Need to know
- Whether grated or sliced, our experts agree – be generous with the cheese. And use at least two varieties. (Find out which sliced cheese our experts rate as the best!)
- Finely chopped raw onion, shallots or chives are our secret ingredients
- Use day-old bread and a top-performing sandwich press for perfectly crisp results
Golden, salty and buttery, the cheese toastie or grilled cheese sandwich is oozing with elite snack status: it's tasty, super easy to make and big on comfort. A traditional classic that's loved far and wide, it's also often morphed with various twists and fanciful fillings. But what makes the perfect melty cheese sambo? What's the ultimate cheese combo, how should you cook it and is it really a crime to include a slice of tomato?
Two CHOICE experts share their advice on everything from which bread to use, how many cheeses you need and their insider hacks to take your toasties to oozy new heights.
The bread
CHOICE expert taste-test panellist and self-proclaimed curd nerd, Penny Lawson of Penny's Cheese Shop (home of arguably Sydney's best cheese toasties), pumps out her famous sandwiches every day and they usually sell out before lunchtime. So she knows a thing or two about toastie perfection.
When it comes to bread, Penny uses day-old sourdough: "I think it makes a better toastie, as slightly less moisture in the bread creates a crispier crust." Penny also believes the flavour of sourdough bread improves after a day.
CHOICE kitchen guru, Fiona Mair, recommends using a thick-cut bread (any type you like will do). You could use sourdough, sandwich-style bread or rye, whichever you prefer – just ensure the bread is not too soft or too thinly sliced.
A cheese, ham and jalapeno toastie from Penny's Cheese Shop in Sydney's Potts Point.
The cheese
Fiona says: "If you're making a plain cheese toastie, choose a sharp, stronger-tasting cheese like cheddar or a great melting cheese like swiss, gouda or gruyere. My perfect combo is cheddar and swiss."
Penny also recommends using good-quality cheese and combining a cheddar with a melty cheese such as gruyere, mozzarella or alpine cheese.
"To up the delicious factor you might also want to add a nice stinky cheese," she says.
Both experts give the top tip of grating your cheese onto the bread so it melts more quickly, softly and evenly. It's not a good idea to use pre-shredded cheese as it is often coated with anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting evenly and can make the texture quite rubbery. If you enjoy the convenience of pre-sliced cheese, find out which is the best sliced cheese in our review.
CHOICE tip: If you're using strongly flavoured meat or char-grilled vegetables, consider pairing it with mozzarella, which has a milder flavour than stronger cheeses such as cheddar or swiss.
The butter
Our experts part ways when it comes to whether or not you need butter. Somewhat controversially, Penny doesn't use butter at all. "Mine are more like a triple decker in the order of cheese, bread, cheese, bread, cheese," she says.
But, hold up – did someone just say parmesan-crusted?
Fiona's hot toastie tip is: "Sandwich the bread together and spread the outer sides of bread liberally with butter. For extra flavour, grate some parmesan onto a plate and press the outer buttered bread onto the grated parmesan. When you cook it, it will give you a nice golden parmesan crust."
If you're on Team Butter, check out our butter taste-test and reviews to find out which one you need to attain toastie perfection.
Investing in a cast-iron grill press could take your toastie game up a notch.
Cooking, condiments and fillings
Fiona says: "Add a sprinkling of pepper or cayenne pepper for a bit of spice. I like to add finely chopped chives, green onions or mayonnaise for added flavour.
"I also love a sandwich press to cook a toastie. We have reviewed some top-performing options in the CHOICE labs if you're wanting to up your toastie game, and they can range in price from around $20 to over $400 for grills with more sophisticated features.
"If you don't want a new appliance, though, you could also consider a great little tool called a cast-iron grill press (see pictured). The idea is that you use your skillet or frying pan to cook your sandwich, then place the press on top to help achieve an evenly browned crust, remembering to flip halfway."
I am an absolute 'hard no' on fresh tomato in the sandwich
Penny Lawson of Penny's Cheese Shop
Penny cooks hers under the grill and says: "I personally like adding raw finely chopped onion, just after the cheese has melted. Or fresh chives. My customers would argue very strongly for the inclusion of jalapeño and salami. I am an absolute 'hard no' on fresh tomato in the sandwich though (but I'm OK if it's served on the side)."
Other popular cheese toastie additions, fillings and condiments include ham, of course, as well as kimchi, sauerkraut, mustard, avocado, tinned spaghetti... get as weird and wonderful as you like.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
