Don't Make Grilled Cheese In A Toaster Unless You Want To Start A Fire

It can sometimes feel like there are countless ways to make grilled cheese, and everywhere you look, a different method is being touted as the best way to make the classic sandwich. But are all of them safe?

While most methods for making grilled cheese are perfectly good ways to make a delicious lunch or snack, others may be a little too good to be true. Grilled cheese takes longer to make than many other popular sandwiches, and one method in particular resolves to fix the timing issue with a cooking strategy that will significantly cut down the time you spend "grilling" your grilled cheese. There's just one problem, though: It comes with some serious drawbacks. (We're talking about an "emergency room" level of seriousness.) If you want a quick grilled cheese sandwich, spend those few extra minutes on your sandwich and don't try this method at home (or anywhere else). It just might be more trouble than it's worth.

TikTok popularized "toaster grilled cheese," and like many of the other hacks on the social media platform, it saves lots of time. There's just one problem: It isn't exactly safe.

Making grilled cheese in the toaster involves putting cheese on top of each slice of bread instead of between two bread slices. After you set up your bread, you'd simply set the toaster on its side, place each slice of bread cheese-side-up in separate toaster slots, and set the toaster to toast your bread golden-brown. 

When your "cheese bread" is done toasting, you'd simply place the bread slices together so that the cheese is in the center, and there you have it: A delicious grilled cheese sandwich in record time. That's right — there's no need to wait for an oven or stove to heat up before you can finish making the sandwich. There's just one problem that TikTok users haven't mentioned — this innocent-looking sandwich comes with a big safety risk.

There is a major safety issue with TikTok's toaster grilled cheese, because your sandwich might not be the only thing in your kitchen that ends up hot. Yup, using this method to make grilled cheese in your toaster is a massive fire hazard.

Grease fires are a big issue with several "kitchen hacks," and putting cheesy bread in the toaster when your toaster isn't even upright is a surefire way to ignite a flame. The grease from the cooking cheese could easily drip all over the parts of the toaster that work to heat your food. When oils (like the ones that your cheese releases as it heats in the toaster) become too hot, they'll smoke, which can easily progress into a fire. Not only will you likely set off the smoke alarm, but you very well could also be putting your life at risk if you let cheese congregate inside of your toaster. Whatever your preferred method of making grilled cheese — pan-grilled, oven-grilled, or panini-pressed — stick with it. If you try to make grilled cheese in your toaster, it can potentially be a five-alarm disaster.