It all seems very obvious, making a bread toaster work is very simple right? But there’s more going on in there than meets the eye. That’s why today we’ll take you through exactly how a toaster works!
How is the bread toasted?
The bread is toasted by means of a heating element. This is activated as soon as you lower the bread into the toaster. It is powered by electricity. The operation of the heating element, i.e. how long it works and how hot it gets, is determined by the setting on the toaster you use.
System against burning
If the heating element is heated for too long then the toast turns black and begins to smoke. Toasters are basically designed in such a way that they stop by themselves to prevent that from happening. A toaster also has a ”pop-up” feature. That means it pops back up on its own after you lower it when the toast is done.
What happens when you press the lever?
There is a cup on the side that you use to lower the bread. When you press it, two things happen: The bread sinks down because a spring is compressed that holds the knob/lever in place.
And second: The heating element is activated and the toaster now allows electricity to flow through the heating element. When, according to the correct position, the bread is ready then the tension on the spring is released, the bread pops up and the electricity in the heating element decreases. Et voila, toasted bread!
FAQ
It’s very simple. You put your bread in the slot, set the toaster to the desired setting and then lower the bread. When the bread is toasted it rises automatically.
This depends on whether the toaster needs to defrost the bread first or not. If not, it usually takes 4 to 5 minutes. If the toaster has to defrost first then it often takes 8 to 10 minutes.
Very simple, not much more than plugging it in! Just make sure you set the toaster to the appropriate setting for toasting your sandwiches. Don’t know how to do this? Then read the instruction manual for your toaster.