The Toast-N-Serve Magic Bag

[Bux]

Well the Rite Aid chain of Drug stores (big in the Northeast) has the Windmere line of cheap ass shit on sale this week ($8.88 minus $2 rebate = $6.88). The line includes a crappy cheap coffee maker, a crappy cheap food chopper, a crappy hand mixer, a crappy can opener, a crappy iron (the one non-food item)

I gather you've never ironed a cheese sandwich on a teflon cookie tin. It's best done with a teflon coated iron as well, and with the steam turned off.

[picaman]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but it looks like if you order through the website you get 2 bags and free coffee for $14.95. If you call 877-628-5491 (the number in the TV commercial that you can watch from the main page) you get 3 bags and coffee for the same price.

The commercial says in true direct response TV fashion that "you must order in the next 15 minutes" but I'm pretty sure that the folks at the call center aren't sitting there with stopwatches

Haven't tried it, but it might be worth calling the number to find out.

Jamie

[joiei]

Okay, I have ordered my bags, now off to Target. I am going to bypass Walgreens and the like because with Target it is "Style over function" First I have to check all the end caps. I am anticipating my first ever Elvis sandwich. That means I need to stock up on Hormel bacon.

[brngckn]

I just ordered enough of these for my entire family (as holiday gifts). I may be disowned, but that's OK.

[jhlurie]

Okay, it's been just over two weeks since Jason first posted. To anyone who ordered... was the normal shipping offered bulk shipping? If so, that would mean we're stuck for a while with only Jason's examples of toasty goodness!

[Squeat Mungry]

Mine arrived in today's mail! Hurray! I'm so excited. I just ran out to Ace Hardware and bought the cheapest toaster they had, the Toastmaster T2000BC Extra Wide Slot Toaster at $15.99.

Off to the supermarket for supplies. Will keep you posted.

Cheers,

Squeat

[Chad]

Mine arrived in today's mail! Hurray! I'm so excited. I just ran out to Ace Hardware and bought the cheapest toaster they had, the Toastmaster T2000BC Extra Wide Slot Toaster at $15.99.

Off to the supermarket for supplies. Will keep you posted.

Cheers,

Squeat

God damn, man, will you hurry up? Nearly 11:00 here and nary a single picture. Don't you know we've all been waiting since your last post. The kids are hungry. But, no, daddy's got to hang around the computer for sandwich updates. Think of the children!

Chad

Edited November 16, 2003 by Chad (log)

[jhlurie]

$15.99? Are you insane? What's with these expensive toasters? Is it made of gold? $9.99 would already be too steep!

[Squeat Mungry]

Okay, the Perlows have not been leading us on. These things are the shiznit!

My first experiment was Virginia ham and swiss with mayo and dijon on a Kaiser. Perfect! These bags are obviously going to revolutionize Squeat cuisine.

Tomorrow I'm thinking french toast. Order yours now, folks!

Sorry no pictures -- no digicam.

Happy Squeat

PS I did have a little glitch in that the Kaisers were an extremely tight fit into the bags. Since I had buttered the rolls on the outside, when I finally wedged it in there I had a buttery mess of a Magic Bag. Easily solved, however, with a damp rag and some paper towels.

Edit: Really it should be "Perlows", not "Perlow's".

Edited November 16, 2003 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[Squeat Mungry]

$15.99?  Are you insane?  What's with these expensive toasters?  Is it made of gold?  $9.99 would already be too steep! 

Hey San Francisco has been among the hardest hit by the recent depression -- oh, I'm sorry 'recession' -- but the rents have not come down, and apparently neither have toaster prices!

[Squeat Mungry]

For those who wisely don't read my blog:

I made French Toast with Acme ciabatta for brunch. I ate it topped with the apricot jam/ orange marmalade mix. It was seriously good FT, and I made it in a cheapo toaster!

Those bags are sheer genius.

Loving my new toys,

Squeat

[snowangel]

Acme ciabatta

My sister lives just a few blocks from Acme. I live in a Midwestern bread wasteland.

[Kenk]

I really liked this report.

I have a big beef about your scientific methodology.

You cut the grilled cheese sandwich straight across.

One of the only true hard rules in the culinary world is that grilled cheese sandwiches must be cut diagonally.

How can you tell the results when your sample was handled incorrectly.

[lamb]

Yea! Received my bags on Saturday.

Just made plain old cheddar cheese on white "grilled" for my daughter and me.

Hubby and son were milling about - so made two for them.

Used all my cheddar. Didn't think to buy any when I was at Wegmans Friday evening. Will pass by on my way home tonite and pick up some cheese and then wander over to the bread section to look for something interesting to toast.

