In the past I have advocated the method in which you can use your toaster to “cook” potato waffles and the like, quickly and easily. Whilst it works great, there is an underlying “bad idea” lurking beneath.

Yesterday evening whilst toasting some burger baps, there was a air of smoke in the kitchen. Grilling burgers does cause some smoke (okay, maybe it shouldn’t but i ain’t Delia Smith!) but there was a little more than one might expect. “Its not the grill Al, its the toaster” enthused my sister. Hmm, flames 8 inches out the top of the toaster are bad, yes? Press the cancel button, blow flames… err, unplug toaster, carry flaming toaster across to the sink. Pour water into toaster. Much smoke/steam. “I’d need to empty the crumb try then” I recall saying, so I pulled it out, it was greasy and horrible. “Ah!” I thought “cooking potato waffles in the toaster has bad effects”. Oops!