toasters - old and new
 

Real simple question I have never found an answer to...
Old toasters seem (generally) hotter than newer ones and make crisper,
chewier toast where as todays are so slow in toasting that by the time
it is browned it has dried all the moisture out of the bread and what
you and up with looks like it was cooked in the oven.
I mean, you don't get real maillard reaction with gentle heat.
I am assuming this is because of a safety/legal issue but don't have
any real evidence to back this up.
As far as I can tell it must have happened in the late 70s or early 80s
because I used to have a very almond 70s thing (rip) that made killer
toast.
I have had a few modern replacements and have been really dissapointed.
Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?

wrote:
> Real simple question I have never found an answer to...
> Old toasters seem (generally) hotter than newer ones and make
crisper,
> chewier toast where as todays are so slow in toasting that by the
time
> it is browned it has dried all the moisture out of the bread and what
> you and up with looks like it was cooked in the oven.
> I mean, you don't get real maillard reaction with gentle heat.
> I am assuming this is because of a safety/legal issue but don't have
> any real evidence to back this up.
> As far as I can tell it must have happened in the late 70s or early
80s
> because I used to have a very almond 70s thing (rip) that made killer
> toast.
> I have had a few modern replacements and have been really
dissapointed.
> Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?



I have found it has more to do with the bread. I have a T-fal
wide-slot toaster, and with the right bread, it's pure heaven. I
purchased it about 9 years ago and it is still going strong. One
thing I have noticed, though, is that many of the new toasters are
retro in design.

-L.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
..
> I have had a few modern replacements and have been really dissapointed.
> Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?
>

I guess I don't know enough about older toasters (or toast for that
matter!) to agree or disagree with your reasons for not liking modern
toasters, but I'm not wild about the last few toasters we've had. Go to
amazon.com and read the reviews of several of the toasters on that site.
Last year, I received two toasters for Christmas -- a Kitchenaid and a
Cuisinart -- and was shocked at all the lousy reviews I read about both of
them. We ended up keeping the Kitchenaid, and it's been so-so. For $80, we
oughtta love it, IMO. The type of bread definitely makes a difference,
though -- really *good* bread does make the best toast.

Folks on Amazon seemed to like the really expensive, retro toasters
($200+....Dualit, etc.). I just don't like toast enough to spend that much
on a toaster!

> wrote in message
oups.com...
..
> I have had a few modern replacements and have been really dissapointed.
> Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?
>

I guess I don't know enough about older toasters (or toast for that
matter!) to agree or disagree with your reasons for not liking modern
toasters, but I'm not wild about the last few toasters we've had. Go to
amazon.com and read the reviews of several of the toasters on that site.
Last year, I received two toasters for Christmas -- a Kitchenaid and a
Cuisinart -- and was shocked at all the lousy reviews I read about both of
them. We ended up keeping the Kitchenaid, and it's been so-so. For $80, we
oughtta love it, IMO. The type of bread definitely makes a difference,
though -- really *good* bread does make the best toast.

Folks on Amazon seemed to like the really expensive, retro toasters
($200+....Dualit, etc.). I just don't like toast enough to spend that much
on a toaster!

In rec.food.cooking, Chris Neidecker > wrote:

> We ended up keeping the Kitchenaid, and it's been so-so. For $80, we
> oughtta love it, IMO.

I bought a Sunbeam T-9, with the 1938 world's fair logo, for less than
$50 on eBay. I expect it to work pefectly for another 60 years or so.
And it looks cool - its the one that they based The Brave Little
Toaster cartoons on. Ask my grandkids about it someday.

I hate all the retro-looking crap that's on sale now. IME, the real
stuff is readily available, cheaper, and it works better.

--
In the councils of government, we must guard against the
acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought,
by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the
disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
-- Dwight David Eisenhower

In rec.food.cooking, Chris Neidecker > wrote:

> We ended up keeping the Kitchenaid, and it's been so-so. For $80, we
> oughtta love it, IMO.

