Webster’s New World Dictionary, second college edition copyright 1984 defines toaster as any of various utensils or appliances for toasting bread. Originally, bread was toasted to keep it from growing mold.

Before the electric toaster was invented, bread was toasted by holding it over a fire. This was done with a stick or knife until a metal frame to hold bread was developed. Eventually the small electric toaster was designed for toasting bread.

The toaster was not developed until after inventing the metal wire that could hold up to being heated. The first toaster only toasted one side at a time. The bread had to be turned over by hand in order to toast the other side. Eventually an automatic turning toaster was invented.

The next type of toaster to be developed was a semi-automatic toaster. With this toaster, the heating element automatically turned off after the bread was done toasting. The bread needed to be lowered manually and raised up when done.

Because of limited access to electricity, back then restaurants were the only places with a toaster. Electricity was not available during the day while it was still light out.

Probably the first recognized commercial name with a toaster would have been General Electric and the next one seen was Toastmaster. By 1950, a toaster featured automatic lowering and raising with no levers to operate. Sunbeam had a toaster that when the bread was inserted it tripped a lever to switch on the heating element. This caused the bread to be lowered.

When the toast was sensed to be done, the heaters shut off. As it cooled, the toast slowly raised back up. However, there was not a choice for the browness of the toast. The automatic electric toaster was a luxury item.

A typical modern two slice toaster draws between 600 and 1200 watts and makes toast in 1-3 minutes. They have wider slots now and the ability to toast frozen bread, plus bagels, waffles, and other breakfast items.

Now the toaster comes in 3 varieties: pop-up, oven, and conveyor. Some toasters can even put a design on the toast. There is also a toaster bag product that enables you to be able to fix a few more items in a toaster. Some toasters are called a smart toaster because it has a microchip in it and is programmed to toast a variety of things.

The toaster is definitely a useful appliance. There are an abundance of designs to choose from. The two slice toaster seems to be more popular than the four slice toaster.