Who invented the Toasted Sandwich

Ever wondered who invented the toasted sandwich? Well, here is the answer.

The first recorded toasted sandwich makers was a fascinating device called a Tostwich.

The Tostwich was invented by Charles Champion around 1920 and he patented the design on March 3rd 1925.

The Tostwich is a simple, but recognisable design, having two flat metal plates that can be heated.

They are connected by a pivot joint and can come together to trap the sandwich and cook it through.

Here is an excellent example of a vintage tostwich.

The next major milestone in toasted sandwich development and popularity came with the Jaffle Iron created by Dr Earnest Smithers in 1949 in Australia.

Earliest Toasted Sandwich Recipes

Now, while you can credit Charles Champion whit the first toasted sandwich maker and then arguably the first toasted sandwich this wasn’t actually the first example of a toasted sandwich recipe.

The French classic croque monsieur was appearing on menus from as early as 1910 and there are even some accounts of toasted sandwich style recipes appearing in Roman cookbooks.

Also, there are references to a melted cheese sandwich in Mrs. Rorer’s New Cookbook which was published in 1902 in America.

But, even predating 1902 that there are some accounts that the first sandwich was made with toasted bread.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Toasted Sandwich has been around for a very long time in one form or another and I reckon it is here to stay.

So, got get yourself a modern Toasted Sandwich Maker and get cooking.

To help you on your toastie culinary journey why don’t you sign up to the Toastie Club and get a free digital recipe book with 30 tasty toastie recipes.