Sandwich Maker Toasties
Butter on the outside, not the inside, ensures the crust turns golden instead of dry.
- Preparation
- 8 min
- Cook/bake time
- 6 min
- Total
- 14 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 468 kcal
- Servings
- 2
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cooking & baking
- 6 min
Butter on the outside, not the inside, ensures the crust turns golden instead of dry. A sandwich maker presses and seals at the same time, and that is exactly why you can fill it with liquid fillings that would run out in a pan. The two rules that make the difference: butter goes on the outside, and the edge remains free.
Why this works
Butter on the inside of a toastie does almost nothing: it melts into the crumb and makes it greasy without browning. On the outside, however, it sits between the bread and the hot plate and conducts heat much better than the air that would otherwise be there. The surface reaches over 140 degrees faster, and the milk protein in the butter browns along with it. This is the same reason a grilled cheese is buttered on the outside in a pan. The second point is the free edge: a sandwich maker presses the bread edges together and seals them. If the filling reaches into the corner, it cannot close, and the melted cheese runs into the heating grooves, right where you can no longer get it out.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Preheat the sandwich maker
Turn the device on and let it heat up completely until the indicator light changes. A cold-filled device steams for the first few minutes instead of browning, and then the bread becomes tough instead of crispy.
- 2
Butter the outsides
Spread a thin layer of soft butter on one side of each slice of bread. This side goes on the outside. No butter belongs on the inside: there it melts into the crumb and makes it greasy without contributing anything to the browning.
- 3
Fill with a free edge
Spread the mustard on the unbuttered side, distribute the cheese, ham, and tomato, and leave a one-centimeter border all around. Seed and pat dry the tomato slices beforehand, as their juice is the most common cause of a soggy toastie.
- 4
Press for six minutes
Place the sandwiches in with the buttered side down and close the device. Six minutes until the edges are sealed and the surfaces are deep golden brown. Let it stand on the board for a minute before you bite into it, as melted cheese is much hotter than it looks.
Our best tips
- Butter belongs on the outside. Between the bread and the plate, it conducts heat and browns along with it, while on the inside it only makes the crumb greasy.
- Leave a one-centimeter border all around. The device seals the edges, and filling in the corner prevents exactly that.
- Seed and pat dry tomatoes. Their juice is the most common cause of a toastie that is mushy on the inside.
Tasty variations
Pizza Toastie
A tablespoon of thick tomato sauce, mozzarella, and oregano instead of ham and mustard. The sauce must be really thick, as strained tomatoes run out and end up in the grooves.
Sweet with apple and cinnamon
Thin apple slices, brown sugar, and cinnamon between two buttered slices. The sugar caramelizes at the contact surfaces, creating a dessert in six minutes.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 468 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| – of which sugar | 4 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
Where the 468 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Which bread is suitable?
Classic sandwich bread, because it is soft enough to adapt to the shape and seal at the edges. Sturdy sourdough bread often does not fit in the device and cannot be sealed, making the pan the better choice for it.
How do I clean the plates?
Wipe them out with a damp kitchen towel while they are still warm. Hardened cheese in the grooves is almost impossible to remove later without damaging the coating. A damp towel placed between the closed plates softens it in five minutes.
Can I prepare toasties in advance?
You can assemble them right in front of the device. Once baked, they hold up for about ten minutes, after which the moisture from the filling draws into the bread. It is a dish that you eat when it is ready, which is also its advantage.
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