In other news, I got a box of strawberry pop-tarts.

[conuly]

They're okay, but I guess somewhere along the line I forgot that the only pop-tarts I really like are the brown sugar ones.

Poll #25544 Pop-tarts!

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 91

View Respondents

What is the correct way to put pop-tarts in the toaster?

View Answers

Icing facing in
3 (3.3%)

Icing facing out
7 (7.7%)

Icing facing the same way, towards you
6 (6.6%)

Icing facing the same way, away from you
1 (1.1%)

...I have literally never thought about this before
25 (27.5%)

I don't toast my pop-tarts
12 (13.2%)

I don't eat pop-tarts
37 (40.7%)

Comments

[jessie_c]

I'm old enough to remember the time before pop tarts had icing. And I think that's just about the last time I ever ate one, too.

[dine]

I haven't had poptarts in years, but always preferred the brown sugar ones. I often ate them cold, but if a toaster is handy, I do prefer them hot

[elayna]

I don’t like pop tarts with icing and I toast them in a toaster oven, with the curvier side facing up.

[melannen]

Icing facing the same way, to the left.

I.. think this is because of something I was told at some point about where the temperature sensor was in our old toaster that only had the sensor on one side? Anyway it is clearly still correct.

(Most of the time I don't toast them because if I'm going to go to the trouble of toasting something I will do bagels or actual toast or something. Pop-tarts are for grabbing on the way out the door when I am in too much of a hurry to even open a package, or for when I need the calorie equivalent of a real meal but don't have the executive function to put one together. But every so often I get a craving for a chocolate one, toasted.)

[offcntr]

My toaster runs hot on the inner divider, I think because two sets of elements are back-to-back. Pointing the frosting out makes it less likely to scorch.

That said, a) I haven't bought pop-tarts in several years, and b) my toaster was a wedding present, and is thus about to turn 30 years old.

[chelseagirl]

Agreed -- brown sugar cinnamon or nothing.

[baranduin]

I don't eat Pop Tarts with frosting. Toast an unfrosted one, then butter it. Alternatively, spread butter on the curved side, then microwave about 30 seconds. Frosting ruined the Pop Tart.

[gingicat]

I mean I guess if I put them in the pop-up toaster, I’d put it on “bagel” setting and face the frosting away from the active heating element.

[malinaldarose]

I am eating a Pop Tart right now (chocolate fudge). I always put them into the toaster with the icing facing in because I have this idea that if I drop it pulling it out, I won't get burned as badly. Or something like that.

[kareina]

These days I eat only homemade baked goods. However, as a kid I ate pop-tarts, and I never, ever toasted them, and thought that people who did were committing one of the worst sorts of hereasy. I also hated the frosted pop-tarts and ate only the plain ones.

[moxie_man]

The correct thing to do with poptarts is to not buy them. If you buy them by mistake, don't open the box. Give it to a food pantry. Nasty things.

[marahmarie]

Ah hahaha. Agreed!

[fuzzyred]

I don't think I've ever seen unfrosted pop-tarts around here. Granted, I don't buy them often but when I do I usually go for something chocolatey, or something with "sprinkles".

[larryhammer]

You ... assume the toaster a) has slots and isn't a toaster-oven and b) that the slots are parallel the counter edge.

[librarygeek]

My teenager microwaves them, with a pop up toaster and toaster oven within reach. I'm not sure that isn't just to get the weird looks from me.

[greghousesgf]

I agree about the brown sugar cinnamon ones being the best ones.

[jessie_c]

Of course, nobody can mention strawberry pop tarts on the internet without someone digging this up.

[darkoshi]

Now I feel like eating a pop tart. Yesterday I read that the unfrosted ones are vegan. I used to eat the ones with icing when I was a kid. Still remember the smell of them fresh from the toaster this many decades later.

[archangelbeth]

I have a toaster oven, so Icing Up...

[penpusher]

Most people don't know that toasters don't toast evenly. The inner part of the toaster stays warmer than the outer part. So you should face the icing side outward so the toaster won't over toast the icing.

I personally open the foil pack flat and arrange the Pop Tarts on it, icing side up on a radiator. And yeah, that means I don't eat Pop Tarts in summer. Though I saw a notation about eating them frozen... So I'm intrigued.

[marahmarie]

I was waiting for someone to say "I roast them on hot sidewalks" or something. This comes pretty...close.

[archersangel]

icing facing out.

this reminds me that i did my personal ranking of pop tarts once;
https://archersangel.dreamwidth.org/290205.html

[marahmarie]

Icing facing the same way, away from you, though honestly I have never thought about this before, and also can't stand pop tarts, which is irrelevant, I suppose. But boy did the mental image of how to do it "right" come quickly once I thought about it, and boy does it weird me out that any particular way must be "the right way" when it doesn't/literally can't matter at all.