Sandwich Makers and You: 5 Tips to Choose One
Who doesn't love a good sandwich with its endless possibilities of combinations. They're really easy to make, cause no mess in the kitchen and there is no need for cutlery to eat one, you can have them on the go or at your desk. There are lots of variations around people like to make, but I like the hot sandwich better than any other type for its crusty outer shell and warm greasy inside.
There are sandwich makers and then there are sandwich makers but not all of them are the same quality and capabilities differ from model to model, so picking the right for your needs is not as simple as one would think it is.
1. First you have to make sure you look for the right sandwich maker. Too small toasters take the fun out of sandwich making by taking too much time to bake enough for everyone. A too large device will cost you more than one with the perfect size would. Just imagine how many sandwiches you can make of $20 worth of ingredients you would otherwise have spent on a larger sandwich maker.
2. Pick one with non-stick surfaces, cleaning the maker is very important for hygiene and let's admit it, nobody hates something more than cleaning a greasy, sticky, dripping sandwich toaster. Probably doing the dishes after a wedding-feast comes close second.
3. Handle. I don't know if you've noticed but the cheaper models have plastic interlocker on the handle and I think I've figured out why. By omitting a $0.1 worth steel piece they make you buy another maker after breaking that little plastic piece. And you will break it I'm sure about that, I'm guilty of using a toastie maker with broken handle for months refusing to buy a new.
4. Price. The cheapest is not always the best. I've had a sandwich maker once, which I bought for about $15, it started melting the first time I tried to make a sandwich. I took it back to the shop and bought one for $30, which I'm having a great time making sandwiches with ever since I've bought it about a year ago.
5. Think about it for a second before making the purchase. Sandwich makers are very specialized in nature therefore they are very rarely used in a common household. I personally could eat a different toastie made in it every day, but again, I'm a sandwich guy and not everyone puts them into this good use. If you won't use the sandwich maker, don't buy one just because it's one of the cheapest kitchen tools.
After buying the toastie maker and baking a few awesome sandwiches always clean it. This makes cleaning a single swipe with a kitchen towel, but older burnt breadcrumbs and sausage pieces are harder to remove even from a non sticky surface. Spend that 10 seconds cleaning after every use and you won't have any problems with the hygiene.
