Pedro

The electric toaster had only been around for forty years when I was nine years old. The General Electric company came up with the idea of bare wires wrapped around mica strips. But it only toasted one side at a time. Even though the pop up toaster had been invented 12 years earlier that is how my family (and most people we knew) toasted bread every morning. Oh, we were so modern. The slice of bread sat on a pull down door (much like an oven door) that one opened frequently to check to see if it was properly browning. When just right the slice would be turned over to toast the other side. And every family had an uncle who was a ‘toast expert’. You could count on him to constantly flip the bread back and forth. The mystique was that it toasted more evenly and “kept the nutrients in.” Never-the-less, in spite of all our expertise, burned was the usual result with the butter knife serving to scrape off the extra carbon. Now we have toaster with wide slots for bagels, pastries, and Pop Tarts. Some call this progress. Next year (2009) is the one hundredth birthday of the GE electric toaster. I am going to celebrate it with a long handled fork and toast over an open fire.



It looked very much like this one. Which did one slice at a time. Then they came up with the two hole-er and then the four hole-er. Which reminds me of something else from back in the day.

Son of Cathal

Go away

Belisarius

Well were I free, I wouldn't throw her out of bed, but you're right spam deleted.

kevinthecool

Speaking about Spam, this year is the 71st birthday of Spam.

Rosi

Can't imagine life without toasters... and electric kettles. I absolutely love the aroma of toasted bread. And the sight of butter melting on that toast...

avon

Given that we're talking about the toaster, at least the spam isn't a pop-up!!

Robin57

The only problem with all these fantastic gadgets, and I love them ,is when the electric goes down it like living in a junk yard. Have you ever tried toasted crumpets with butter, a touch of heaven!

Robin57

No more like a 'throw up' I hate spam !