I bought a Sunbeam T-9, with the 1938 world's fair logo, for less than
$50 on eBay. I expect it to work pefectly for another 60 years or so.
And it looks cool - its the one that they based The Brave Little
Toaster cartoons on. Ask my grandkids about it someday.

I hate all the retro-looking crap that's on sale now. IME, the real
stuff is readily available, cheaper, and it works better.

--
In the councils of government, we must guard against the
acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought,
by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the
disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
-- Dwight David Eisenhower

> wrote in message
...
> In rec.food.cooking, Chris Neidecker > wrote:
>
>> We ended up keeping the Kitchenaid, and it's been so-so. For $80, we
>> oughtta love it, IMO.
>
> I bought a Sunbeam T-9, with the 1938 world's fair logo, for less than
> $50 on eBay. I expect it to work pefectly for another 60 years or so.
> And it looks cool - its the one that they based The Brave Little
> Toaster cartoons on. Ask my grandkids about it someday.
>

I looked it up and showed my 7 year old son (a big Brave Little Toaster
fan). He was pretty impressed. Too bad it doesn't come in a four-slice
model. (I supposed we could get two of them...)

Chris

I wonder if it has to do with the newer "wide-slot" design.

This moves the browning elements further away from the bread.




On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:16:28 -0500, George >
wrote:

wrote:
>> Real simple question I have never found an answer to...
>> Old toasters seem (generally) hotter than newer ones and make crisper,
>> chewier toast where as todays are so slow in toasting that by the time
>> it is browned it has dried all the moisture out of the bread and what
>> you and up with looks like it was cooked in the oven.
>> I mean, you don't get real maillard reaction with gentle heat.
>> I am assuming this is because of a safety/legal issue but don't have
>> any real evidence to back this up.
>> As far as I can tell it must have happened in the late 70s or early 80s
>> because I used to have a very almond 70s thing (rip) that made killer
>> toast.
>> I have had a few modern replacements and have been really dissapointed.
>> Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?
>>
>We have a 55~60 year old Sunbeam that was passed down that works
>perfectly and produces the type of toast you describe. It almost was
>retired but we couldn't find a new toaster that could produce the
>quality of toast made by the Sunbeam. The Sunbeam has at least 30%
>higher wattage than any new toaster you can buy.

<rj>

I wonder if it has to do with the newer "wide-slot" design.

This moves the browning elements further away from the bread.




On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:16:28 -0500, George >
wrote:

wrote:
>> Real simple question I have never found an answer to...
>> Old toasters seem (generally) hotter than newer ones and make crisper,
>> chewier toast where as todays are so slow in toasting that by the time
>> it is browned it has dried all the moisture out of the bread and what
>> you and up with looks like it was cooked in the oven.
>> I mean, you don't get real maillard reaction with gentle heat.
>> I am assuming this is because of a safety/legal issue but don't have
>> any real evidence to back this up.
>> As far as I can tell it must have happened in the late 70s or early 80s
>> because I used to have a very almond 70s thing (rip) that made killer
>> toast.
>> I have had a few modern replacements and have been really dissapointed.
>> Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?
>>
>We have a 55~60 year old Sunbeam that was passed down that works
>perfectly and produces the type of toast you describe. It almost was
>retired but we couldn't find a new toaster that could produce the
>quality of toast made by the Sunbeam. The Sunbeam has at least 30%
>higher wattage than any new toaster you can buy.

<rj>

"<RJ>" > wrote in message
...
>
> I wonder if it has to do with the newer "wide-slot" design.
>
> This moves the browning elements further away from the bread.
>

While it is not far, it could be a factor, coupled with less wattage to
accommodate the plastic housings

"<RJ>" > wrote in message
...
>
> I wonder if it has to do with the newer "wide-slot" design.
>
> This moves the browning elements further away from the bread.
>

While it is not far, it could be a factor, coupled with less wattage to
accommodate the plastic housings