Toaster Story

A toaster something that almost everyone uses at least once in his or her lifetime, but how often does one consider why a toaster is shaped a certain way, or why the control panel looks the way it does? Common household appliances like the toaster are frequently overlooked, but everything about this device has been carefully designed.

The appearance of a toaster suggests its function.  The most common use for a toaster is to put in two pieces of bread - an average serving size for one person - which will then be consumed.  Because most people eat about two pieces of toast at a meal, the toaster has two rectangular shaped slots that mimic the shape of bread slices, in which to place the bread, or perhaps two halves of a bagel.  The toaster's silhouette mirrors the rectangular shape of the slots, thus the contour of the toaster is inspired by a slice of bread.

Because toasters perform such a simple procedure, they are designed with facades that are visually appealing.  The smooth texture of toasters make them look sleek, new, and shiny because the smooth surface reflects light.  It also prevents crumbs from getting stuck to it, which could happen if the surface texture of the toaster was more rough or bumpy.

The design of the buttons on the toaster accentuates their function as well.  The buttons stick out from the toaster's side, and their three-dimensional quality makes these controls the focal points of the toaster.  Since these are the buttons that make the toaster operate, it makes sense that they would employ a staccato type of surface to attract the attention of the person using it.

One flaw with the toaster oven is that it is such a minimalistic design that it lacks a system for actually removing the bread from the slots when it is hot.  In my experience, it is very easy to burn your fingers trying to pry bread out of the holes.  If there were some kind of tongs attached to it, it would be safer for people to use.