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The History of Burnt Bread

            Have you ever wondered why we put bread in a piece of technology, burn it, and than eat it? Have you ever wondered how this idea came to be? The toaster is a commonly used piece of technology that has had it’s own outcome on the world. It is a prolonged historical idea that came to life, in which it could continue to influence future technologies to come.  

            The history of the toaster may be more interesting than it appears. What exactly is the history of burnt bread? In 500 BC, the Romans were inspired by the idea of ‘browning bread’ that the Egyptians used to keep their bread from growing mold. The idea then spread to the United Kingdom, when the Romans invaded in 44 AD (1). Since bread was a food that was easy to make and easily attainable, it was a common usage in people’s everyday lives. So, to maintain the quality of the made bread, they would ‘brown it’ in the fire. This ideology and method of maintaining the bread’s ingredients was used until the 19^thcentury, “…a hinged fork was used to hold the bread and prevent it from falling into the fire. With the appearance of wood and coal stoves in the 1880s, a new toasting method was needed. This led to a tin and wire pyramid-shaped device. The bread was placed inside and the device was heated on the stove” (1). The usage of simplistic technology was further upgraded to an easier way of burning bread in 1905. An engineer named Albert Marsh created an invention that contained shaped wires (or strips), electricity, wiring mesh, and a rack for the bread (1). This was the first electrical toaster. Yet even though this was a revolutionary way to the easiness of browning bread, not many people had access to electricity in their own homes. Following an increased demand as well as modernized technology achievements, the toaster boomed in technological advances. “Better models soon followed, some with sliding drawers, others with mechanical ways to turn the bread, but the real innovation was the automatic Pop-up toaster, conceived in 1919 by the mechanic Charles Strite. The incorporated timer shut off the heating element and released a pop-up spring when the slice of toast was done” (2). As time went on, the technological advances increased as well as our knowledge for strategic toast making. Therefore, by the 21^stcentury, we now have “smart toasters” using microchip technology not just for browning bread, but also for cooking other baked goods and frozen meals, some even at the same time (2). The beginning of the toaster’s history seems almost insignificant, yet we discover that through history it was extremely important in the simplification of life. 

            The toaster has had many technological advancement, in which there is possibility for more. The toaster could also inspire many new technologies. For an example, with the current technology from a toaster, there could be a machine that is a conformed microwave, toaster, and oven. This could simplify life complications, and it could decrease the cost spent on kitchen appliances. The toaster could also inspire technology more complex than itself. Using the idea of microchip technology in modern toasters, the same idea could be transferred into a technological ideology of a possible toaster that could read the owners mind. All you would have to do is think about how you want your bread or baked good cooked and the machine obeys. There could also be another attached setting in which you could think which topping you want on the product and inside the machine, it makes it for you so you don’t have to! With the many technological advances of the toaster, it is highly possible that we could reach many more levels of ingenious toaster technology. 

            A petite machine can make a tremendous difference. We see this throughout history and we can see it within the future. The toaster is a piece of technology that has impacted cultures in the past, but will also impact others in the future.  

MLA

1.  Advameg Inc. “How Toaster Is Made.” How Products Are Made, 2018, www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Toaster.html.

2.  Ramos, Ana Lopes. “The History of Toasters.” John Desmond Ltd., 20 May 2016, www.johndesmond.com/blog/products/the-history-of-toasters/.