I Tested 15 Uncrustable Makers – There’s One Winner

There are a lot of Uncrustable maker contraptions – ahem, sandwich sealers – on the internet, and I didn’t know which one to buy.

Let me spare you the trial and error because I purchased 15 sandwich sealers and tested them all. Spoiler: many of them are terrible. Some are decent. One is king.

Best Uncrustable Maker (Sandwich Sealer)

When I originally published this review back in 2022, 3 out of the 9 sandwich sealers I tested rose to the top. I’ve since purchased 6 new ones, and the original three are out, and one new winner is in.

This is NOT sponsored. I bought all of these with my own money.

• Best sandwich sealer: HiYZ One Piece Sandwich Sealer

Best Overall: HiYZ One Piece Sandwich Cutter

The HiYZ sandwich cutter came out on top for so many reasons, making it my number one pick!

The cutter sealed the bread super well, creating a tight seal that kept everything inside. The cut was also very clean, with no leaks from the filling and no cracks along any of the edges.

I do like that this one only came with one piece, so you don’t have a bunch of extra pieces lying around in your kitchen drawers.

The design for this one is extremely user-friendly and intuitive. There’s no figuring out complicated instructions or trying to line things up just right. You just pop your sandwich in there, press down firmly, and you’re good to go!

Sandwich Sealers Not Worth Your Time or Money

Not all sandwich sealers are created equal. These are the 14 I wouldn’t waste my money on.

Vodolo 

The Vodolo wasn’t too bad! They’re a little on the big side and, again, left some crust behind. But they sealed really well and have a nice finished edge.

I just found the HiYZ one to be a bit better.

HINZER 8-piece

HINZER has a sandwich sealer pack with four shapes: circle, square, dinosaur, and heart.

The circle and square are not exactly unique, and the dinosaur is actually a really bizarre and difficult shape to get right (the neck is particularly challenging!). However, the heart shape was pretty good.

My daughter got so excited about her heart-shaped PB&Js!

The issue is that it grabs onto some of the crust, and it’s not super sharp. We kept the heart shape, but to be honest, we haven’t used it in years.

The winning sandwich sealer, although it’s not a fun shape, is just so much better.

Gelbira Stainless Steel

The best stainless steel sandwich sealer was the Gelbira Stainless Steel Sandwich Sealer. But after many months of use, I’m disappointed to share that the stainless steel winner is not holding up!

The stainless steel is now a bit rough (likely from being washed in the dishwasher), and the bread often gets stuck in it when pressing down. I don’t recommend this one.

The other stainless steel sandwich sealer I tested fell apart, and the metal was very thin. It was so thin that you could actually bend it! This sealer is solid but did not stand the test of time.

HiYZ 5-Piece

The plastic option from HiYZ is a great sandwich sealer, especially for the dirt-cheap price tag. However, it comes with a lot of pieces, and how it works isn’t exactly intuitive.

That said, the sloped shape of the sealer really helped form the sandwich and avoided cracks in the bread. It was one of the cleanest seals out of any contraption we tried.

If you really want two sandwich sealer sizes, I suppose it’s a perk, but for me, it was just a waste of plastic and space.

Tribe Glare

Tribe Glare is a plastic option that comes with 5 pieces. It’s very similar to the plastic winner from HiYZ, except it doesn’t have that domed shape on the sealer.

I found that the domed design on the HiYZ outperformed this non-domed version. The HiYZ version also had a cleaner cut. You can see how the edge of the Tribe Glare cut is a little ragged.

BWiched

This 3 pack of sandwich cutters was just pretty average.

The seal on this one wasn’t great, and the cut was not very clean. Overall, nothing very impressive about one!

WeeSprout

I had high hopes for this sandwich cutter, as it is a popular brand among baby products.

Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The cutter didn’t press all the way through the bread, and it only made indents on one side, which means you don’t get that secure seal you need for a true Uncrustable.

This came in a 3-piece set with 2 other pieces, so I was hoping to love this cutter, but unfortunately, I was left disappointed.

Cuisinart

Another one that I had high hopes for, since it’s a well-known brand.

As you can see in the photo above, these were a complete fail. It didn’t cut cleanly through the bread, and I had to press down with way too much force just to get it to go through.

It only really did the indents on one side of the sandwich, so the filling could easily leak out.

For a brand name like Cuisinart, I expected better quality and design.

BigLeef 2-Pack

The brand BigLeef has a two-pack with a square and circle shape. However, it doesn’t have those signature crimped edges that we all know and love.

It also doesn’t cut very well, so you’re left with ragged edges.

Geesta Stainless Steel

The other stainless steel sandwich sealer we tried was pretty bad. The metal is super thin and it kind of squeals when you press down the red topper to seal and cut the sandwich.

We also didn’t get a clean cut with this one. When you compare this one versus the winner, you can see a clear difference.

