Guide Note

A toaster is an electric kitchen appliance used to toast bread. It usually has two to four slots to put bread into and a timed mechanism that ejects the toasted bread when it is done. Some toaster ovens have wider slots to accommodate for thicker breads such as bagel halves.

Fast Facts

1. From the Latin "torrere", meaning "to scorch"
2. 1919: First "Pop-Up" Toaster

Brock S. Hanson invented the first toaster that uses electricity. He used nichrome wire which conducts heat yet is durable enough to last many uses. The patent on this toaster was submitted around 1909.

The original toaster would only toast bread on one side and then had to be turned over by hand. In 1913 Lloyd Copeman and his wife Hazel applied for patents for an automatic bread turner for toasters.

The pop-up toaster was invented in 1919 by a man named Charles Strite. The Waters Genter Company improved on the idea and in 1925 introduced an automatic pop-up toaster that used a timer and toasts bread on both sides.

In 1939 a toaster was a luxury item going for $25 for higher quality toasters. This is the equivalent of $350 in 2006.