We’re Toast
I eat a lot of bread and I always toast it. White bread, rye bread, bagels, waffles, you name it, they all go in the toaster. Many years ago our daughter bought us a toaster that exactly matched the tile counters in our farm kitchen. I appreciated the decor but over the years I just accepted it as…...our toaster. One doesn’t need bells and whistles, electronic displays, or other options. You want to put in the bread, push a button, and receive your toast.
Last week problems began to appear. The toast was brown only on one side. Reversing the slice half way through balanced the color and the curve, but it took several cycles for an appropriate doneness. Boosting the heat control burned one side. Then the hard-to-extinguish flames from inside gave me pause: perhaps a new toaster is in order.
So we went to several brick-and-mortar stores and looked at the selection. All looked cheap and cheesey or ugly. On to the internet. Did you know there are thousands (well, maybe hundreds) of toasters available on line? They ranged from $16.99 to $645. User reviews ranged from “terrible, won’t last a month” to “best thing since sliced bread (heh)”. So we looked at our old toaster and discovered it was made in England. We found a close match at a reasonable price, listed in £. So I ordered, gave my address, and where it asked for country, my click gave me 2 options: England/Ireland. Foiled again!
Considering how esthetic our toaster was at the farm, I found a perfect toaster on line, which I will order. It perfectly matches the color of our new kitchen at the condo But it will take up to 6 weeks to arrive (from where?). The name makes me suspect Asia somewhere: Fortune Candy. Possibly I will have good fortune with this one. Meanwhile I will suffer with the one I have, with its marginal functionality. I keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen anyway. Why have it if I don’t use it? (I’m not serious)
What are your essential kitchen appliances? I know everyone has an Instant Pot, of course, but how about a blender, bread machine, pasta maker, food processor, deep fat fryer, mixer, juicer, etc.? Are the esthetics important in your kitchen, or only functionality?
Regarding the need for a toaster, well, I live in California, so one word: Avocado Toast!
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