Most households that serve toast for breakfast have toasters.
These convenient electrical appliances brown plain bread, making it crunchy and hard. It automatically pops the bread back up when ready, so you can take it out and enjoy it.
So, how does a toaster perform this sequence of actions? Let’s find out.
Parts of A Toaster
To understand how a toaster works, we should first know about its different parts and principle of operation. All toasters essentially have the following parts.
External Casing
This is the outermost part of the toaster made of plastic or metal.
Regardless of the material used for construction, the important thing is that the external casing is always made of heat-resistant materials.
Bread Rack
The bread rack of a toaster is inside the casing. It’s a grooved metal structure that holds the bread in place.
This part is always made of metal that conducts heat.
Handle
On the outer casing of a toaster, there is a lever-like extension that moves up and down. This is connected to the bread rack.
You can use this to lower the bread rack into the toaster after placing the bread.
Electric Circuit
The toaster has an electric circuit that changes electric current into heat or infrared radiation that causes the toasting action.
This circuit has a nichrome wire that is a good conductor of heat and is responsible for the heating action.
Spring
The toaster has a spring that moves the bread rack up and down. The spring lowers the bread into the heating zone when you depress the handle.
When the bread has been toasted as per your requirement, the spring will push it back up. This action is accompanied by a distinct popping sound.
Sensor
The sensor is another important component of a toaster. It determines when the toaster has reached the right temperature at which the bread would be perfectly browned.
At this stage, it will trigger the spring action that makes the toast pop up.
Timer
For toasters with a variety of settings, each one is linked to a timer that determines how long the bread needs to be toasted.
When the time goes off, the toasting process ends, and the tray is released so that the toast pops up.
Cord
Toasters are electric devices that you can connect to the regular power supply. They have a cord that you can plug into the power socket to activate it.
Steps to Operate a Toaster
Toasters are not complicated. They have just one function and hence don’t involve any complex settings.
Most toasters will either have just a handle or a knob and a handle for the settings. Some toasters allow you to set the browning level using a knob or lever.
Let’s now look at the different steps involved in the operation of a toaster.
1. Prepare the Toaster
Before operating the toaster, clean any bread crumbs that remain from the previous use. Place it on a clean and stable surface, like the kitchen counter or a table.
Keep it away from anything that is inflammable. Plug it into the power socket and switch it on.
2. Place the Bread in The Slots Provided
The bread tray should be in the elevated position when you switch on the toaster.
Insert the bread slice or ingredient for toasting into the slot. It should appear above the surface of the toaster at this stage. Few things to note here:
- Place only a single slice of bread, bagel, waffle, or any other ingredient in a slot.
- Even if a toaster has multiple slots, you can toast just one or two slices of bread at a time. Leave the other slots empty if you wish.
- The direction of placing the bread doesn’t affect the outcome. The entire surface will be evenly toasted.
3. Set the Browning Level
Some toasters have control knobs to set the toasting level. If present, turn the dial to the setting you want. The higher the setting, the darker the toast ends up becoming.
The setting could either be a number or a color. So the dial may display a number from 1 to 5. Alternatively, it may point to light, medium, or dark.
4. Lower the Handle
Once you set the browning level, press down the handle to lower the bread slices into the toaster.
By lowering the bread into the toaster, the slices are exposed to even heat from the heating element. The toasting process begins.
You will notice that the inside of the toaster has a bright red color from the heating filaments.
5. Wait for The Timer to Run Out
The toasting time will depend on the setting you choose. The bread will remain inside the toaster till the timer runs out.
After this time, the spring will be activated, and the bread will automatically pop out. However, you can manually lift the bread tray if you want to stop the toasting at any point in time.
If the bread seems to be burning, don’t wait for the toaster to pop automatically. Manually pop the toaster by lifting the handle. This will cause the bread to come up.
For the next batch, you can reduce the heating level to prevent the same thing from repeating.
If the toast gets stuck and doesn’t rise to the top when the handle pops, depress the handle again. Then, press the handle up quickly to shock the bread out of the slot.
6. Remove the Toasted Bread
Depending on the model, the toaster may make a “ding” sound to indicate the end of toasting. When you hear this sound, you can take the toast out of the toaster.
However, some models will not make a clear sound. They will just pop the bread out.
Always keep an eye on the toaster, even though it will automatically pop up when done. With continuous heating, some toasters tend to burn the bread.
So observing it will help you prevent it from burning.
You can remove the toast by hand or use a pair of tongs to take it out. However, take care to touch the tongs to the bread only. Avoid inserting it into the slots.
If the filaments on the inside touch a metal surface, it can cause an accident.
How to Remove Stuck Toast?
If the bread remains stuck, don’t pull it out with a metallic instrument.
Remove the plug from the power outlet and then use a wooden spatula or tongs to remove the bread.
Serve the Bread and Clean the Toaster
Serve the toasted bread with a spread or plain, as you prefer. The toasted bread will be stiff.
So you can easily spread jam, preserves, peanut butter, or anything you like on the surface by laying it flat.
Wait for the toaster to cool down to clean it. Most toasters have a removable crumb tray at the base. This tray will catch all the crumbs.
You can take it out of the slot and dump the crumbs to clean the toaster. If this tray is absent, turn the toaster upside down over a sink and let the crumbs fall out.
Either way, clean the toaster only after it has cooled completely.
