5 Essential Kitchen Tools for Crafting the Perfect Breakfast Sandwich

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Could the breakfast sandwich possibly be the best way to start your day? It’s a big call, but its versatility (and deliciousness) certainly makes it a top contender. The breakfast sandwich takes different forms around the world, but eggs, bacon or sausage, and cheese is a classic combination. Each of these ingredients requires consideration and correct cooking, and then there’s the bread to think about. Are you a muffin traditionalist, a fan of the heftier bagel, or prefer to skip the bread for something like hash browns?

Whether you’re throwing together whatever you have in the fridge, creating a gourmet pesto prosciutto sandwich, or batch prepping sandwiches for the whole week, using the right equipment will make things easier. You don’t need to opt for an all-in-one breakfast sandwich maker to get things done; there are plenty of tools you might already have in your kitchen to help build the best breakfast sandwich.

The humble frying pan might seem too obvious to warrant a mention, but a great many things in cooking rely on getting the basics right. While a good non-stick pan is often the preferred tool for frying eggs, a cast iron skillet will be of more use when you consider the sandwich as a whole. Cast iron pans have the advantage of good heat retention thanks to their hefty weight, providing you with an in-home alternative to a diner’s flat top grill.

Pan cooking your bacon or sausage patties not only allows you to develop deep and delicious caramelization on the meat, but toasting your roll in the rendered fat will top using a toaster any day. When it comes to the eggs, correctly seasoning your pan will help you create a good non-stick surface for easy fried eggs. Instead of scrambled eggs, opt for doing them bodega style — cracking the egg directly into the pan and partially scrambling them as they cook. This gives you a firmer texture that holds together better on the sandwich, and you can still top with cheese that will melt as the eggs cook.

A sheet pan is another simple but effective tool for making breakfast, particularly if you’re cooking for a crowd. Cooking scrambled eggs for more than a couple of sandwiches gets complicated on the stovetop, but making those eggs on a sheet pan will give you plenty of room, as well as being a hands-off cooking process. This is also the perfect option if you’re using sliced bread for your sandwiches, as the eggs can be easily cut into squares. Prefer a fried egg? A baking sheet lets you cook large batches of sunny-side up eggs.

Many people swear by oven cooking for the crispiest bacon, whether it’s regular streaky bacon, Canadian bacon, or turkey bacon. It’s less messy than cooking in a pan and the bacon doesn’t even need to be flipped. The oven will do the work for you, but there are a few tips to ensure the best results, such as lining the tray with aluminum foil, and ensuring the bacon doesn’t overlap. If you’re feeling dexterous, you can also craft a bacon weave that will bulk up your sandwich with a thick meaty layer.

If you’ve ever wondered, can you waffle it? Then the answer is almost certainly yes. When it comes to the breakfast sandwich, the waffle maker is one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen. In fact, if you find yourself with nothing but a waffle iron, you could cook an entire breakfast sandwich from top to bottom, though it might look a little more Minecraft than McDonald’s.

Swapping waffles for the bread on your sandwich is the most straightforward option, but where the waffle maker really shines is by adding a unique texture to your filling. A waffle iron is all you need for crispy bacon, meaty seared sausage patties, and if you haven’t tried making waffle hash browns, you’re really missing out. And before you think we’ve forgotten about the egg, you can waffle that too. Pour your mix of eggs, cheese and any other toppings into the iron for a fluffy breakfast omelet.

To achieve an Insta-worthy Egg McMuffin-style breakfast sandwich, an egg ring is a must. This low cost tool is available in metal or silicone, and is the easiest way to get that perfectly round shape that fits neatly on the muffin with no overhang. But it’s not all about aesthetics. By preventing the egg from spreading, you’re ensuring that the egg is an even thickness from edge to edge for a perfectly cooked white.

Now you might be thinking that you don’t make enough breakfast sandwiches to warrant this kind of single use tool, or perhaps you’re just short on space. The good news is that you can make a stand-in egg ring from other things you might have hanging around. If you’re into making your own preserves, then the ring from a canning jar will do the trick nicely. You can also make an edible egg ring from other ingredients on the sandwich, like an onion or bell pepper. And if you’re really in a pinch, try cutting both the top and bottom off a can of tuna, just be sure to wash it well!

Just like the egg ring, ramekins of muffin tins will help you get perfectly round eggs for your breakfast sandwiches. But cooking eggs in the oven can also be much more versatile than in a frying pan. Add a little water to the bottom of a greased ramekin and you have an easy way to make poached eggs either in the oven or the air fryer. A muffin tin can be used in the oven or under the broiler for a crispier result that’s closer to a fried egg.

The added benefit of both of these techniques is that you can top up the ramekin or muffin tin with other fillings, such as herbs, spices and, of course, cheese to amp up the flavor. For a tidier breakfast bagel, a donut pan is an ingenious way to cook your fillings. The eggs, bacon, and cheese will emerge from the oven with a ring shape to match the bread.