A $15 kitchen gadget from Kmart has changed how I cook - and now I'm telling everyone about it

Daily Mail​

11-07-2025

Crunchy on the outside and warm on the outside - the humble toasted sandwich is a winter-perfect light meal or snack.
But the catch with making perfect 'toasties' at home is it often eludes those that don't own a sandwich press. Until now.
A clever and budget-friendly Kmart kitchen gadget allows you to make DIY crispy toasties - without the need for an expensive, bulky appliance.
Shoppers have been racing to Kmart Australia stores following rave reviews of their $15 Microwave Toastie Maker.
The microwave-friendly grill plate device is described as 'a convenient way to prepare toasted sandwiches using just your microwave, making it ideal for quick lunches or easy snacks at home or at work'.
A recent TikTok video showcased the genius kitchen gadget in action.
The 21-second video, which has been viewed over 25,000 times, shows how the clever device works in a matter of minutes to replicate a crunchy 'cafe quality' toastie in your microwave.
As demonstrated in the video, making the toastie simply requires taking two pieces of buttered bread, adding cheese and other preferred fillings and placing it inside the sandwich sized microwave grill plate.
The budget and compact kitchen gadget enables you to create crunchy toasties in the microwave, without the need for an expensive and bulky sandwich press
Then, you close the two halves of the grill plate together and clamp the silicone latches shut before popping it in the microwave for a couple of minutes - flipping it over half way through.
The end result is a crispy toasted sandwich that's ready in minutes - with minimal mess.
'That's actually so smart,' read one stunned reply to the video.
'Looks yummy can't lie,' added another.
'Need this in my life,' chimed in a third.
The gadget has notched up a near-perfect 4.9 stars review rating on the Kmart website.
Reviewers raved about the ease and speed of making toasties using the gadget - and especially the surprisingly 'crunchy' exterior, given that it's been cooked in a microwave.
'These are just fabulous - best thing since sliced bread - so quick & cheap,' read one review.
A TikTok video shared to the Kmart Australia account demonstrated how easy it is to use the toastie gadget. Simply assemble your bread, cheese and chosen fillings on the grill plate (left), clamp it shut and then place in the microwave for a few minutes. The end result? 'Crispy magic' (right)
Happy customers also noted that this gadget was far cheaper than similar ones sold by high end kitchenware brands.
One reviewer wrote: 'A dupe for a more expensive ones… well why bother, this little beauty does the trick and it's super fast, crunchy and easy to clean. Great buying!'
Unlike a proper sandwich press - which can take up precious kitchen cupboard or bench space - this gadget is about the same size as a sandwich container.
The dimensions of the Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker are 4cm (H) x 17.5cm (W) x 15cm (D).
The clever design features two non-stick coated plates on the interior surfaces to create that toasted exterior surface, but also easily release the cooked bread.
Then, on the outside it has a flexible silicone exterior casing, making it easier to handle after being heated up.
It's also made from BPA-free materials.
In addition to being microwave friendly, the Microwave Toastie Maker is easy to clean and dishwasher friendly.
One Kmart shopper claimed it created far 'less mess than a regular toastie machine'.
The secret to creating the perfect microwave toastie using the gadget was also discussed amongst the reviews, with many recommending somewhere between 1 min ute 30 seconds to 2 minutes before 'flipping' the gadget to the other side for a perfect and even result.
The affordable price tag also saw numerous reviewers saying that they'd gone and purchased an additional microwave toastie maker, so that they could keep one at home and have another to use in the kitchen at their workplace.