The 10-Second Microwave Test For Better Grilled Cheese

There are times when patience is a virtue, and there are times when you really, really want to eat that ooey-gooey grilled cheese and don't feel like waiting 15 minutes for the cheese to melt. If you turn up the heat, you risk burning the bread, but if you leave it to cook long enough to turn the cheese stretchy, sometimes the bread ends up blackened anyway. Well, an easy method to test for the best cheese to use for a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to cut up small squares of various cheeses, stick them on a heat-safe plate, and pop that bad boy in the microwave for 10 seconds.

This is what we grilled cheese pros like to call the meltability test. It essentially evaluates how evenly and quickly a cheese melts, so you can make the ultimate grilled cheese. After taking that plate out of the microwave, you should be able to see which options have melted perfectly, which have barely budged, and which turned to a watery mess. Generally, low and reduced-fat cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyère,  won't melt as well, despite being popular additions to some of the best grilled cheese varieties from around the world. As good as they might taste, you might want to opt for cheeses with a higher fat and moisture content, such as American, mozzarella, brie, fresh cheddar, or even Swiss for an ideal melt, both in the microwave and on the pan.

If you completed the 10-second meltability test in the microwave and are still determined to use a lower-fat or lower-moisture cheese, all hope isn't lost quite yet. It might take longer to melt, but you can flip the sandwich onto a pan with lower heat and place the lid on top to trap some of the heat and moisture, almost like a convection oven. For faster melting when using high-fat and high-moisture cheeses, it's important to keep your eyes on the sandwich the entire time and use a higher heat to quickly brown the bread, even if the cheese doesn't look fully melted yet.

Although it may sound a little counterproductive, the microwave is your secret for even better grilled cheeses in more ways than just testing cheese meltability. If you're using a quick-melting cheese, a microwave can be useful for cooking the sandwich enough to get the cheese gooey without burning the bread — something that can also be avoided if you select the best slices for the job. Studies have actually found that cheese melted in the microwave also tends to have a better stretch than if it's heated in an oven or on a pan. Once the sandwich spends about a minute melting that cheese in the microwave, you can pop it onto a hot pan to crisp up the bread, and you're good to go, perfect grilled cheese in hand.