A Celebration of the Toast Tight

[Fat Guy]

Is it possible we have gone nearly a decade without a celebration of the toast tight?

My mother has an ancient device that creates a sealed hot-pocket type sandwich. It's great for grilled cheese or just about anything (pictured below, a dessert sandwich filled with apples).

I've seen modern, electric versions of this but they're not nearly as cool.

It seals the edges so it's not the same as a panini maker.

Everything tastes better in the toast-tight device. Does anybody else know and love these things?

[weinoo]

Wow, cool looking device. Do you have to cut the bread into rounds?

[Fat Guy]

You put the bread in, squeeze it shut, then run a knife around the edge to trim corners. You just have to make sure any filling, like cheese, is only sitting on a circular area so it doesn't leak out the edges.

I wanted to illustrate the process but my mother made the sandwiches for my son with no warning and I didn't walk in on them until he was up to dessert.

[chezcherie]

Everything tastes better in the toast-tight device. Does anybody else know and love these things?

well, i'm not a betting man (or even a man at all, actually) but my money is on andiesenji knowing, loving and owning one, or perhaps an assortment. that woman's collection is awe-inspiring! i await her report.

also, WANT!

Edited January 27, 2011 by chezcherie (log)

[rooftop1000]

I had the electric one as a kid and loved making peach pie with buttered white bread and canned peaches.

At good camping/outdoor stores you can get a Pie Iron it is square but the same idea with a very long handle to hole over a campfire, like this

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/45792?pi=795069&subrnd=0&qs=3021028_pmd_pricegrabber

tracey

[patris]

Ohhhhh, saucer sandwiches. We had a few of these (2 or maybe 4, I can't remember) when I was a kid. It was always a production to have saucer sandwiches for supper (8 kids + 2 parents = unholy grilled sandwich staging nightmare), but they were so, so good. Ham, cheddar, a little yellow mustard - and a scalded palate and tongue each and every time from molten mustard and cheese.

Years ago, my mom gave the sandwich makers to one of my sisters. She picked the wrong daughter to preserve such a treasure - they were misplaced, or discarded, or left behind, not long thereafter. I still miss them...

[HungryC]

Oh, yes indeedy, my mama still has a ToastTite, with a blue wooden handle. I'll have to call her & make sure she didn't stick it in the Goodwill bin already! I liked pimento cheese filling, or sharp cheddar spread w/whole-grain mustard & sliced dill pickles. Or a thin slice of hogshead cheese tucked between white bread--the headcheese goes all melty.

[andiesenji]

well, i'm not a betting man (or even a man at all, actually) but my money is on andiesenji knowing, loving and owning one, or perhaps an assortment. that woman's collection is awe-inspiring! i await her report.

also, WANT!

Gee, you folks know me waaaay too well.

I do indeed have a couple, one similar to Fat Guy's

and this one:

This one has been gently used but also carefully cleaned because I learned the hard way that if not completely cleaned, the sandwiches got ugly burnt marks, not at all attractive, where the ribs of the shells are located.

This one also doubles as a pie iron.

Also, I bookmarked this a couple of years ago when we had another discussion that had a mention of it.

And do check the recipes and the Pie Iron blog.

Edited January 27, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Fat Guy]

This one is also kicking around the family.

[Shalmanese]

In Australia, these things are called Jaffles, don't ask me why. I used to love them as a kid. Cheese, ketchup and hot dogs was my standard recipe.

[chezcherie]

andiesenji, you never disappoint!

[lesliec]

Ah, nostalgia! My parents used to have one of these and it got good use when I was a kid. Whole-egg 'pies' were really good, and really painful when the hot yolk dribbled down my lip! Probably tomato was the favourite, though. The general technique included buttering one side of each slice of bread and putting the filling on the unbuttered side - probably to help prevent sticking.

I have no idea what happened to the thing, and neither has Mum - I cleaned out her kitchen a few weeks ago and it certainly wasn't there. Probably just as well - I might have trouble using it on the new induction hob.

[andiesenji]

In Australia, these things are called Jaffles, don't ask me why. I used to love them as a kid. Cheese, ketchup and hot dogs was my standard recipe.

Yes, they are readily available from this vendor

along with some very nice and reasonably priced pie irons and sandwich cookers.

I do have a "cookbook" for these devices and it is available from this eBay vendor as well as an excellent foil cookery cookbook.

Edited January 28, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[LindaK]

I have never seen these before but now I MUST have one!

Andie, your press with the shell imprint looks like the mold for the French classic croque monsieur. Is that correct? I've always wondered how they were made.

I see from the pictures that some contemporary presses are non-stick/teflon, while the older presses are either aluminum or other metal--cast iron, maybe? Can anyone comment on the difference between the quality of the finished sandwich with these different materials?

[Foodietopo]

This is bringing me back to my youth, my mom used the square one and she used to call it "the contraption", I am calling her tonight to make sure she doesn't throw it away!

My mom use to make hamburger in these: meat, onion, mustard, relish and bread.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Foodietopo (log)

[andiesenji]

I have never seen these before but now I MUST have one!

Andie, your press with the shell imprint looks like the mold for the French classic croque monsieur. Is that correct? I've always wondered how they were made.

I see from the pictures that some contemporary presses are non-stick/teflon, while the older presses are either aluminum or other metal--cast iron, maybe? Can anyone comment on the difference between the quality of the finished sandwich with these different materials?

The French iron is for croque monsieur but also for other sealed sandwiches.

I have one of the non-stick ones (square) which I use most of the time. I have an older one that is plain but has developed a seasoned patina from long use and it too is nearly non-stick but it has to be very carefully cleaned to keep from removing the seasoning so is mostly a decorative item now.

[Jenni]

Oh, we have something like this, just call it a toastie maker. Ours is kinda square. Growing up we used to use it a lot, not so much now. I've seen electric ones but they don't seem the same. I thought everyone had one of these knocking about in the back of their cupboard!

[ambra]

I LOVE this thing! Thanks for bringing me back great memories!

[Doodad]

My grandmother had one of these and the result was called hobo sandwiches.