Why do most sandwich makers have a triangular shape?
I've seen many hundreds of sandwich making machines in my life, and I noticed that in the vast majority of them, there is a diagonal protrusion that makes sandwiches come up in triangular shapes.
This makes no sense to me, for the following reasons:
- Most packaged sliced bread is square, not triangular.
- Most grilled sandwich recipes don't call for triangular shapes
- You're forced to a triangular shape
- Non-square bread slices are difficult to use with this triangular shape
- The protrusion itself is much more difficult to clean than a simple flat iron.
Yet for some reason these sandwich makers are extremely common, to the point that flat makers are somewhat of a specialty item, therefore costing more.
I think I'm missing something here. Why do most sandwich makers use this triangular shape? What are the advantages of such a shape?
Best Answer
Typically with these sandwiches you have some cheese inside along with some other ingredients such as tomatoes that get quite hot (325° F sometimes).
From what I've seen, if you have a square only shape, you don't necessarily get a good seal, plus you get a massive pocket of hot lava. The fat from the cheese or butter concentrates in the center, soaks and can break through the bread releasing hot lava on shirts, pants, open toes, etc.
Even if it doesn't suffer a total failure, you don't get a consistent sandwich. Center will end up much soggier than the crusty rim and eating it can get difficult and messy. Certainly no longer hors d'oeuvres stuff.
The triangular shape essentially makes it bite-sized, so the stuffing doesn't run away after the first bite and becomes more manageable.
You can try using a grill or a panini press, but if you've noticed, those ones allow the oozing lava to escape and run away. A calzone is similar to what you'd get, and a badly crafted calzone can be quite messy and again, not really an hors d'oeuvre.
Pictures about "Why do most sandwich makers have a triangular shape?"
Why are sandwiches cut into triangles?
Cutting the sandwich into triangles gives the cheese more room to run out the middle before you've gotten to the second half. Rectangles are blocky and inelegant, but they increase your chances of keeping the cheese inside the sandwich long enough to get it into your mouth.What should I look for when buying a sandwich maker?
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How does a sandwich maker work? Sandwich makers work by securing two slices of bread together around your chosen filling using a combination of heat and pressure. This results in a hot bread pocket packed full of your favourite sandwich ingredients.MAKE YOUR EGGS IN A SANDWICH MAKER (EASY HACK)
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Answer 2
I strongly suspect but cannot prove that there are very few actual manufacturers of this niche appliance—perhaps even only one major one.
In particular, Konwin is a Chinese OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) that makes a series of sandwich makers for re-badging and resale.
You will note that their line of sandwich makers has the exact detailed design prevalent in almost every model for sale, right down to the little design in the center of the triangles. The various models in their line probably share many parts.
It is likely that many brands of sandwich maker are actually re-badged OEM versions, and so their similarity is because they really are the same machines, perhaps with minor aesthetic treatments or customization.
As to why the OEM chose the triangle design, I can only guess that it is for aesthetic reasons—to make the sandwiches look nice.
Answer 3
I think that there are several reasons.
- It just looks nice
- As explained by MandoMando, to prevent too toasty edges and a hot liquid volcano in the middle
- More edges means more crunchy slightly burned cheese, which is delicious.
- Nowadays it's the shape people are looking for when buying a toaster, even though it may be very impractical. If manufacturers use a different shape, people might not recognize is at a sandwich toaster.
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