A toaster is a kitchen appliance designed to roast thin slices of bread. Among a variety of household appliances, they are not popular, and this is absolutely undeserved. Russians rarely have the habit of preparing dried bread for breakfast, as if abroad, where cuisine is unthinkable without a toaster.
Why do I need a toaster at home?
If you like fried croutons, but there is a need to slightly change your diet, then the simplest thing is to choose a toaster, in whose favor you can bring the following arguments:
- Reduced cooking time. You don’t have to wait until a frying pan or oven is heated, heating starts immediately after the Start button is turned on;
- Lack of oil when frying. The toaster dries the bread and contributes to the appearance of a golden crust and an appetizing aroma;
- There is no need to wash the greasy pan, just pour the crumbs from the pan;
- The taste and pleasant crunch of the crust stimulate appetite and promote proper digestion.
The toaster is distinguished by relative autonomy from a person: just load the basket and turn on the mode, and then the cooking process goes automatically. And you do not have to stand at the stove, turning the croutons, you can do other things at the same time.
Important: only dry bread should be laid in the holes, various fillings are unacceptable, they will damage the device.
Mouth-watering toast for breakfast
What the modern toaster is intended for and how it works
The electric toaster was invented in 1893, for decades improved its design and functionality, increased reliability. Unlike its predecessors, the 21st century toaster has an attractive appearance and has an impressive range of functions, but the goal remains the same - making toasts. The following is a description of the device and operating modes.
Device principle
The toaster is a small appliance in the housing of which there are slots. The holes contain nichrome heating elements in the form of spirals. Toaster circuit provides for the presence of an electrical circuit and auxiliary parts for holding bread.
The scheme of the toaster in two positions: a) non-working (top); b) working (lower)
The figure shows the internal equipment in the context of:
- The lever for lowering the basket.
- Heating plates with nichrome wires.
- Circuit breaker. The button “Stop” is placed on the case.
- Lock to hold the basket in the lower position.
- Hot spiral toasting slices.
- Basket for bread.
- Locking strip.
- An electromagnet with which the basket is in working condition is held down.
- Contact closure plate.
After pressing the lever handle, the basket lowers, the electric circuit closes and the timer starts. The bread is warmed up by infrared radiation, and when the set time expires, the timer is activated and the power from the electromagnet is removed. The basket is released and, under the influence of the spring, rises to the upper position. The contacts open, the control circuit is disconnected.
Specifications
Manufacturers produce toasters with different capabilities, due to design features and purpose - for domestic or commercial use. You can select such criteria that will help you choose the right toaster for the home:
- The number of departments, depending on the required number of slices of bread. There is one long slot where two slices fit. There are models with two and four compartments, in each of which you can place one or two toasts. Thus, 2 to 4 plastics will be dried at the same time.
- Power usage. The cooking speed depends on a parameter such as the power of the toaster, and it is in the range from 600 to 1600 watts.
- The presence of a thermostat that allows you to choose the time and temperature of frying. Modern models are designed to operate in six temperature conditions.
- Manual shutdown button. It stops heating at the right time for you, regardless of the cycle selected.
Toaster with four bread compartments
Feature set
The main purpose of the toaster is to dry and fry the plastics of flour products with hot air, but modern models are able to perform various additional functions:
- heating without drying;
- defrosting;
- one-sided frying;
- print on bread;
- warming buns on a special grill;
- grill;
- making sandwiches;
- additional frying surface (you can cook scrambled eggs or cutlet at the same time with toast).
In addition to the main and secondary functions of a modern toaster, there are various interesting and useful little things that add points to the device in assessing its functionality: a drawer tray for crumbs, an electronic control unit, automatic centering, high lift of small pieces, a compartment in the case for compact cable storage.
Operating modes
Electric toasters function in various modes:
- mechanical - the simplest and cheapest, it does not have a timer, and the process of making bread is controlled manually;
- semi-automatic - with a thermostat; when a certain temperature is reached, it turns off;
- automatic - it has both a timer and a thermostat. This is the most convenient toaster device, but the cost of such a model is much higher.
How to use a toaster
To make toast, it’s important to choose the right bread: the slices should be the same thickness and size. Coarse-cut layers can touch the heaters and burn, and too thin layers will dry to the state of crackers. Better to buy bread slices.
