# Scraping toast in the U.K.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 6, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185 "2008-04-06T15:18:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/61 "2008-04-07T14:02:32Z")
[QUOTE=nd\_n8]
Perhaps the difference in experience with toasters involves the difference in AC current? We are on 60Hz 120 current and isn’t most of Europe on a higher frequency / higher voltage system? .
[/QUOTE]
That wouldn’t have anything to do with it. As long as the toasters have approximately the same heat output, then voltage and current are irrelevant. BTW European current is lower (50Hz) than yours, not higher.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/62 "2008-04-07T14:15:10Z")
Toasted bagels!
Wash your keyboard with soap, Wolfman!
Butter on sandwiches might be strange to me, but toasting bagels is an abomination!
Seriously, though, when starting this thread, I never expected the amount of information that has come to light.
1. Butter on sandwiches is routine all over Britain and in some American households
2. Mayonnaise is not commonly used in Britain (I thought mayonnaise was universal for ordinary sandwiches)
3. British stove/range units (“cookers”?) traditionally include a “gas grill” (actually a broiler?) at _eye level_?
4. Toasted on one side?
Something I find frustrating about American stoves (you really call them “cookers”?) is that the broiler is – no, not at eye level – not at stovetop level – not at oven/knee level – It’s freaking at _ankle_ level! So, yeah, I use that one often. Not.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/63 "2008-04-07T14:17:12Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man]
That wouldn’t have anything to do with it. As long as the toasters have approximately the same heat output, then voltage and current are irrelevant. BTW European current is lower (50Hz) than yours, not higher.
[/QUOTE]
50/60Hz is the frequency, and has nothing to do with power or current. The voltage differences between Europe (including Britain) and North America could explain something, because the identical Chinese-made toasters can’t be used successfully in both places. 220-240V will result in twice as puch power going through the thing as 110V, which means that it catches fire or melts in Europe, or only becomes slightly warm in America.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/64 "2008-04-07T14:24:06Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray]
Seriously, though, when starting this thread, I never expected the amount of information that has come to light.
[/QUOTE]
If I can add one more. “Butter” is in many cases used as a generic term that includes vegetable oil-based spreads and margarines. “do you want your bread _buttered_?” actually means, in many cases, “Do you want me to spread something - which may or may not be real butter - on it?”
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### Author:  [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/65 "2008-04-07T14:30:34Z")
Re: buttered sandwiches–
in my experience (Eastern US), buttered sandwiches were mostly something for young kids. Once you got older and got used to the slightly odd taste of Mayonnaise, you switched to that.
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### Author:  [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/66 "2008-04-07T14:36:26Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
50/60Hz is the frequency, and has nothing to do with power or current. The voltage differences between Europe (including Britain) and North America could explain something, because the identical Chinese-made toasters can’t be used successfully in both places. 220-240V will result in twice as puch power going through the thing as 110V, which means that it catches fire or melts in Europe, or only becomes slightly warm in America.
[/QUOTE]
Surely the Chinese would make two versions of the toaster? One rated at 230 volts for Europe and the 110 volt version for the USA.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/67 "2008-04-07T14:36:56Z")
FWIW in every deli I visit here they ask “Do you want butter or mayonnaise?”
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### Author:  [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/68 "2008-04-07T14:39:54Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar]
Butter on a sandwich is weird to Americans? I grew up on the stuff!
[/QUOTE]
My grandmother always buttered the bread before making a sandwich, the family has drifted away from the practice since. Now I really feel like a meatloaf sandwich on buttered bread…
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### Author:  [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/69 "2008-04-07T14:47:18Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
If I can add one more. “Butter” is in many cases used as a generic term that includes vegetable oil-based spreads and margarines. “do you want your bread _buttered_?” actually means, in many cases, “Do you want me to spread something - which may or may not be real butter - on it?”
[/QUOTE]
In addition, there are some heathans for whom “mayonnaise” actually means _Miracle Whip_.
I’ve gotten sandwiches with butter and mayonnaise that actually had neither of 'em.
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### Author:  [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/70 "2008-04-07T15:02:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by \* _acsenray_:
> …
> 2. Mayonnaise is not commonly used in Britain (I thought mayonnaise was universal for ordinary sandwiches)
> 3. British stove/range units (“cookers”?) traditionally include a “gas grill” (actually a broiler?) at eye level?
> …
Mayonnaise is commonly used in the UK but not in place of butter nor in all sandwiches. Butter (or equivalent) always, mayonnaise with tuna, ham or chicken, yes, beef, definitely not!
