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The First Toaster
The first bread toaster was invented by Alan MacMasters in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1893. Very Primative ineffective design. Toasting was invented to prolong the life of bread -
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Introduction
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First Commercial Toaster
The first commercially successful electric toaster was introduced by General Electric in 1909 for the GE model D-12, a variatiion of the original design. -
Automatic Toaster
In 1913, Lloyd Groff Copeman and his wife Hazel Berger Copeman applied for various toaster patents and in that same year the Copeman Electric Stove Company introduced the toaster with automatic bread turner. The company also produced the "toaster that turns toast." Before this, electric toasters cooked bread on one side and then it was flipped by hand to toast the other side. Copeman's toaster turned the bread around without having to touch it. -
Patent of Pop-up Toaster
The automatic pop-up toaster, which ejects the toast after toasting it, was first patented by Charles Strite in 1919 -
Toast Master (A1A) Is introduced
In 1925, using a redesigned version of Strite's toaster, the Waters Genter Company introduced the Model 1-A-1 Toastmaster (the common household toaster) -
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Growth
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Sales Tripple
From 1922 to 1930 sales tripled, from 400,000 units to 1,200,000 -
Toasters become afordable
Toasters become common and affordable. During the 1930s, toasters were luxuries; some cost up to $25 (the equivalent of $393 in 2010). Thirty years later, however, the toaster price had dropped, and most families were able to afford one. Toasters were also designed to be more compact during this time period to free up counter space. -
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Maturity
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Toasters are customizable
Toasters can be customized. Along with other appliances, toasters were available in painted or wood-grain finishes in addition to popular colors. While today you might choose a red toaster or a black toaster to complement your kitchen's decor, harvest gold and avocado were popular colors for the 2-slice toaster in the 1970s. -
Toasters have wider slots
Toasters have wider slots. In order to accommodate bagels and thicker slices of bread, the 2-slice toaster was manufactured with wider slots; heat-resistant plastic was also used to make toasters more economical. The cheaper construction methods made even a 4-slice toaster or 6-slice toaster more affordable for families. -
Sales reach over 4 million
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Toaster Price $15-20
In 2012 in the United States, a typical market price for a good toaster oven was US$70-80 -
Sales up 80%
Toaster/toaster oven sales up 80% while sale of microwaves declines -
Toasters are available in all colors/sizes
Toasters are available in all shapes, colors and sizes. Whether you want a simple white toaster for your apartment or a 4-slice toaster you can pull out for hectic mornings, the toaster price has dropped enough that you can buy one even on the tightest budget. You can be sleek with a black toaster or give your kitchen a vintage vibe with a retro toaster; a red toaster is a great way to add a pop of color, too.