N+A/Pro Kitchen Square

You know it’s a bad sign when the Amazon listing says the brand is “N+A” and the packaging says “Pro Kitchen.” The packaging also says it’s a “Pocket Maker,” so we’re all confused.

The performance on this one was just as good as the branding. It couldn’t cut the sandwich and left me with torn edges.

Savoychef

The Savoychef Bwitched version wasn’t awful, but it’s just a little too big. 

Some of the crust stayed on the sandwich, even after sealing and cutting it. If it was a smidge smaller, I’d have no issues with this one.

Lepcy

Another sandwich cutter that was just too big for your average piece of sandwich bread was the Lepcy.

It was also extremely difficult to cut through the bread. I had to really use some muscles to press down and cut all the way through.

While it did seal the bread nicely, it left some of the crust on due to the larger size. If your kids are picky about crust, this one might drive you crazy.

HappySales Pastry Crimper and Sealer

And the award for the absolute worst sandwich sealer goes to HappySales. This was a train wreck. In the product’s defense, they market it as a pastry crimper and sealer.

However, Uncrustables are mentioned in the listing, so I purchased it to test. I can confirm this is NOT meant for sandwiches. The bread will just get stuck in it and you’ll want to rip your hair out.

What’s an Uncrustable?!

I assumed everyone knew what an Uncrustable is, but several friends were completely foreign to these crimped, crustless sandwiches.

Typically made for toddlers and children, Uncrustables® are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made by Smuckers. They are circular, have no crust, and have sealed, crimped edges. Kids love them.

And to be honest, parents love them, too.

They’re also very expensive for PB&Js, and the ingredients are not exactly top-notch. That’s why lots of parents have fled to the internet to find their own sandwich sealer.

Quick note: you don’t need a sandwich sealer to make your own version of Uncrustables at home. We have a friend who grew up in Jamaica, and he said his grandmother would use a cup to cut the bread and a fork to seal around the edges. It’s nothing new, and it’s not like Smuckers was the first to come up with this concept.

Is it cheaper to make your own Uncrustables?

Yes, it’s way cheaper to make your own Uncrustables! I’ll break everything down, but Smucker’s version is $1.05 per sandwich. Making a compatible version at home is 33 cents per sandwich. Making a high-quality version with organic ingredients and whole wheat bread is 81 cents per sandwich.

As I said, Smucker’s Uncrustables cost about $1.05 per sandwich, and the ingredients are very basic. It’s white bread, peanut butter with sugar added, and grape jelly (first ingredient is sugar). If you wanted an organic version, as an example, you can’t even buy that, which is another reason to make it yourself.

But let’s say we’re making a comparable version using cheap ingredients. You need two slices of bread, one tablespoon of peanut butter, and one tablespoon of jelly. It’s not a lot of filling, but if you add more, it’ll overstuff the sandwich and get everywhere.

• Wonder Bread: $3.16 per loaf or 23 cents for two slices
• Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter: $3.64 per jar or 5 cents for a tablespoon
• Great Value Grape Jelly: $2 per jar or just under 5 cents for a tablespoon

	Smucker’s Uncrustables	Homemade Uncrustables (Cheap Ingredients)
Price per sandwich	$1.05	$0.33

If we make a high-quality version using organic ingredients and WAY less sugar, the prices are comparable. So, you can spend less than a third of the price to make the same thing or spend 77 cents on the dollar for a much healthier version.

	Smucker’s Uncrustables	Homemade Organic Uncrustables
Price per sandwich	$1.05	$0.81

• 365 by Whole Foods Organic Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread: $4.69 per loaf, or 52 cents for two slices
• 365 by Whole Foods Market Unsweetened Organic Peanut Butter: $5.99 per jar, or 12 cents for a tablespoon
• 365 by Whole Foods Organic Grape Jelly: $4.29 per jar, or 17 cents for a tablespoon

We haven’t even covered making your own sandwich bread, which will reduce your costs even more.

Don’t Toss the Crust!

Food waste makes my blood boil, so there’s no chance I’m just throwing away the bread that gets cut off with the sandwich sealer.

Here are some of the ways you can use the discarded crusts:

• Homemade breadcrumbs: Toss bread crusts in a food processor. Spread breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 10 minutes. Stir it up and make sure all the bread is completely dry. If not, let it bake a few minutes longer.
• Homemade croutons: Tear bread pieces into croutons. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through.
• Crockpot French Toast Casserole
• Overnight Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
• Stuffing
• Breakfast quiches
• Bread pudding

Basically, any recipe that calls for bread cubes is perfect for this. I usually opt for breadcrumbs, because I know we’ll use them in recipes like meatloaf and meatballs. Also, homemade breadcrumbs are way better than the store-bought stuff!

If you live on a farm or homestead, you can also just feed the crusts to your animals.

Conclusion

There you have it – the Uncrustables sandwich maker throwdown you didn’t know you needed.

Let me know in the comments if you make Uncrustables at home!