A hot sandwich maker is one of the niftiest devices for a kitchen in Japan. Pop in a nondescript sandwich and out comes a culinary masterpiece. At least it tastes that way anyway. After all, there aren’t many who’d say no to a grilled cheese over just a cheese sandwich. But hot sandwiches are not just about grilled cheese. You can do curried chicken, left over spaghetti, or toast up a hot banana chocolate dessert.
It all sounds great, but do you really need another device crowding you out your kitchen? That’s okay, because not all grilled sandwich makers are electric, and the best hot sandwich maker in Japan for you may just be a simple handheld appliance that you pop on the gas flame, or even on a magnetic induction (IH) plate.
- Iris Ohyama Waffle Donut & Hot Sandwich Maker
- Swiss Diamond Microwave Sandwich Maker
- Yoshikawa Series Hot Sandwich Iron
- i-WANO Hasamocca IH Hot Sandwich Iron
- Captain Stag Camping Hot Sandwich Irons
- Radonna Toffy Hot Sandwich Maker
- Recolte Hot Sandwich Maker
- Bruno Hot Sandwich Maker
Table of Contents
The Hot Sandwich Maker – Ancestry and Pedigree
Hot sandwiches go by many names. Sometimes they’re affectionately known as toasties or toastwiches. Hand held makers pop out jaffles or jaffies, or you can just call them pressed sandwiches – which nobody really does.
The earliest toasting contraptions were old waffles irons that may possible date back as far as the 14th century to the Netherlands or low countries, meaning they were a Dutch or Flemish invention. These had two hinged heavy caste iron plates with long rods and wooden handles. Later versions were called pie irons and were round shaped and easily used over gas burners.
The first electric hot sandwich maker was patented in 1924 as the Tostwich by a man call, nonetheless, Charles Champion. As bulky electric sandwich makers took their place in spacious American urban homes, heavy caste pie irons were relegated to realms of survivalists, bush whackers, boy scouts, and happy campers.
Interestingly enough, similar heavy caste iron hinged thingamajigs are also used for pressing out tortillas, tacos, empanadas, or even thin crusted pizza and Indian chapatti doughs.
Your Choice for a Hot Sandwich Maker in Japan
When deciding which is the best hot sandwich maker for you, your housemate, or your family, it’s good to know what’s out there before you decide on something that might get you cheesed off.
Round Pie Irons
These are the traditional kind of round jaffle makers that you put over a gas flame, or into a camp fire. They aren’t so popular any more and tend to be more the choice for retro camping gear. Although very convenient and easy to hang on a wall hook, they are quite wasteful with bread crusts that need to be cut away. If you’re into real classic retro ware, Rome Industries (price link) has some really cool pie irons and panini presses.
Square Shaped Sandwich Irons
Ergonomic square shaped irons are designed for standard sliced bread sizes. Some designs are embanked to seal the crusts, while others just have flat bases. They are used over a gas flame or in a camp fire, but some work on electromagnetic induction plates. They often come apart and double up as egg and sausage grillers. You can also get large double sized ones.
Single Electric Hot Sandwich Makers
These are the simplest and most affordable electric options. They usually make sandwiches with sealed edges, but others are flat and more versatile. Sometimes you have to cut away the crust first to fit the slice, larger models take a full slice. Those with timers or removable or convertable plates may cost a little more.
Double Hot Sandwich Makers
Most are convertible and come with detachable plates. You can easily change the sandwich maker into a waffle maker, panini grill plate, small ring donut maker, or similar snacks. You get a bit more for your money, and they’re a nice option for a couple, snug roommates, a family, or if you like to have fiends over.
Reviews and The Best Hot Sandwich Maker in Japan
If you’re hankering for a hot sandwich maker to complete your life in Japan, we have them here. Electric toasters and hand held irons for camp fires, gas stove tops, and induction plates. We have the best versatile waffle sandwich maker, and even a hot sandwich press for your microwave.
Iris Ohyama Waffle, Donut & Hot Sandwich Maker – The Best in Japan
There’s quite a few things you can do with this Iris Ohyama. There’s a double sandwich and waffle plate, as well as a plate for mini donuts. Generally, you have to cut the ears or crusts off your bread slices, so they make rather dainty little toasties.
The plates come off with one click, so they’re as easy to clean as they are to change. You can also make yaki onigri and mini tai yaki. For easy storage, it has a retractable cord, and it also has a convenient on / off switch.
User Reviews:
The value you get for the price is pretty good. Thin slices from typical 10-slice loaves tend to burn a little on the edges. The sandwich plates are a little small, so you do have to cut the crusts if you make two sandwiches at once. Most are particularly impressed with the quality of the waffle maker.
One downside is no timer, so be careful if you’re the type to forget about things. Other than that, there isn’t a flat plate to grill paninis. If this is what you want, the Vitantonio (price link), another Japanese brand, is an excellent choice. It’s considerably more expensive, and it has a timer.
Swiss Diamond Microwave Sandwich Maker
Swiss Diamond is an actual Swiss company famous for it’s “revolutionary nonstick coating that uses real diamond crystals”, but these non-stick microwave plates are peculiar to the Japanese market. If you already have a microwave, and want to keep things minimalist, this is a pretty useful tool.
The plates are made of a microwaveable metal, held together by adjustable silicon stoppers. The plates get hot enough to toast the bread, while the microwaves also melt the cheese. They adjust to varying thicknesses and can easily be used for paninis, or even toasting bananas.
