A panini maker that retailers call the Hett Pro
Only the retailer listings carry the name Hett Pro. Aigostar itself lists the appliance under the manufacturer code 300000HHJ, and the title page of the instruction manual simply says “Panini Maker”. You can identify it reliably by the EAN 8433325501105, which appears on Amazon in the model field as AIG-8433325501105. That is worthwhile because Aigostar has several panini grills with a similar look in its range.
It is built for the kitchen worktop: two heated plates that close like a book, with 1500 W of power at 220 to 240 V. Amazon lists breakfast, dinner, dessert and barbecue as uses, plus vegetables, steak and sandwich. It costs approx. €29 (Amazon page on 20.10.2026: €28.89). Of the 51 appliances we list under Electric grills, four are currently listed at a lower price.
Two characteristics decide more about the purchase than any figure in the data sheet. The temperature cannot be adjusted, and the appliance has no switch either.
Build: stainless steel outside, resin around it, plates fixed in place
In the product photo, the lid is clad in stainless steel, as is the front of the base. The frame and side parts are black, and a long black handle runs across the whole width at the front of the lid. Two small lights sit at the bottom right of the front. The manual gives the housing material as “heat-resistant resin, stainless steel”. In Aigostar’s product database, the abbreviations PF, AL and SS appear for this, which by common reading means phenolic resin, aluminium and stainless steel.
The parts overview lists the handle with scald protection, a red power indicator light, a green operating indicator light, the mains cable, the upper lid and the base. Added to that are the hinge release lever, an oil drip outlet and a removable oil collection tray. The database adds anti-slip rubber pads on the underside.
On the plates, the two manufacturer sources contradict each other in wording. The manual speaks of “ceramic non-stick plates”, while the database names aluminium as the plate material. Both fit together if an aluminium plate is ceramic coated, but that is not stated anywhere. According to the database, each plate measures 270 × 170 mm, and Amazon gives the same dimensions. That is 459 cm² per plate by calculation. And: “The baking plates are not removable.” What that means for cleaning is covered further down.
According to the manual, the main housing measures 312 × 255 × 92.4 mm, and Amazon, converted, arrives at roughly the same values. In the photo, the lid handle protrudes beyond the base at the front; whether it is included in the 255 mm is not clear from the manual.
There are three figures for weight. The manual says about 1.6 kg, the database 2 kg net weight, Amazon 2.2 pounds, which is around 1.0 kg. The colour is also inconsistent: black in the database, silver at Amazon. The cover image of the manual shows, like the product photo, a black appliance with a stainless steel front.
In detail: fixed temperature, and the plug is the switch
The sentence that best describes this appliance is in the manual under the notes on first use: “The appliance is heated at a constant temperature that cannot be adjusted during use.” Aigostar does not reveal what temperature that is.
The green light shows that the appliance is heating. When it goes out, the appliance has, according to the manual, stopped heating. By our reading, a thermostat with a fixed set point is behind this: it switches the heating off as soon as the plates are warm enough, and on again when they cool, for example because a cold sandwich is lying on them. The red light only shows that the appliance is switched on.
Switched on means plugged in here. “The appliance starts to heat up (preheat) as soon as the mains plug is put into the socket.” For meat, sandwiches and other ingredients, Aigostar advises using the preheating time of approx. 2.5 minutes for preparation. With a sandwich it also works the other way round: you can put it in first and then connect the appliance.
What follows from this? A contact grill cooks from two sides at once because both plates heat; the manual speaks of double-sided heating. With a fixed temperature, you are left with two variables, the thickness of the food and the time. For a panini, courgette slices or thinly sliced chicken, that is enough. With a thick steak, you lack the option of turning it up for the crust and down for cooking through. The Tefal GC241D has exactly that control, more on that below.
According to Amazon, the hinged lid is designed for food of different thicknesses. How the hinge gives way in doing so is not described in more detail by any of the sources.
The hinge release lever has a single function in the manual: “Lay flat by 180° for grill mode”. Both plates then lie side by side, together 918 cm² by calculation. Nothing presses from above any more, so you have to turn the food yourself, and opened out to the back the appliance needs considerably more depth on the worktop.
That leaves the heat afterwards. “After use, the grill plate stores heat.” The outer shell also gets hot while heating, which the manual calls normal.
How much space does the Hett Pro need in the kitchen?
More than the housing. The manual requires more than 20 cm of clearance to walls and to the edge of the surface during operation. If the grill stands with its wide side facing forward in front of a wall, our calculation gives at least 65.5 cm of depth: 25.5 cm housing plus twice 20 cm.
Kitchen worktops in Germany are mostly 60 cm deep. In front of the tiled wall of a standard kitchen, the requirement therefore cannot be met, as we read the manual. A kitchen island, a dining table or a deeper worktop fits better. On a free-standing table, the edge clearance applies on all sides, which makes at least 71.2 × 65.5 cm.
The manual also comments on the placement at these points, in its own words:
- “Place the dry and clean appliance on a level surface.”
- “The product should not be used near hot objects, such as ovens, and not near table edges or other surfaces.”
- “Never use the appliance near water sources or damp areas such as bathtubs, sinks, washing machines, damp cellars or swimming pools.”
The spot next to the sink or directly at the hob is therefore ruled out. Added to that is the mains cable of about 0.7 m. The socket must therefore be close.
