Toaster is 100 years old

The toaster is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year a century after it was first patented by technician Frank Shailor.

Toaster is 100 years old. The D-12 toaster was first patented by General Electric technician Frank Shailor a century ago. Photo: SWNS

Shailor who worked for General Electric created his toasting machine 20 years before the sliced bread was even invented.

The D-12 became an instant hit with million sold in the US before the design crossed the Atlantic to become common feature in virtually every British home.

Originally, the toaster was constructed of a wire fence with no covering and users had to place the bread inside and turn it by hand.

But by 1919 mechanic Charles Strite had incorporated springs and a timer to create the first pop-up toaster.

The first automatic electric toaster the 'Toastmaster' was created in 1926 by Waters Genter Co but the phenomenon really took off when Otto Frederick Rohwedder introduced the pre-sliced loaf in 1929.

And in 1930 The Continental Baking Company introduced sliced Wonder Bread which soon appeared in households everywhere.

Modern inventors looking at new and innovative ways of updating the toaster have recently brought to the market a device which enables the user to poach an egg at the same time.

In 1990 Simon Hackett and John Romkey created The Internet Toaster, a toaster which could be controlled online.

And in 2001 Robin Southgate from Brunel University created a toaster that could toast a graphic picture of a sunny or cloudy weather prediction onto a piece of bread.

A spokesman for the Kingsmill said: "Toasting is a relatively new phenomenon and it's interesting that in the 100 years we've been eating toast, the process hasn't changed that much.

"The 1926 Toastmaster looks pretty similar to the toasters we have in our kitchens today"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechn...-years-old.html

Looks very similar to the one I just had repaired.

My undying memory of Sunday mornings was the melodious ringing of Dad scraping the toast off as he always forgot it under the grill until the kitchen was full of smoke.

The pop-up toaster was certainly one of the inventions that made breakfasts easier.

I don't get the "Toasting is a relatively new phenomenon" bit though. I thought toasting forks had been around for hundreds of years.

haha... and there i was thinking you were refering to one of out TV members

Now I have this song stuck in my head!!

A classic.

Agadoo is being released again, hooray

Moss

I think some of them are starting to get microprocessors into them these days. Before long, they'll be talking to you:

Toaster: How would you like your bread done today?

- A little on the dark side, thanks - I'm having Vegemite on it today.

T: Yes, well, that's all very well for you!

- What do you mean?

T: All I ever get is a bit of slightly stale bread. I then have to cook it, spit it out to you and suffer with the crumbs in my tray that you never think to clean out. When do I get to taste the toppings? I'll tell you when; never! All I am to you is a tool - something to be switched on for a couple of minutes each morning and then forgotten. Never a thank you - oh no! That would be beneath your dignity! And then you play those annoying games tricking me!

- Tricking you?

T: Yes, tricking me with your darned raisin bread. Before I know it, it's my best efforts to stop it catching fire. And don't even start me on crumpets...

- I tell you what, you just watch your your bile, boyo. You're not irreplaceable, you know!

T: Oh, there you go again, threatening me with the toast and grill oven. You know perfectly well that it does everything except toast or grill! He hates me though. I call him a pie warmer, and he just about busts a fuse every time!

- Shut up.

In these PC times, can you still actually ask for Brown Toast in the UK, or has this been banned in case a minority find it offensive ?

I suppose the actual process as you start of with something predominately white and set fire to it, this would be acceptable to most radicals.........but the name ?

So that's why they changed the name from 'White Out' to 'Liquid Paper'...

It'd be a bugger buying a can of shoe polish:

'Which one would you like, sir?'

- 'One that would match the night.'

'Do I understand sir to be actually requesting black shoe polish?!' (A mortified look suddenly appearing on the shop assistant's face.)

- 'On second thoughts, what have you got in the way of suede shoes?'

I think some of them are starting to get microprocessors into them these days. Before long, they'll be talking to you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZslRQvv5zM

You got it all wrong! You toast bread until it is burnt and then scrape it back to whatever colour you like.

I like my toast well toasted. I used to wind up the other people at my digs in KL by turning the toaster to the slowest speed, conveyor belt type, chucking a couple of doorsteps through and then give them a second lap for good measure. Lucky we didn't have smoke detectors.

Pop up toasters are all very well but they have trouble doing cheese on toast, you can lie them on their side but it gets very messy.

Oh! And crumpets, still hot and dripping with real butter!

I think some of them are starting to get microprocessors into them these days. Before long, they'll be talking to you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZslRQvv5zM

What a wonderful blast from the past...

You got it all wrong! You toast bread until it is burnt and then scrape it back to whatever colour you like.

I like my toast well toasted. I used to wind up the other people at my digs in KL by turning the toaster to the slowest speed, conveyor belt type, chucking a couple of doorsteps through and then give them a second lap for good measure. Lucky we didn't have smoke detectors.

Pop up toasters are all very well but they have trouble doing cheese on toast, you can lie them on their side but it gets very messy.