Eye-level grills are/were pretty common in free standing cookers and could be either gas or electric. More common these days with built in appliances would be a [double oven](http://www.boschappliances.co.uk/boschuk2007/en/products/products-DoubleOvens-HBN13M561B-pid-275.htm) with the smaller top oven containing the grill at about eye level.
Unfortunately we are also suffering from a rash of stupid “space saving” built under ovens with grills at ankle level - grrrr.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/71 "2008-04-07T15:07:24Z")
I’m still having a hard time with “cooker.” Seriously? The terms “stove” and “range” are not used at all? It makes me giggle. “Cooker” sounds like a word that a child or a non-English-speaker would invent for something they didn’t know the name for.
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### Author:  [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/72 "2008-04-07T15:10:44Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz]
Try Worcester sauce instead. Or mushroom extract. Or both. Double drool.
[/QUOTE]
Or English mustard.
Triple drool
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/73 "2008-04-07T15:15:26Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray]
I’m still having a hard time with “cooker.” Seriously? The terms “stove” and “range” are not used at all? It makes me giggle.
[/QUOTE]
‘cooker’ is a term that describes an all-in-one oven and hob package - may people will refer directly to the oven, or the hob (aka ‘ring’ or ‘gas’ in some cases), but yeah, ‘cooker’ is still a fairly widely used term.
‘Range’ is pretty much reserved for solid fuel fired, cast iron behemoths, or commercial-style cookers with six ovens and eleventy-one hobs.
‘Stove’ is sometimes used (I suspect regionally), but often, that term is reserved for something portable such as a camping stove.
So yeah, ‘cooker’ is not abnormal here.
> [@](#):
>
> “Cooker” sounds like a word that a child or a non-English-speaker would invent for something they didn’t know the name for.
‘Spackle’ does the same for me.
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### Author:  [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/74 "2008-04-07T15:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray]
I’m still having a hard time with “cooker.” Seriously? The terms “stove” and “range” are not used at all? It makes me giggle. “Cooker” sounds like a word that a child or a non-English-speaker would invent for something they didn’t know the name for.
[/QUOTE]
I think around the end of the 19th century, “stove” was more-or-less attached to the cast-iron solid fuel burning things, and “range” was the similar item with an oven, a water boiler and a hotplate attached. There was a need for a new name for the modern (at the time) slimline free-standing appliances with an oven, hobs and grill, so in the absence of anything better, “cooker” it was.
To us, “stove” and “range” tend to sound a little quaint.
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/75 "2008-04-07T15:26:27Z")
All I know is that right now, I really really want toast.
Slightly cooled.
With butter.
And cut into triangles.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/76 "2008-04-07T16:16:28Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man]
Surely the Chinese would make two versions of the toaster? One rated at 230 volts for Europe and the 110 volt version for the USA.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly - which is why **Mk VII** ’s comment, that there should be no reason for the toasters to be any different, doesn’t quite work. Yes, they shouldn’t have any functional difference, but we can’t be sure that’s the case.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/77 "2008-04-07T16:19:24Z")
It just dawned on me why the idea of spreading unmelted butter on cooled toast doesn’t work here.
In the United States, butter is generally served rock hard. You can’t spread it if the surface you’re spreading it on isn’t hot.
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### Author:  [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/78 "2008-04-07T17:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray]
I’m still having a hard time with “cooker.” Seriously?..“Cooker” sounds like a word that a child or a non-English-speaker would invent for something they didn’t know the name for.
[/QUOTE]
I’ll second **Mangetout** and say there’s nothing abnormal about it.
Gives rise to many amusing moments with elementary ESL students who are cooks/ professional chefs.
“So, Dmitry/ Youssouf/ Angelina/ Heinrich/ [insert generic student name of almost any nationality here] - what do you do?”
::student furrows brow::
“I…I am cooker!” comes the triumphant reply.
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/79 "2008-04-07T17:43:42Z")
“Stove” is used here to mean the entire appliance consisting of a range, a grill(er), and an oven. I have never seen a household stove without a grill, and I didn’t know they existed until this thread.
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scraping-toast-in-the-u-k/444185/80 "2008-04-08T01:35:58Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> Butter on a sandwich is weird to Americans? I grew up on the stuff!
Maybe it’s a Midwest thing? I can’t even imagine eating a ham sandwich without buttering the bread. The only other sandwiches I really eat are turkey and peanut butter, and I probably wouldn’t butter for turkey and definitely not for peanut butter, but a ham sandwich absolutely requires butter.
Real butter. None of this margarine crap.
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