Mishaps with Toaster

[Eleanor Roosevelt]

Hi, my boyfriend has Celiac's, and therefore we have separate toasters (his for gluten-free bread, mine for gluten bread). The other day, I made a slight mistake: I put one slice of gluten bread in his toaster. I didn't toast it (realized the mistake right away and took the slice out, so there shouldn't be incrusted crumbs everywhere inside), but it did definitely go in the bread slot. Is there a way to clean the toaster so that he can keep using it, or should we just get a new one? 

I am sort of hoping that by using the toaster on gluten-free bread several times, maybe whatever gluten is on the toaster will "stick to" the gluten-free bread, and that the toaster will then be usable again; or something of the kind. 

Thanks!

[Ennis-TX]

Considering how we can react to crumbs, residue, etc. I would personally just get a new one if it is a cheap pop up on. If a expensive deck one, the rack can be removed and placed in a oven at 500F self clean to destroy the proteins. Talk to your boyfriend about it, and see how he wants to approach it.  You can always clean out and gift the old one or sell it on Facebook market place.

[LilyR]

My husband bought me my own toaster now that I can't eat gluten.  One thing I do to help avoid these possible cross-contamination incidents is I keep mine in the box it came in, and keep that inside a cupboard. So I only take it out when I am using it, and then I put it right back (after it cools).  No matter how hard we all try, cross contamination can happen.  We all just space out sometimes. 

When you can't eat gluten, it's frustrating thinking your own kitchen/home can be like poison to you.  I try to not nag my family, but when you are the one with the health problems, it is no fun at all being accidentally glutened by just a tiny crumb you were not even aware of, in your own home, when you work so hard to be careful. But sometimes it happens.  Just try and think of the best ways to keep gluten-free and gluten products and appliances away from each other.  Like we also keep the gluten-used colander up on top of the fridge and I keep the gluten-free colander under a cupboard.  I have a cupboard for all my gluten-free items like my rice and coconut flours, cream of rice, etc. and then another cupboard where my family keep their snacks, cereals, breads.  Things like that. I keep a separate sponge under the counter to wash any pans that were used for gluten.  I should get new, separate pans for me now, I know, but the cost and also where to store them? But so far we seem to be able to clean metal pans okay. Anything plastic or wooden though, I like to keep gluten and gluten-free ones separate. It sure is a pain, but it's good to be careful.  I am still learning, but getting better.  Good luck with it all. 

[kareng]

I have a red toaster and the gluten one is silver.  I keep mine under the counter and I don't use it much,  the gluten one stays next to the gluten bread because it gets used a lot.  My red toaster was less than $20 at Penneys a few years back,  we also use red duct tape on the top of my butter or PB tub, etc.  I chose red because it is easier to find red kitchen things than pink.  Lol

[cyclinglady]

If you just dropped the bread in and took it right out, unplug the toaster and wipe the metals racks with a clean dishcloth slightly dampened and then run the empty toaster a few times.  I am sure there was not enough gluten residue to cause harm as the bread was probably still soft and pliable and not crumbly.  

Keep that toaster in the cupboard (or the other one) to avoid mishaps in the future.