for many students. Though the panini presses are designed to be efficient and clean, the frequent usage likely contributed to the machines overheating and producing smoke. Not only was this smoke highly undesirable, but it also posed health risks to the people in the dining hall.
However, the Food Committee, along with the dining staff, worked hard to find alternatives to those panini presses, quickly finding an alternative that both minimized smoke and improved panini quality. The new machines, using parchment paper to prevent sticking, have become far more favorable to all students. With their return, he panini presses have instantly become a new classic meal option at Belmont Hill.
