# Why do people flatten grilled cheese sandwiches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903 "2009-06-16T02:54:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/1 "2009-06-16T02:54:20Z")
Asked at the behest of the lady we’re staying with, but we’re both curious as well – often when people cook grilled chees sandwiches, especially at diners, some heavy metal object is put atop them, pressing them down. We have no clue why they might do it; does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/2 "2009-06-16T02:56:21Z")
I assume so that the cheese will stick to both sides of the bread. I assume it they put one slice of bread down, put the cheese on it and place the other slice on top. The press pushes the bread into the cheese. Just my guess. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/3 "2009-06-16T02:56:54Z")
My understanding is that the heavy metal object has been sitting on the grill, so it cooks the top and the bottom evenly. Similar to using a sandwich press or those Foreman Grills. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/4 "2009-06-16T03:04:35Z")
Grilled cheese sandwiches just don’t taste right unless they’ve been smashed all to hell. I can’t eat 'em any other way. Just one of those fundamental laws of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/5 "2009-06-16T03:24:51Z")
It cooks them quicker that way. This is much preferable to the other common short-order trick for making grilled cheese, where the cook leaves the sandwich open while it’s cooking, and only assembles it at the end (I had a manager once at such a job who couldn’t comprehend the notion that this ended up not melting the cheese). ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/6 "2009-06-16T03:27:23Z")
It’s also done to compress the bread–making the sandwich less doughy and more crusty. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/7 "2009-06-16T03:45:04Z")
I don’t smoosh my grilled cheese sandwiches, I cook them on a cast iron griddle pan, it holds heat exceptionally well, and cooks thoroughly, no need for squishing ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/8 "2009-06-16T15:50:32Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I don’t smoosh my grilled cheese sandwiches, I cook them on a cast iron griddle pan, it holds heat exceptionally well, and cooks thoroughly, no need for squishing Ah, but even better is to heat two cast iron pans, which will fit “into” each other. Assemble the sandwich, spread the bread on the outside with mayo, drop into the larger pan, and cover with the smaller pan, creating the “smush.” Turn off the heat, and wait a couple of minutes. Even cooking, perfect melting, and both sides are crispy & evenly cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/9 "2009-06-16T16:01:47Z")
I think the pressure helps caramelize the bread, making it sweeter. I use a sandwich-maker, myself. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/10 "2009-06-16T16:39:07Z")
It makes the cheese melt into the bread, blending the flavors and textures properly. Otherwise it’s just two slices of toast and a slice of cheese. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/11 "2009-06-16T17:10:04Z")
Their mothers did it that way. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/12 "2009-06-16T18:11:27Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Grilled cheese sandwiches just don’t taste right unless they’ve been smashed all to hell. I can’t eat 'em any other way. Just one of those fundamental laws of the universe. I used to have that attitude, but some of my friends said it made me seem somewhat two-dimensional. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/13 "2009-06-16T20:29:04Z")
**butler1850** said: > [@](#): > > Assemble the sandwich, spread the bread on the outside with mayo, Mayonaise? MAYONAISE? On a grilled cheese sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/14 "2009-06-16T20:40:21Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > Ah, but even better is to heat two cast iron pans, which will fit “into” each other. > > Assemble the sandwich, spread the bread on the outside with mayo, drop into the larger pan, and cover with the smaller pan, creating the “smush.” > > Turn off the heat, and wait a couple of minutes. > > Even cooking, perfect melting, and both sides are crispy & evenly cooked. Except for the mayo (he uses spritzed olive oil), this is essentially Alton’s recipe (just saw it last night). In his case, it is clearly done this way to cook both sides of the sandwich at the same time. > [@Irishman](#): > > Mayonaise? MAYONAISE? On a grilled cheese sandwich? You’ve gotta have some kind of fat, or the bread will just char. I use margarine usually, but I’ve used mayo when I didn’t have any margarine. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/15 "2009-06-16T21:20:52Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > You’ve gotta have some kind of fat, or the bread will just char. I use margarine usually, but I’ve used mayo when I didn’t have any margarine. I use butter or (more often) margarine. Spray margarine works exceptionally well. For my sandwiches, I like to have mustard in addition to the cheese. I’ll also sometimes put some onion in it, as well. ---
**Author:** ![satoridt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@satoridt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satoridt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/16 "2009-06-16T21:29:07Z")
It’s great with tomatoes and spinach as well. (I also use pepperjack and cheddar on the same sandwich) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/17 "2009-06-16T22:14:01Z")
How else do you get the picture of Jesus on the sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/18 "2009-06-16T23:07:08Z")
I believe that artistic application of abrasive materials will provide you with a cooking surface that will reliably provide Jesus-faced toasted cheese sandwiches on demand. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/19 "2009-06-16T23:11:32Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > You’ve gotta have some kind of fat, or the bread will just char. I use margarine usually, but I’ve used mayo when I didn’t have any margarine. Bread burnt with cheese is delicious what is wrong with you ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903/20 "2009-06-16T23:15:35Z")
**kneadToKnow** ’s problem probably lies in the fact that fatty burnt bread with cheese is more delicious than dry burnt bread with cheese. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-flatten-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/499903.md?page=2)