Cleo here, forgive any missed typos, I don't usually post from myiPod.
My childhood memory which should fit with Martin's age range is a breville toastie maker. Now these don't just make sealed cheese toasties (or cheese and ham, my fave) but pockets of molten, scalding, surely it defies the laws of cheese physics goodness while keeping a perfectly golden outside. They make McDonalds apple pies look like glaciers. Many people enjoy them with tomato or brown sauce, I hate them both.
Does this help? Maybe you have toastie makers but they were quite the thing when I was growing up.
Re: Brit-Pick Question
My childhood memory which should fit with Martin's age range is a breville toastie maker. Now these don't just make sealed cheese toasties (or cheese and ham, my fave) but pockets of molten, scalding, surely it defies the laws of cheese physics goodness while keeping a perfectly golden outside. They make McDonalds apple pies look like glaciers. Many people enjoy them with tomato or brown sauce, I hate them both.
Does this help? Maybe you have toastie makers but they were quite the thing when I was growing up.