Toasting in the Digital Age

Toasters are probably the most riffed-upon kitchen appliance. (Coming in a close second would be the indoor grill.) The fact that they are comparatively easy to manufacture probably has something to do with it, but iteration after iteration of the device can also be attributed to their iconic status. Toasters may have come a long way since the early days, but the basic size and shape is still in production models today. Even when they go digital.

The Digital Toaster (two-slice) by T-Fal trades in the shiny chrome of its predecessors for a sleek black finish. The darker background allows for smooth lines and a clean transition to the decidedly modern feature of this toaster: an integrated LCD display panel. Counting down the remaining time during toasting, the panel is functional as well as being a design highlight.

Though toaster design is constantly in flux, features that are deemed worthy become standard. This toaster Darwinism has given rise to many useful functions that you now expect to see in any modern toaster, such as the bagel function, a defrost setting, and a variable browning control, to name a few. The most outstanding feature is, of course, the digital countdown timer that fits right in with a modern kitchen--especially since it can show that uppity microwave oven, with its fancy timer, who the original king of the kitchen is.

Also available as a four-slice model.