It Was Supposed to Be A Great Tip For Making Grilled Cheese. Then She Noticed The Smoke

It can be so tempting to try out a kitchen “hack”— even when it’s a bit impractical and won’t save all that much time and effort.

But one woman in England learned the hard way that a seemingly clever cooking tip can backfire in a very dangerous way.

 

As the Manchester Evening News reports, Suzanne Dale saw a tip for making a grilled cheese sandwich that seemed almost too good to be true. The method, which came from a Jamie Oliver show, involves turning a toaster on its side, sliding the cheese-covered bread in the bottom slot, and toasting the top slice in the other slot.

“I just thought ‘oh I’ll try that.’ I don’t know why, I have griddles and everything to make cheese on toast,” Dale said. “I thought it might be a faster way of making cheese on toast.”

In theory, three minutes of toasting time would result in a quick, easy grilled cheese sandwich. What actually happened was that Dale narrowly averted a house fire.

After just a few minutes, smoke began pouring out of the toaster. Dale unplugged it and rushed it outside as flames erupted from the appliance. It took 20 minutes to extinguish the fire and the smoke lingered in the neighborhood for hours.

Thankfully, Dale wasn’t injured by the flames. Concerned that someone else might make the same mistake, she posted the flaming wreckage of her toaster with a “Don’t try this at home” warning about the grilled cheese toaster hack.

Though she only lost a toaster, she knew it could have been worse.

“Luckily I live in a house and have a garden, but if it was anyone living in a flat or somebody who was less agile who couldn’t get out as quick, they were real flames, it could be dangerous,” Dale told the Manchester Evening News. “I didn’t want to throw water on it, there was so much smoke going off. Hopefully it will save somebody doing it.”

Experts agree that it is a bad idea to use a kitchen appliance like a toaster in a way contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions. The sideways toaster method transfers heat to the counter surface and allows crumbs in the toaster to come into contact with the heating element. The combination can cause a dangerous kitchen fire.

Dale understands how intriguing the tip was and hopes that her widely-shared post will prevent someone else from making the same mistake she did.

“There [have] been 2,000 shares and so many comments. It is probably a good thing, if I was stupid enough to do it someone else will be,” she said. “Lots of people said ‘I was going to try this I thought it was a good idea.’”

So next time you want to make a grilled cheese, be sure not to try this “life hack,” and instead do it the old fashion way— in the skillet.