I'm in love with my bags.

[curlywurlyfi]

I have a big beef about your scientific methodology.

You cut the grilled cheese sandwich straight across.

One of the only true hard rules in the culinary world is that grilled cheese sandwiches must be cut diagonally.

ooooooh, controversial. In MY house, grilled cheese sandwiches are ALWAYS cut into four squares. That way, you avoid the barely-filled - and therefore boring - bit at the pointy corner.

And for you UK-ers out there, the splendid Lakeland have been doing these toaster bags for ages - are we inclined to go head-to-head with the US?? (Probably get our arses kicked, as per usual.)

Fi

[mnebergall]

I received my toaster bags in the Saturday mail. I roasted a chicken for dinner on Saturday evening and made sliced chicken sandwichs for lunch on Sunday for my kids. The bags definitely are made for standard-sized "wonder-type" bread. The first sandwich I made kind of stick out fo the top of the toaster because I had to turn it on its end to get it to fit int he bag, the part that stuck out did not get browned. I had to cut the rest of the sandwichs in half and toast one-half in each bag. The kids were impressed with their lunch, as was I.

[Jinmyo]

I have a big beef about your scientific methodology.

You cut the grilled cheese sandwich straight across.

One of the only true hard rules in the culinary world is that grilled cheese sandwiches must be cut diagonally.

ooooooh, controversial. In MY house, grilled cheese sandwiches are ALWAYS cut into four squares. That way, you avoid the barely-filled - and therefore boring - bit at the pointy corner.

Ah, the error here is in not making sure that the cheese is thick enough at all edges to pour out the side and brown against the crust. Studies show that when there are several pools of dripped cheese that can be folded back onto the sandwich during the bisection (or quartering, as the case may be) the boredom quotient is not merely eliminated but terminated.

[Jim Dixon]

I ordered back when Rachel posted the phone number (page 2?) and got my bags last week. So far I've stuck with simple grilled cheese, and I think that's where the bags really shine.

My first was some Oregon gouda-style cows' milk cheese with leftover roasted mushrooms on Grand Central como. Next Crater Lake blue, an incredible blue made with Roquefort culture, alone on the same bread. Both delicious, and faster than pan-grilling.

I find it's helpful to use soft butter so it doesn't come off when you butter the second side. Sliding even a simple cheese sandwich into the bag is tricky, and I can imagine more so if it's Dagwoodian.

I love cheese, and will be very happy if grilled cheese is all I ever do with my bags. But I did pick some a chunk of Ken's brioche to make grilled chocolate.

Jim

[lamb]

My Kenmore toaster has a bagel slot thingy that adjusts to the size of your bread. It doesn't allow your bread to touch the heating element when toasting, so my bread was not toasting sufficiently when using the bags.

My daughter came up with the idea when using the bag last night for a grilled cheese sandwich "snack" that she could lightly toast her bread first. Then she took said bread out of the toaster, buttered, applied cheese, and put in to our handy dandy Toast-N-Serve Bag. Re-Toast for a couple of minutes, and Voila - perfect grilled cheese sandwich!

[jhlurie]

I've been thinking, the most novel thing about the bags are that they theoretically let you toast things that you normally wouldn't toast.

I'm thinking they are ideal for either bagel dogs or corn dogs (obviously the pre-made frozen types). I think it would perk them up far better than a toaster over, because of the much closer heat.

[cbel964]

Well why did it take so long for these things to be invented and WHERE CAN I GET SOME?

My toaster is now a $7 one, nor is it a $200 one.

Mine cost a whopping $25

[tommy]

jason, when you get a chance, would you make some croutons?

i'm making some right now, and waiting for the oven to heat up. i'm thinking it would be quicker to go to your house and get the magic bag.

[elyse]

I was wondering what would hapen if you wanted an egg over easy.

[Jason Perlow]

Newsflash:

http://www.egullet.com/shared/wrap-news.pdf

The Toast-N-Serve MAGIC WRAP is released!

(you need Adobe Acrobat to view)

These differ from the Magic Bags in that they can be completely opened to a flat piece of teflon for easier cleaning and can accomodate THICKER sandwiches!

I have not received samples for testing yet but will shortly.

[tommy]

Newsflash:

http://www.egullet.com/shared/wrap-news.pdf

The Toast-N-Serve MAGIC WRAP is released!

(you need Adobe Acrobat to view)

These differ from the Magic Bags in that they can be completely opened to a flat piece of teflon for easier cleaning and can accomodate THICKER sandwiches!

jason, please buy this and put a turkey in it.

thanks.