On electricity, the manual has three warnings. The first: “To avoid fire and injury hazards, use the appliance only with 230 V ~ and do not use the appliance if the mains cable is damaged.” In the parentheses after it, it says that you should not fasten, twist, place in a hot environment, pull or wind the mains cable yourself. If it is damaged, according to the manual it must be replaced by a special cable or assembly from the manufacturer or its customer service. And: “Do not pull the mains plug with wet hands, as this can cause an electric shock.”
After cooking, this applies on the way to the cupboard: “Wait until the appliance has cooled down before you transport or store it.” At 92.4 mm height, it then fits flat in a drawer or a shelf compartment.
Cleaning: what the manual allows and what it does not
Because the plates stay in the appliance, the whole grill is cleaned in one piece. The manual has five notes on this, here in full:
- Always unplug first and let the appliance cool down. It is easier to clean while it is still slightly warm, and it does not have to be taken apart for this. “Never immerse the appliance in water and do not put it in the dishwasher.”
- Wipe the cooking plates with a soft cloth. For sticky residues, put a little warm water with washing-up liquid on them and clean with a non-abrasive plastic scouring sponge, or lay damp kitchen paper on the plate to moisten the residues.
- No abrasives that can scratch or damage the non-stick coating.
- No metal tools for removing food residues, as they damage the non-stick coating.
- Wipe the outside only with a damp cloth, not with abrasives or steel wool.
Among the safety precautions, a related sentence is added: “Do not damage the surface of the baking plate fittings so that the coating is not damaged.” We would therefore leave the stainless steel spatula in the drawer and reach for wood or heat-resistant plastic.
Before the very first use, according to the manual, you wipe the appliance with a soft, dry cloth.
The five cleaning notes give no separate details on the oil collection tray, including whether it may go in the dishwasher. We would wash it by hand like crockery and let it dry completely before it is put back. That is our suggestion, not a manufacturer approval.
What Aigostar does not state
These details are missing from the manual and the manufacturer database: the operating temperature in degrees Celsius, whether the plates are ribbed or smooth (the drawing in the manual shows grooves, the text says nothing about it), a slope of the plates for fat drainage, the material of the hinge, an automatic shut-off or overheating protection, a cable wind-up, a scope of delivery according to the manufacturer (only Amazon names the drip tray), the oil tray or cable as a spare part you can buy, cooking times for sandwich or steak, the capacity of the oil collection tray, the year of market launch and a statement on outdoor use or use on a balcony. The manufacturer itself does not know the name Hett Pro either. According to the manual, technical data and design may change without prior notice.
These three alternatives are worth a look
| Model | The difference | Price | Our score | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aigostar Hett Pro (this one) | 1500 W, fixed temperature, plates 27 × 17 cm fixed in place, opens out 180° | approx. €29 | 7.3 | you mainly make sandwiches and thin items to grill and want to spend little |
| Tefal Contact Grill GC241D | manual thermostat, adjustable temperature | approx. €57.99 | 8.0 | you want to cook meat and vegetables at different heat levels |
| George Foreman Fit Grill Medium | sloped grill plate with fat drip channel | approx. €65.64 | 8.1 | you mainly grill meat and want the fat to run off |
| Landmann Electric Grill Trolley EG-II-590 | grill trolley with 3,200 W and 59 × 40.5 cm grilling surface | approx. €550 | 9.4 | you grill for several people on a terrace or balcony |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change constantly at the retailers. The score is our editorial assessment of the manufacturer data; we did not measure anything on any of the four appliances.
When the Hett Pro fits and when another grill does
The Hett Pro fits if you make sandwiches, panini and vegetable slices for yourself or two people and one temperature is enough for you. It also fits if the appliance has to go into the cupboard after the meal. Vegetables cut flat and put on the plate are in any case what a contact grill with fixed heat does best; which kinds are suitable and how thick to cut them is covered in the guide Grilling Vegetables.
If you want to choose the heat yourself, the Tefal GC241D is the obvious step. According to the price box, it costs approx. €57.99, the Hett Pro approx. €29. In our comparison, this is the extra cost most likely to be worth it as soon as thicker meat is going on the grill.
If you mainly grill meat, the sloped plate of the George Foreman Fit Grill Medium is the difference that matters. On the Hett Pro, the fat runs over the oil drip outlet into the tray, and no slope of the plates is stated there. The Foreman is at approx. €65.64, the Aigostar at approx. €29.
None of the three contact grills is built for four or more people. On one plate of the Hett Pro, two topped slices of toast fit side by side, not four. If you regularly grill for a group, you end up with an electric grill trolley such as the Landmann EG-II-590, which however costs considerably more at approx. €550 and is a completely different appliance. Unsure which grill type suits your home? The Grill Finder asks about space and number of people.
Who is it suitable for?
For households that want a small contact grill in the kitchen and can live with a fixed temperature. It is not suitable for any commercial use, for example in a café, at a snack stand or in a food truck. The manual says: “The product is intended for household use only and must not be used for commercial purposes.”
If children live in the household, the manual’s remaining safety notes matter, here in full as far as they were not given above. If the mains plug does not fit your socket, you must not use the appliance. Children should use it only under supervision. “This appliance can be used by children aged 8 years and above and by persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge, if they have been supervised or instructed concerning safe use of the appliance and understand the hazards involved. Children must not play with the appliance. Cleaning and maintenance must not be carried out by children unless they are older than 8 years and supervised.” The appliance and cable belong out of reach of children under 8 years.
For everyone, the following also applies: do not touch metal parts and the heating surface, and operate the appliance only by the handle. Do not drop, turn over, shake or knock it. Apart from the first use, do not leave it switched on for a longer time without ingredients, do not immerse the housing in water, and do not leave the appliance unattended during operation.
