| Product: |
Fryers / Toasters / Sandwich Makers in general |
| Date: |
23/06/01 (308 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Quick, versatile hot snack
Disadvantages: Plug, burns
Sandwich toasters in general. What a seemingly random category, particularly as this is my first real product review. As any regular readers of my ops (who, face it, will be the only people to read this) will probably know, I specialise in talking about (mainly quite obscure) music and occasionally the internet or speakers corner (if I feel brave). So what made me write an op that people just might find useful?
Well, I used my sandwich toaster to prepare a snack for a friend recently and, never having seen one before, he thought it was really clever. I was amazed because, when at university, this little item is an essential part of my life – I use it almost everyday, twice sometimes!
Just in case anyone else is unfamiliar with the concept, I’ll explain what sandwich toasters are. They’re devices for making toasted sandwiches (or ‘toasties’) – I think that’s sufficiently obvious. They essentially consist of a plug attached to two hot plates that are hinged together a little like a book. Sandwiches are placed between the plates and the device is turned on and the plates heat up, toasting the bread and heating the filling.
Exact specifications of sandwich toasters vary, but they’re all pretty similar. Most take four slices of bread, which are cut diagonally to make four triangular sandwiches. Some are bigger, but I find four sandwiches are usually enough, and if I want more I can cook them while I eat the first batch. It’s probably only worth investing in a bigger one if you intend to do lots of cooking for parties or something. If you’re on your own, the sandwiches will just get cold as you eat them.
My sandwich toaster is a Micromark, model number MM9758. I think it’s quite good, but it hasn’t been working so well recently – I’ve only had it about 9 months, but it does get a lot of use in term time. It has a white body, non-stick hot plates and a ne
on light that tells you when it’s hot enough. It cost £12.99 from Robert Dyas. You should expect to pay about this, and there are several models in the Argos catalogue if you have trouble finding them elsewhere.
You can get fancier models. Some, for example, have special patterns on the plates that print shapes on the bread, like shells for example. These are quite nice, but really just aesthetic details. You can also get sandwich toasters that look like cows and other interesting things, although I don’t suppose it helps their function! It’s probably more important to look for one that’s practical. My mum had a small old one that used to leak filling everywhere and make a horrible mess (although she did always put too much cheese in). Most newer ones are a bit larger, so the sandwich should be wholly between the plates. It’s always a good idea to make the sandwiches on a worktop or a special tray like I have though. Cleaning can be a bit of a job, as crumbs tend to get everywhere, so it’s best to have a wipeable surface. Food shouldn’t stick to the plates much, but if it does, pour on some cooking oil, leave 5 minutes to soften, and wipe off (NOTE: only clean when thoroughly cool).
When you make a sandwich, you should do it as normal. The instructions with mine say do it while the machine heats up. I tend to prepare the sandwich in the machine, rather than on a plate, but be careful not to burn yourself! I did that many times in my first term; you soon learn which parts are hot. The one difference is that it says you should butter both sides of the bread. This is to stop it sticking to the plates, but I don’t bother anymore. I ran out of butter once and used it anyway, and it made no difference. I have non-stick plates (as most sandwich toasters do) so the butter just seemed like unnecessary hassle since. It may be best to use special bread – toasting bread normally, or medium sliced for soft/l
iquid fillings; square-shaped bread fits best too, Sainsbury’s Economy is ideal.
Sandwich toasters are quick and convenient ways of making tasty snacks. They only take about 5-10 minutes, and you get hot food too. Sandwiches can be unhealthy if you regularly have lots of cheese, but you can put lots of things in them if you are more adventurous. Most sandwich toasters come with some recipe ideas; here are some examples:
Cheese – This is pretty standard. You can use grated or sliced cheese of whatever type you prefer. For a bit more interest, add sliced tomato or onion, or add mustard for ‘Welsh Rarebit’. My favourite is probably cheese and beans (which will cook if left a little longer) and a tin of beans will make about three batches of sandwiches.
Fruit – Believe it or not, you can do fruit in sandwich toasters. I’ve done banana, but you can also use apple, which goes nice with a bit of cinnamon and maybe some raisons or sultanas. The recipe suggests putting some sugar on the bread, which apparently makes it crispier (you can do this with any recipe).
Bacon – Fry bacon, remove the rind and chop. Add with chopped tomato or prunes and optional parsley. If you like, you can dip the bread in the dripping before topping. I haven’t actually tried this, because I’m vegetarian, but it sounds good. You can do other meat dishes too, like try combining ham, pineapple and cheese for a ‘Hawaiian’ toastie; or you can do chicken (maybe with pickle) but be careful the meat is properly cooked (which you can do before hand).
Egg – Make scrambled egg, then put it in a sandwich and toast. Add Worcestershire sauce if you like.
Tuna – Goes well with cheese or salad cream and sweetcorn.
These are just a few suggestions. Sandwich toasters really are versatile, so the only limits your imagination. My mum once did jam and marshmallow, but I wouldnR
17;t recommend that! There are all sorts of little extra tricks you can use to spice up the meals though – like adding sauce, herbs, etc to the sandwich. My recipe book doubles the number of recipes by adding ‘curried’ after each other idea – just add curry powder! You can even use them to make toast (just insert one piece of dry bread) but they’re not so good at this, stick to a proper toaster if you can.
In all, I think sandwich toasters are definitely a good idea for a convenient versatile snack. I actually find them easier than normal sandwiches as you don’t need to fiddle about cutting or buttering bread – I just sprinkle on some pre-grated cheese (you can buy it like that from Sainsbury’s) and maybe some ketchup or beans. A great way for a quick and simple hot snack, but with plenty of possibilities if you want to be more adventurous.
One thing I would like though is battery operated sandwich toasters. All the ones I’ve seen come with a standard mains plug (230V AC, 13-amp fuse). It would be nice if you could have rechargeable battery packs – this would save trips to the kitchen and mean you could take sandwich toasters camping etc; but I haven’t seen any like this.
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