I made a classic grilled cheese using 3 different appliances, and I'm never using an air fryer again

Paige BennettJul 16, 2023, 19:12 IST

I made grilled-cheese sandwiches using three different kitchen appliances.Paige Bennett

I used a stove, an oven, and an air fryer to make grilled cheese to find the best method.
The air fryer left me disappointed with a burnt, chewy, and unappealing grilled-cheese sandwich.

I've made many, many grilled-cheese sandwiches in my day, and I always reach for my favorite griddle pan. No matter what type of bread or cheese I decide to use, I've stuck to the classic stove-top method.

But with so many kitchen gadgets out there these days, I couldn't help but wonder: Is there a better way to make grilled cheese?

I decided to test three staple kitchen appliances — the stove, an oven, and an air fryer — by making classic grilled cheeses using white bread, spreadable butter, and American-cheese slices.

Here's how they stacked up.

First I assembled the ingredients for three identical grilled-cheese sandwiches.

I made three identical sandwiches to ensure fairness.Paige Bennett

I started with the method I know best: the stove.

I placed my sandwich on a pan over medium heat.Paige Bennett

At this point, I flipped the sandwich and turned the heat up to medium-high.

The grilled cheese on the stove started to brown quickly.Paige Bennett

This grilled cheese turned out just as I expected — golden, gooey, and delicious.

The stove grilled cheese was perfectly golden.Paige Bennett

Next I decided to test out making a grilled cheese in an oven.

I placed the sandwich in the oven.Paige Bennett

The grilled cheese took about 11 minutes to make.

It took about six minutes for one side to be golden-brown in the oven.Paige Bennett

The oven was trickier than the stove, but it still produced a yummy sandwich.

Although not as time-efficient as the stove, the oven made a good grilled cheese.Paige Bennett

I had the highest hopes for the air-fried grilled cheese.

People rave about their air fryers, so I had high hopes.Paige Bennett.

When I opened the basket, I was put off by what I saw.

The burnt cheese was a little off-putting.Paige Bennett

This grilled cheese had an OK flavor, but the texture was way off.

The end result of air-frying a grilled cheese was not what I expected.Paige Bennett

Overall, the stove method is still best, but I could see the oven being a great way to feed a crowd.

Making grilled cheese on a stove was the clear winner out of the three methods.Paige Bennett.

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