Weird NewstoasterGrilled CheeseLife Hacks

Woman Almost Burns Down House With Life Hack Toaster Tip

Here's why you shouldn't believe everything people post to Facebook.
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By 

Reporter, HuffPost

Life hacks don't always make things easier, as Suzanne Dale found out to her cost.

The 66-year-old British woman saw a tip on Facebook that claimed to be an effortless way to make the perfect grilled cheese.

It advised to stop using the trusted method of cooking the cheese-topped bread under a grill, and instead to roll the toaster sideways and slot it in.

Dale thought it would save her time when she tried the trick last Wednesday -- but her toaster suddenly burst into flames.

As smoke filled the kitchen in her home in Sale, Greater Manchester, the entertainment promoter quickly threw the appliance out the window. Dale snapped an image and uploaded it to Facebook. 

"I thought it might be a faster way of making cheese on toast," she told the Manchester Evening News. "Luckily I live in a house and have a garden, but if it was anyone living in a flat or somebody who was less agile who couldn't get out as quick, they were real flames, it could be dangerous."

It's not clear what exactly caused the appliance to explode, but local fire crews later issued an official warning. "Trying to make cheese and toast in a toaster is an extremely bad idea and can cause a devastating fire in the kitchen," a Greater Manchester Fire Service spokesman said.

Other aspiring cooks have suffered similar problems when they tried out the hack:

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver offers a safer life hack in his Guardian column, published in January, which comes with the disclaimer, "We strongly don’t recommend turning your toaster on its side to make cheese on toast or anything else, as it is a fire hazard."

Also on HuffPost:

 

7 Kitchen Hacks To Maximize Space
Give Every Cabinet Door A Dual Purpose(01 of07)
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Stick a few adhesive hooks to the inside of each one to hang measuring cups, oven mitts or stand-mixer attachments, like Coordinately Yours blogger Julie Blanner did. You could also add a few adhesive plastic folders—the same kind you'd find at an office-supply store—to hold Tupperware lids, or attach a file organizer to keep cutting boards upright and orderly. (credit:Julie Blanner)
Turn the Side of Your Fridge into a Command Center(02 of07)
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Charlotte Smith, who runs the lifestyle blog Ciburbanity, created an organizational hub to make getting ready each morning easier. Four sturdy wood pockets organize bills, magazines and other mail, while a dry-erase board lets everyone see upcoming meetings at a glance. A plastic brochure caddy is just the right size for storing grocery-list notepads, and a mason jar attached to the wall means you're never rummaging through a junk drawer for a pen. (credit:Ciburbanity)
Take Out the Trash (Bags)(03 of07)
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A cardboard box of garbage bags can easily take up half of the under-sink cabinet space. Free up some room by mounting a paper-towel holder to the inside of one cabinet, then use it to hang a roll of trash bags. (credit:Samantha Pregenzer of Simply Organized)
Rethink Even Your Most Awkward Spaces(04 of07)
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It seems like a magician's trick: Take a six-inch gap between the fridge and the wall, and with a little DIY know-how, double your pantry space. Mallory Nikolaus and Savannah Kokaliares show you how to do exactly that with their step-by-step guide to creating a pull-out shelving unit. It's just the right size for storing canned vegetables, soups, jars of peanut butter and spices. (credit:Classyclutter.net)
Make Cleanup a Little Easier(05 of07)
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Blanner recommends taking half an hour to sort your supplies into labeled bins: everyday cleaners, dishwashing goods, specialty cleaners and miscellaneous. You can easily pull out the bin you need for the task at hand -- saving time -- and keep tabs on what you actually have, avoiding that whole three-half-empty-bottles-of-Windex thing (and thus saving you money). (credit:Julie Blanner)
Claim New Counter Space(06 of07)
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No matter the size of your kitchen, you can always use an extra prep area. This cutting board fits right on top of the sink and includes a collapsible colander, so you can chop and rinse vegetables all in one place. (credit:Dexas International, Ltd.)
...And Clear Off Even More(07 of07)
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Skip the traditional large-knife block and hang a magnetic strip on the wall to store your knives. (If you have tiled walls, consider a compact butcher's block that attaches to the bottom of your upper cabinets.) (credit:Kate Sable of Etch Design Lab)

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