Make your own hot pockets with the Salton Snack 'N Sandwich
Written: Aug 28 '02 (Updated Sep 09 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hot yummy food in minutes
Cons: It becomes yet another gadget to clutter the kitchen counter
The Bottom Line: Good for kids to make their lunches or snacks, but otherwise it is just another gadget to add to your clutter.
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| ariel10575's Full Review: Salton Snack 'N' Sandwich SA4 |
When I was a teenager, I spent a LOT of time watching television. In fact, I could not do my homework without television or the radio on. I am a worrier, and for most of my life I have been afraid of silence. I'm not kidding either! To this day I cannot go to sleep or work or do much of anything unless I can hear music or the television. I also have to multi task at all times, so I have a hard time relaxing. But enough about my insecurities!
During all of this listening and watching, I stumbled upon an infomercial that just made my year. It was for a product that let you make hot sandwiches from the food in your kitchen, but they looked like a fast food product! You just filled your bread, put the lid on, and in minutes you had 2 cool triangular shaped pockets of food, heated and in some cases the crusts were gone! They even showed how to make apple pies with it! What more could a lonely, freaked out teenager want!
Years later, while shopping with my mom, we found Salton's version of this product, the Snack 'N Sandwich. I took one look at it, and it was in the cart and homeward bound! We got it home, and for a while I was in heaven!
What sort of stuff can you make? How do you do it?
What I would do was plug it in, and let it heat up. Right after plugging it in, I would spray the top and bottom grills with nonstick cooking spray. Then I would get out my bread, and lay it on the bottom grill. Then I liked to squirt some ketchup on it, and then put on sliced up pieces of hotdog (uncooked), place the top bread on, and shut the lid. There is a latch to keep it in place. I would leave it for about 2-3 minutes, and come back. By then it was looking good, and I used a fork or knife to slide it out onto a plate, and let it cool a bit and eat it.
I have also found that you can do grilled cheese sandwiches in it, and really anything else imaginable. Just be sure not to overload with ingredients, as the wells for the bottom and top grills are not huge.
But it was just that simple. To clean it, all you need to do is wipe it out with a damp rag, after it has cooled down of course, and you are ready to store it until the next time!
How big is it? And Features?
I have LONG since lost the Instructions for this machine, but it is a fairly simple product. In an effort to give you the details you need, I have consulted with the manufacturer's website for the proper terms for the first 2 features I wish to discuss, the rest are from just looking at the machine:
Die Cast Aluminum Plates: The die cast Aluminum will evenly distribute heat throughout the plates, so the centers are done evenly (since most of it is center anyway!)
Non-stick Interior: This is what allows you to just wipe it clean with a damp cloth. But I still would not trust cooking with it without spraying first!
4 Sandwiches Cooked at one time: Yes, you can prepare up to 4 triangular pocket sandwiches in just 2-4 minutes. Well, it is really 2 whole sandwiches, but 4 hot pockets is pretty good for 2-4 minutes! It is faster than a microwave with frozen ones for sure.
Versatile: You could cook many things in here! Try it for omelets, pizza wraps, snacks, mini muffins, snack pies - the sky is the limit!
Size: This machine is 8.5" long by 4.5" tall and 7.5" wide. It has a good length for the cord, which can be wrapped up underneath. There is also an indicator light on the top of the handle for the unit that lets you know when it is on. The handle has a latch that just flips down and hugs the bottom of the handle to keep it shut for cooking and storage.
Any downsides?
I thought it would be a good machine for college, but I didn't get into doing it there. It sat in storage for a few years until I moved in with my fiancé, and we needed something more to cook with. We made some sandwiches there, but once we were married, and I was pregnant, I couldn't bring myself to using it anymore. It has since been sitting in storage, waiting for the day it is let loose again.
My Recommendation
I think that this is a great machine if you have kids that want to be more independent and you want them to start making healthier food decisions and snacks for themselves! Let them experiment with what they want in a sandwich snack, and give them healthier food to do it with. It is much better than a value meal from the local fast food drive thru, and I think all homes with teens have bread and other things to make such snacks.
For my home, it is going to stay put away for a while still. My little ones are rather picky, and I am not ready for them to mess with anything that could actually burn them. I'm going to keep it around though, since the time is coming unfortunately soon that they will want to make food themselves, and I will have to give in a bit.
The Salton Snack 'N Sandwich is another fun gadget, but you need to be the judge if it is right for you or not. So have fun, play with your food, and enjoy!
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Recipe: Quick Apple Pies
Ingredients-
Apple Pie Filling (from can is fine)
Bread
Turn on your Salton Snack 'N Sandwich and let it heat up a bit. Open your can of pie filling, and pick your slices of bread.
When warmed up, place a slice of bread on the bottom tray. Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of the pie filling onto each side of the bread, leaving the center dividing line clear, and the edges. Place a slice of bread on top of pie filling, and shut the lid. Leave for 2-4 minutes, until browned.
Take out of machine, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, if you wish. When cooled, eat!
You can also use other pie fillings if you like.
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For more information about this product, or to contact the manufacturer, please click through the manufacturer's link on the bottom of the product page, which is:
http://www.epinions.com/Salton_Snack_N_Sandwich_SA4
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ariel10575
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Member: Rebecca Murphy
Location: Granada Hills, Ca, USA
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 62 members
About Me:
I'm back, and getting ready to write again. :)
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