Toasters

Before electricity, people toasted bread over the hearth. They put a slice of bread in a metal rack. The rack had a handle. They had to hold the bread over the flame. When it was brown, they flipped it over. Bread often caught fire. Aren’t you glad you have a toaster?

The first toaster was invented in 1893 by Alan MacMasters. It didn’t look like today’s toasters. Basically, it was electrical coils on a stand. You leaned the bread against the coils. There was a little rail on each side. The rails kept the slices of bread from sliding off. You had to watch carefully. When the bread was brown, you turned it over. It was easy to burn your fingers.