Oh! And crumpets, still hot and dripping with real butter!

Nothing beats well blackened white bread toast.

Fab taste, and the charcaol is a good gut cleanser,

Black is best

"Happy One Hundredth, To the very 'umble toaster." - Funny how the mind sees what it wants to see, for i initiaIIy read this as "Happy One Hundredth, To the very 'umble poster." I thought you were paying tribute to another member. Now I wonder if i often misread things.

...I just wanted to say that partly inspired by the gross-out burgers running elsewhere, I have enjoyed a large number of fried egg sandwiched recently, although my wife suggested making them with toasted bread - I find naturally limp bread (part brown) with a runny yolk a combination that offers complete oral heaven.

Thank you for reading this notification.

You couldn't put fried egg sandwiches in the toaster though, could you?!?

You couldn't put fried egg sandwiches in the toaster though, could you?!?

Well you could, thence you also could find yourself down the town buying a new toaster.

Patsycat, an 'umble poster? Not on ThaiVisa surely?

Put the eggy sandwich in the toasty maker! um yum yum!

I have been thinking about this. If you use a toasted sandwich maker, find some way to seal the edges and drop on a raw egg, voila, a tosted egg sandwich with a runny yolk. Yummy!

Tiggs, I think you've just invented the jaffle iron (but it's been done before)!

The toasted sandwich maker is an evil but so so tempting machine of calorie consumption.

I used to work in a company that provided free food - purely to keep us all making money rather than going out of the building. After I bought a toasted sandwich maker for our office the number of cheese sandwiches that we ordered for the thing to cook rocketed as did out wasitlines, getting the right amount of burnt cheese for optimium taste was the skill.

I have been thinking about this. If you use a toasted sandwich maker, find some way to seal the edges and drop on a raw egg, voila, a tosted egg sandwich with a runny yolk. Yummy!

I've been thinking about this too . . . which is why I just had a toasted baked beans, marmite and cheese sandwich, will try the egg option next time.

JxP

Well done JxP, let us know how you get on...

The toasted sandwich maker is an evil but so so tempting machine of calorie consumption.

I used to work in a company that provided free food - purely to keep us all making money rather than going out of the building. After I bought a toasted sandwich maker for our office the number of cheese sandwiches that we ordered for the thing to cook rocketed as did out wasitlines, getting the right amount of burnt cheese for optimium taste was the skill.

I agree! Thats why I dont have one. If i did, would be far too tempting. Bought my bf's kids one though and they love it.

I find with the toasty maker, people go through phases of using them. It goes in the cupboard gathering dust until you think.."hmm..a toastie would be a nice idea..", then it comes out and gets used..and used again..and again..until finally the craving gives way to over-indulgence then boredom. ("I never want to see another toastie in my life!" ..until the next craving).

The calories have to be sky-high! Of course, depends on the contents. But still, you have to liberally butter both sides really for the ultimate toastie, so theres some calories right off. I think it doesnt help that most toasties are seen as a snack, rather than a calorific meal. Add to that the millions of filling variations (mostly calorific) and the craving factor, you can easily see how you can pile on pounds without thinking.

I think you are right eek, a sandwich toaster is not meant to be used in moderation. It's all or nothing, full on cheese'n'onion, cheese'n'bacon, cheese'n'bacon'n'onion, cheese (when you've run out of onion and bacon), strawberry jam (when you've run out of cheese), marmite (when you've run ot of jam) etc etc.

There are no half measures until you never want to see another toasted sandwich in your life.

Then three months later you are sitting in the kitchen thinking "I am peckish what's in the fridge? Well there's cheese, bacon, onion, bread.......................hmmmmmmm"

Well done JxP, let us know how you get on...

All in the name of research of course.

JxP

I think you are right eek, a sandwich toaster is not meant to be used in moderation. It's all or nothing, full on cheese'n'onion, cheese'n'bacon, cheese'n'bacon'n'onion, cheese (when you've run out of onion and bacon), strawberry jam (when you've run out of cheese), marmite (when you've run ot of jam) etc etc.

There are no half measures until you never want to see another toasted sandwich in your life.

Then three months later you are sitting in the kitchen thinking "I am peckish what's in the fridge? Well there's cheese, bacon, onion, bread.......................hmmmmmmm"

I note, with sadness, the omission of baked beans from your menu.

JxP

You know whats really sad. Their aint no baked bean tins in Argentina.

(I had to take some over, just so my neice and nephew could finally try the comfort food their dad was goin on about.)

You know whats really sad. Their aint no baked bean tins in Argentina.

(I had to take some over, just so my neice and nephew could finally try the comfort food their dad was goin on about.)

That's another country crossed off the list.

JxP

Well done JxP, let us know how you get on...

All in the name of research of course.

JxP

Of course...

I note, with sadness, the omission of baked beans from your menu.

JxP

Well I didn't want to make it too definitive a list also I have never had the delight of a toasted baked bean sarnie.

This serious omission in my life needs to be addressed urgently. Now where the hel_l did I put that toaster three months back?