The toaster, its history and our favourite models

Geneviève Brunet | 9/6/24, 2:04 PM

Defrost functions, crumb tray, automatic rising system, Lift'n Toast and Fast Toast technologies... What about the toaster? The story of this faithful companion of our breakfasts tells, in a small way, the story of the evolution of our lifestyles.

Much of human activity can be summed up as the pursuit of new forms of comfort. Obtaining a perfectly toasted slice of bread every morning has long occupied people's minds. Today, the choice of equipment to achieve this is not insignificant. We may not realize it, but the utensil that faithfully accompanies each of our breakfasts has been around for less than a century. For a long time, man was content to hold the slightly stale slices of bread over the fire. As did the Romans with their " tostum " (meaning " toasted "), which was above all a technique for preserving bread.

Our mornings changed at the beginning of the 20th century with General Electric's " Lucifer " model, made of mica and a series of heating elements surrounded by metal grids. Sitting in the middle of the table, it's open, toasts one side of the slice at a time... roasted, burnt and fingers copiously bruised, just long enough to drink your tea.

In 1921, American Charles Strite, a factory worker in Minnesota who had had enough of blackened sandwich bread in the cafeteria, patented the bread ejection mechanism. The " Toastmaster ", the first ejector toaster, uses a timed spring mechanism to guarantee slice ejection and automatic shutdown of the element. The domestication of electricity in the 1930s, followed by the emergence of design and the industrial revolution, democratized the object, giving rise to the marvels of American household appliances in the 1960s. Little by little, the toaster became enclosed, covered with a body and aerodynamic. As fashions changed, they successively adopted angular or rounded aesthetics.

A new leap forward opened up a whole new world of possibilities for toast lovers: the invention of microchips. Browned on one side only, seared, gently toasted, kept warm, defrosted... The toast now touches perfection. Some top-of-the-range models can even be controlled remotely, from a smartphone, and can even print drawings or words on the bread. The toaster is " a mise en abyme of our way of life, for it bears witness to the way in which our daily lives have become mechanized over time, under the influence of the consumer society that enshrines the advent of the "toaster". of the consumer society, which enshrines the advent of banal things ", explain Gil Bartholeyns and Manuel Charpy in their book L'Étrange et Folle Aventure du grille-pain, de la machine à coudre et des gens qui s'en servent. Objects of our kitchens, do you have a soul?

How do you toast it?

Choosing a toaster is not something to be done lightly. You can opt for a vintage model or one by a designer; choose a sober color or draw from an explosive color chart; opt for the sturdy, paunchy family model, or keep a precious little jewel all to yourself... The necIsn't the nec plus ultra to stand in front of the window and watch your toast until it's the perfect shade?

1.generous. Automated 4-slice model for toasted snacks, from bagels to sandwiches. "Artisan", red or grey, KitchenAid, €429 2.Fifties. Retro, opulent, it handles all breads, including bagels, and comes in vintage tones. "TSFO3, Smeg, €220.29. 3.precious. With a name like that, it could only be seductive. "Romeo", design Andreas Seegatz, Casa Bugatti, 329 €. 4.Couture. A toaster draped in an elegant pleated skirt available in five colors (white, black, anthracite, green, red). "Plissé", Alessi, €99. 5.voyeur. Its panoramic window lets you keep an eye on bread baking. "Vision", Magimix, €220.

This article is taken from Gault&Millau #4. If you don't want to miss any future issues, subscribe now.

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