What is this kitchen tool in my drawer?

[Phrak]

You're thinking about http://toastiterecipes.com/2009/05/30/toas-tite-60th-anniversary-a-bit-of-history/"

Perfect. If only Walmart sold a Chinese knock-off I could buy. Maybe I could make one... It should be a little bigger and oval to fit French bread slices.

 

[Moonbear]

You can use an iron for that as well, you know.

But that doesn't pinch off the edges so they're sealed and don't leak out the melted cheese or gooey apple filling before it can maximally burn the roof of your mouth!

 

[Phrak]

But that doesn't pinch off the edges so they're sealed and don't leak out the melted cheese or gooey apple filling before it can maximally burn the roof of your mouth!

Yes, we definitely need the pinch-off around the edges--otherwise it's just a sandwich. You need an original device--or one of Phrak's knock-offs. I'll send you my second prototype if I keep up the enthusiasm. Now what to make them out of...

 

[Neo_Anderson]

I thought it made taco shells...

 

[Danger]

But that doesn't pinch off the edges so they're sealed and don't leak out the melted cheese or gooey apple filling before it can maximally burn the roof of your mouth!

That's why you use a peanut butter gasket around the perimeter.

 

[Phrak]

Check this out. It's currently in production and everything.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=60039&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=504261&feat=504261-tn&cat4=504259"

What do you think Moonbear?

 

[Moonbear]

Check this out. It's currently in production and everything.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=60039&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=504261&feat=504261-tn&cat4=504259"

What do you think Moonbear?

Cool! Though, $25 seems rather spendy for such a simple gadget. I wonder if it's very heavy? I think the originals were just cheap aluminum or maybe stainless steel, not cast iron!

 

[Phrak]

Cool! Though, $25 seems rather spendy for such a simple gadget. I wonder if it's very heavy? I think the originals were just cheap aluminum or maybe stainless steel, not cast iron!

It could be a little light-weight as it's advertized as camping equipment. The mass should be important in it's ability to retain thermal heat for even grilling, which may be a bit thin for the camping equipment--as you wonder too!

I'm comparing, this somewhat overpriced device, given it's simplicty, to electric devices. The electric things I've located seem to always divide the sandwich down the middle. I don't like the idea of dividing down the middle. It would make for more bread than the goodies inside.

It seems like a bad idea on the part of the electric model makers. Bread is a vehicle for tasty stuff that asks for a starchy conveyance. Without the divider, one is freer to decide the optimum ratio of bread to stuffing.

On the defense of the electric devices that manage to make pocket sandwiches, they are equivalently priced--just a tad higher at 29 bucks for the cheapest vs. 25, and they have the added convenience as well.

Currently I'm leaning toward the camping model.

 

[Phrak]

I thought it would be a good idea to put up an electric pocket sandwich maker for comparison. I lost the original at $29, so here's another, and it's only 18 dollars.

http://www.graphicice.com/index.php/action/prodspec/itemID/352917217"