First of all, you need to lower the slices into the slots, then set the cooking mode, by pressing the lever to move the basket down - and the process is started. Now it remains to wait for the automatic shutdown and rise of the fried toast to operate. It is also possible to use the manual control button to control the degree of frying and interrupt the work at your own discretion.
Important: the device must be loaded as much as possible so that the heating elements are not exposed to overheating in idle mode.
Ready-made bread should be carefully removed from the compartments without resorting to metal objects, as there is a danger of electric shock. It is advisable to unplug the power cord from the outlet before attempting to remove jammed pieces.
After cooling, you will need to remove the crumbs that have accumulated inside. If there is a pallet, then it is very easy to do this: just shake off the dry residue and, having wiped the sliding plate, put it back in place. When the device is not equipped with such a useful part, you will have to carefully turn it over and shake it until it is completely free of crumbs. In conclusion, you need to clean the heating wires with a small brush or brush to prevent the formation of soot.
Cleaning the heating plates
Precautionary measures
The appliance is fire hazardous, therefore, it must be placed in the kitchen in free space, away from the edge of the countertop, and make sure that there are no curtains nearby. Water must not be allowed to enter the running toaster, otherwise the hot elements will burst with sparks.
It is recommended to connect the equipment to the mains only during the preparation of toasts, and when finished, disconnect the power cord. It is not permissible to cover the case with a cloth in order to avoid overheating and fire. It is important to certainly study the instructions for use.
To prevent deposits from forming on the heating wires, the instructions provide for regular cleaning inside the case. It is possible to clean the location of the spirals only in a dry way, using a brush or brush. You can only wash the case from the outside with a damp cloth and cleaning agent.
Popular toaster models
Multifunctionality is not required from the toaster, its direct purpose is obvious - it is needed for drying bread, so it would be strange to buy an overly expensive appliance with many additional functions. We advise you to study the reviews and take into account that the most common models of toasters have an affordable price. The following is a description of highly sought-after items.
Polaris PET 0804A
Polaris PET 0804A
Price: 1500 rub.
An economical and easy to use instrument with mechanical control, attractive for its low cost and high-quality work. Thermally insulated metal case looks quite elegant. In this 800-watt toaster, two slices of bread can be dried at the same time, and the crumbs can be easily removed thanks to a sliding tray.
In this model of Polaris, there are six degrees of roasting, there is a shutdown button, heating and defrosting functions. Additional bonuses: a grill for heating buns and automatic centering, which prevents toasts from burning.
Bosh TAT 3A011 / 3A012 / 3A014 / 3A016
Bosh TAT 3A011
Price: 2000 rub.
Another toaster model in highest demand. Excellent quality and ease of management for little money. Mechanical control, power 980 W, thermostat with six modes, heating function and auto-centering of toasts. There is a cancel button, a tray for crumbs, a grill for buns, a compartment for a cord. The device is made in a plastic case of different colors, there are anti-slip legs, the device weighs only 1.5 kg.
Tefal 5396 Delfini
Tefal 5396 Delfini
Price: 1200 rub.
A nice-looking device with a mechanical control type, in a plastic thermally insulated case, has a power of 800 W and seven cooking modes. The manufacturer of the Tefal equipment company did not invest anything superfluous in this toaster, only the most necessary: two compartments for toasts, a cancel button, automatic centering, a crumb tray. Despite the low cost, the device is widely distributed in electronics and home appliance stores, as it is in high demand from year to year.
Alternative - electric sandwich maker
Unfortunately, in an ordinary toaster you cannot make hot sandwiches, but there is no limit for inventions! There is such a variety of electrical engineering as a sandwich maker - in appearance it looks like a waffle iron. The appliance contains frying plates under a non-stick coating. On a ribbed surface, it is supposed to place prepared sandwiches and close the lid, set the cooking mode and, at the end of the process, remove the fragrant baked bread with filling.
Sandwich Maker Toaster
To summarize the above, it is worth noting that the choice of a toaster must be approached responsibly. You should not be tempted by the low cost or discount on the stock - there is a risk of falling for a low-quality fake under a well-known company. If you manage to get a good and economical model that fully meets your wishes, then your life will become a little more comfortable.
