Goodness knows I didn't think I would ever come across a Cyber Toaster Museum, but I did so today.
About 6,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians developed breads as we know them today. They discovered that if they let their bread dough sit out in Egypt's nice, warm climate, it would puff up, and if they baked this dough in an enclosed oven it would retain its fluffiness. This seemingly magical process was not fully understood until the 17th Century when the microscope revealed the yeast cells that cause leavening.
The process of scorching bread to preserve it spread through many cultures. The word toast comes from the Latin Torrere, Tostum - to scorch or burn. The Romans, in their conquests, took their love of toasted bread with them and spread the custom farther, even up into Britain. Later, English colonists brought the tradition to the Americas.
Toasting bread does more than just preserve it, of course, it changes its nature; bread becomes sweeter, crunchier and the perfect surface on which to spread all sorts of things.
I haven't yet taken a full visit of the Cyber Toaster Museum but this has to be one of the more interesting toaster ever made.
The fabulous Toast-O-Lator
Manufactured from 1936 through 1952(?), this wonderful toaster brings the assembly line to the breakfast table. When you turn on the Toast-O-Lator a row of teeth begin rotating in a circular fashion. Bread is placed in the appropriate end and is walked through the unit while being toasted. You can watch the bread toasting through the circular viewing window in the side.
Click to read an extensive article on the Toast-O-Lator (external link).
So, let's talk TOAST!
How do you like yours? What kind of bread? Butter? Jam? Marmalade? Peanut butter? Honey? Dunk your toast in your tea or coffee?
And what is the best use of that age old classic, burnt toast?
