LONDON -- Life hacks are great until they catch fire and destroy all hopes you may have had of a delicious sandwich.
Suzanne Dale from Sale in Greater Manchester probably thought she was on to a winner when she found out about the grilled cheese life hack on Facebook, which suggests you turn your toaster on its side before placing bread topped with cheese in it. It looks something like this:
@adamliaw Turn a toaster on the side to make grilled cheese toast. (or a croissant!) #lifehack pic.twitter.com/Pm2DNmjiS9— finicalgal (@finicalgal) January 17, 2015
But unfortunately for Dale, the grilled cheese didn't turn out quite as she expected.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME... !!! ...Saw a tip on FB about turning your toaster on it's side for toasted cheese.....thought...Posted by Suzanne Dale on Wednesday, 18 November 2015
The toaster caught fire and, for around 20 minutes, Dale's grilled cheese crisped and crumbled.
Dale told the Manchester Evening News that she threw the flaming toaster out of her window to avoid further damage. "Luckily I live in a house and have a garden," she said. "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."
If Dale weren't "agile," it's possible that the damage could have been far worse.
To avoid future disturbances, the London Fire Brigade stepped in.
Fire caused by cooking cheese on toast in your toaster in #Manchester this time. Bad idea https://t.co/SfyzweIuqS pic.twitter.com/3pPe3jvsvU— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) November 23, 2015
See that big red cross? That means no bread with cheese in a sideways toaster. Absolutely none. Under no circumstances. Nope. Nada.
If only a warning had been issued sooner.
Accidentally set the toaster on fire trying to do a cheese on toast life hack — Melissa Minus M (@lissboswell) April 26, 2014
So I attempted the 'life hack' thing of turning the toaster on it's side to make cheese on toast, set it on fire. pic.twitter.com/agpmY2jCiP— O.R (@oli07r) October 28, 2014
Despite the numerous toaster tragedies, people across the Internet are encouraging the sideways toaster life hack.
@tommcfly life hack: make cheese on toast in the toaster by turning it on its side — \m/(◣_◢)\m/ (@poynterrjudd) September 18, 2014
DON'T LISTEN TO HER @tommcfly, DON'T.
Thankfully, there are alternative methods of creating the perfect grilled cheese sandwich that, appliances permitting, lead to an all around safer experience for those involved.
Y make grilled cheese when you can put cheese on toast and microwave it... That's all I'm saying #lifehack— meh. (@AyeBenitoMendes) June 10, 2015
Pizza Grilled Cheese. pic.twitter.com/PiO7ydcZrk— Recipes Vids (@RecipesVids) November 23, 2015
N.B. In case of doubt, Mashable does not endorse the sideways toaster life hack.