You should remove the plates as soon as the food is done using oven mits. Watery foods may cause liquid overflow. They are of course non-stick, but can also go in a dishwasher. You can get them in yellow, red, and orange, and the dimensions are W198 × H55 × D150 mm.
User Reviews:
These plates are pretty cheap for their convenience and practicality. For best results you should flip the rack over once. Japanese instructions are included, but you need to experiment a little. Usually 2 to 3 minutes either side is sufficient. At 800 W, one user recommends 2 min one side, and 1:30 min the other. Older, low wattage microwaves tend to dry the bread out and make it chewy. Although it toasts well, with or without butter, thick crusts tend to come out kind of chewy.
- See our review of the similar Lekue Microwave Grill Plate.
Yoshikawa Series Hot Sandwich Iron
This Yoshikawa brand has a nice selection of very affordable sandwich irons. While the price and the selection are a plus, there are a couple of things that may or may not seal the deal for you.
They take a full sized bread slice, but there’s no indentation so they don’t make a sealed sandwich. The simple version has no ridges, or you can choose the ridged one for track marks on your sarnie. There’s a double version that makes a half sealed sandwich with a dividing ridge in the middle, and they also have a nice waffle maker.
These irons are also not compatible for induction stove tops and plates. See the reviews below for a better selection of versatile camping irons and induction plate sandwich irons.
User Reviews:
People have few problems with these irons and they also come apart and clean easily. Many people use them on camping trips or on the gas ‘konron’ at home, and the main draw is their reasonable price.
i-WANO Hasamocca IH Hot Sandwich Iron
This i-Wano is 100% induction (IH) plate compatible, or use it on a gas flame or on an open camp fire. It’s made from a heavy-gauge aluminum alloy with a high heat conductivity, and the interior is coated with a non-stick fluorine resin. The handles are heat resistant phenol resin.
This sandwich iron makes a completely sealed sandwich, with both 6 and 8 slice thicknesses, and no crust removal. They don’t have banked edges so don’t make perfectly sealed crusts. The two plates easily separated into two little fry pans.
People love the level of crunchiness these produce, and on an induction plate, cook your sandwich for two minutes either side on a medium heat. They are also great for making camp side gyoza.
Captain Stag Camping Hot Sandwich Irons
Captain Stag is a popular online outdoor brand. They have a series of well priced hot sandwich irons for camping. The materials and construction are much they same any competitive brand using highly conduction aluminum diecast, a stainless steel rod, and phenol resin handles resistant to 150 ℃.
Both the single and the double have a flat base and come apart, so they can easily double up as fry pans. If you don’t have any friends, or prefer camping alone to get away from people you know, the single is a good choice. They also have a single IH induction compatible iron.
If you have young kids or like crispy edges, it’s better to go with a different products such as Coleman (price link), or the I-Wano (price link) which is made in Japan. Both these are a little pricier, but they make sandwiches with sealed edges. Real old school cast iron jaffie sticks are harder to come by, but this wood handle Coghlan (price link) is a nice choice.
User Reviews:
Although the double fry pan option is convenient, they’re best for fried eggs, gyoza, or heating up niku man because the fry quality isn’t as good as a proper fry pan. With thick slices the pans don’t clip down so well and you may have to hole them shut, and they can come apart easily if moved around a lot in a fire.
Best Electric Hot Sandwich Maker in Japan
If you’re in the electric singles market and looking for something that’s more than flash-in-the-pan and done-on-both-sides, there are three slightly different contenders, all with equally good looks.
Radonna Toffy Hot Sandwich Maker
This Radonna Toffy is more than just the name. Of all the eligible singles, it’s the most versatile, affordable, and compact. Even so, you don’t have to cut crusts and can enjoy a full-sized jaffie. The plate is detachable, and it comes with an additional waffle plate.
Once plugged in, the Toffy is always switched on cause there’s no on / off button. It’s cord is a little shorter compared to others. Color shades are shell pink and pale aqua. It comes with a recipe book with 10 recommended sandwich and waffle treats.
Recolte Hot Sandwich Maker
These robust and buff Recolte come in red, navy blue, and white. There’s an on / off switch and a button to adjust to five levels of desired thickness. The plates cannot be detached, so you just have to wipe clean. It’s not recommended for jam toasties (jammies) or yaki-onigiri.
It comes with a booklet with 50 sandwich recipes in Japanese to keep you busy. The Recolte is the best of well reviewed models. It’s generally less pricier than the Bruno, the most versatile for bread thickness, but has the highest power consumption.
Bruno Hot Sandwich Maker
- 13.5W × 24.6D × 9.6H cm
- 550 W
The Bruno comes from the impressive lineage of vintage classic cookware. It’s a tough looking old schooler, comparably compact, and the lengthy cord wraps neatly around its legs. The best thing is the timer, so you’ll never have your sandwich overcooked.
Quite the show stopper, you can get these numbers in a few colors as well as novelty designs such as Moomin Hippo and Snoopy. There’s also an array of custom plates with stylized tai-yaki, waffle, and floral cup designs.
Despite their flair and low power consumption, they don’t always live up to expectations. A number of users had issue with the lid hinges breaking, so you shouldn’t close forcefully with thick slices. It does, however, come with a one year warranty.