Is it safe to heat food items by turning the toaster on its side?

A toaster is a small kitchen device designed for quickly preparing toasted bread, bagels, and certain pastries. It operates by utilizing heating elements positioned on each side of the food item, ensuring uniform toasting on both sides. Additionally, toasters come equipped with removable crumb trays, facilitating convenient and swift cleaning. However, some social media posts suggest the different usage of toasters. This is our investigation of such posts.

Social Media Posts

Social media posts suggest that it is safe to reheat food items, such as pizza, by turning the toaster on its side.

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Users commented on it like below.

We decided to do a fact-check on this.

Explanation:

Jamie Oliver's Article: Jamie Oliver, a famous British restaurateur, mentioned the method of reheating food items using a toaster on the side is convenient and suitable in article in 2015. It's essential to note that methods and safety considerations can change over various circumstances. The safety of such methods depends on various factors, including the design of the toaster, the type of food being reheated, and potential fire hazards. The Guardian article written by Jamie Oliver can be reached here. Archived

London Fire Brigade's Warning: The occurrence of house fires attributed to using toasters on their sides indicates that this method is unsafe. The London Fire Brigade's warning strongly suggests a real fire risk when using toasters in unintended ways. The fact that fire authorities advise against this method underscores the potential danger. A BBC article describing it can be read here. Archived

Toaster Manufacturers' Manuals: As toaster manufacturers' manuals explicitly warn against using toasters in unsafe ways, it indicates that the method of reheating food items on their side is not recommended by experts who understand the design and limitations of the appliance. Such user manuals can be read here & here

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Conclusion

In conclusion, while there may have been an initial mention of using a toaster on its side to reheat food items, incidents and official warnings from fire authorities and manufacturers make it clear that this method is unsafe and should be avoided. The safety of kitchen appliances should always be a top priority, and users should adhere to the guidelines provided by manufacturers and relevant authorities.