Toastie vs Grilled Cheese (and Jaffle, and Croque)
A UK toastie and a US grilled cheese are close cousins: both are cheese sandwiches cooked whole until the bread crisps and the cheese melts. The differences are in the method and the details — a toastie is often sealed in a sandwich toaster and made with cheddar, while a grilled cheese is fried open-edged in a buttered pan, classically with American cheese. The Australian jaffle and the French croque monsieur are two more relatives worth knowing.
Quick answer: Toastie = British, often sealed triangles from a toastie maker, cheddar. Grilled cheese = American, pan-fried in butter, open edges, melty American cheese. Jaffle = Australian, sealed and round-edged from a jaffle iron, often with savoury mince or beans. Croque monsieur = French, ham and Gruyère, usually with béchamel and grilled on top.
On this page
Side-by-side comparison
| UK toastie | US grilled cheese | Australian jaffle | French croque monsieur | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual cooking method | Electric sandwich toaster, pan or café press | Frying pan or griddle | Jaffle iron (stovetop, campfire or electric) | Pan, then oven or grill |
| Edges | Often sealed, cut into triangles | Open | Sealed, usually one round-edged pocket | Open |
| Classic cheese | Mature cheddar | American cheese (processed slices) | Cheddar-style | Gruyère or Emmental |
| Fat on the bread | Butter or none (non-stick plates) | Butter, generously | Butter | Butter, plus béchamel |
| Typical extras | Ham, beans, onion, tuna | Tomato soup on the side | Mince, spaghetti, beans | Ham inside; egg on top makes a croque madame |
| Texture | Dense, crisp shell, molten centre | Buttery, golden, soft middle | Crisp, sealed, very hot filling | Rich, creamy, bubbling top |
The UK toastie
The British toastie is defined as much by the machine as the recipe. Since electric sandwich toasters spread through UK kitchens from the 1970s, the most familiar version has been two sealed triangles with crimped edges — the bread is pressed and cut by the plates so the filling can't escape. Cheddar, often mature, is the default cheese; white sliced bread the default loaf.
Because the plates are non-stick, many people don't butter the outside at all, though butter or a thin layer of mayonnaise gives a deeper colour (see butter or mayo for toasties). Pan and café-press toasties exist too, with open edges. More on the basics in what is a toastie?
The American grilled cheese
A grilled cheese is cooked in a frying pan or on a griddle — "grilled" in American English means cooked on a hot surface, not under an overhead grill as in the UK. The bread is buttered on the outside and fried until deep golden on each side, with the cheese melting in the residual heat. There's no seal and usually no pressing beyond a spatula.
The classic cheese is American cheese, a processed cheese designed to melt smoothly without separating. Cheddar, Monterey Jack and blends are common in more upmarket versions. A bowl of tomato soup for dipping is the traditional partner. To make one at home, follow our frying pan toastie method and use plenty of butter.
The Australian jaffle
The jaffle is Australia's sealed toasted sandwich, named after the jaffle iron: two hinged, usually round or square cast-metal plates on long handles. The iron is commonly credited to a Sydney doctor who patented the design in 1949, though accounts of the details vary. Unlike a two-triangle toastie, a classic jaffle iron seals the bread into one pillowy pocket.
Jaffles are campfire food as much as kitchen food, and fillings lean hearty: savoury mince, tinned spaghetti, baked beans and cheese. Electric jaffle makers with deep, single-pocket plates are also sold. If you camp, our camping toastie maker guide and camping toastie recipes cover jaffle irons in detail.
The French croque monsieur
The croque monsieur is a ham and cheese sandwich that's usually made far richer with béchamel sauce and extra grated cheese on top, then baked or grilled until bubbling. It has been a fixture of Parisian cafés since the early 20th century; it's often said to have first appeared on a menu around 1910. Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque madame.
The cheese is traditionally Gruyère or Emmental, which melt into long strings and brown well. It's the most indulgent of the four and the one least suited to a sealed machine, though a shortcut version works: see our croque monsieur toastie.
What really changes the result
Sealed vs open edges
Sealing traps steam and molten filling, so a sealed toastie or jaffle can carry wet fillings like beans. Open-edged grilled cheese and croques must keep the filling mostly cheese, or it slides out.
Pressing
Toasties are pressed hard, giving a compact, crunchy crust. A grilled cheese is barely pressed, so it stays softer and taller inside.
The cheese
Processed American cheese melts smoothly but tastes mild; cheddar has more flavour but can turn greasy if over-heated. Gruyère sits in between. Our guide to the best cheese for toasties explains the melt science and the best blends.
Which one should you make?
For a quick, crisp, sealed lunch with a sharp cheddar bite, make a toastie — our cheese toastie recipe is the reference version. For a buttery, softer sandwich with soup, make a grilled cheese in a pan. For camping or hearty fillings, use a jaffle iron. For a weekend treat, make a croque. If you'd like to understand how the sealed-triangle machine came to dominate British kitchens, read our history of the toastie maker.
FAQs
Can you make a grilled cheese in a toastie maker?
You can make something very close: butter the outside, use mild melting cheese and cook it in a panini press or flat-plated machine to keep the square shape. A sealed toastie maker will cut it into triangles, which makes it a toastie rather than a classic grilled cheese.
Is a jaffle the same as a toastie?
Essentially yes — both are sealed toasted sandwiches. "Jaffle" is the Australian term, and traditional jaffle irons usually make one sealed pocket rather than two triangles.
Why do Americans call it "grilled" cheese?
In American English, "grilling" includes cooking on a griddle or in a pan. The British overhead grill is called a broiler in the US, so the names don't line up.
Can I use American cheese slices in a UK toastie?
Yes. Processed cheese slices are easy to find in UK supermarkets and melt very smoothly. Many people mix one slice with grated cheddar to get both a silky melt and more flavour.