I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On Mon, 16 Feb 2015 17:07:59 +0000
Chris J Dixon wrote:

and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I reckon there is a market for something like a thin version of the
chip shop frying basket, so that these items can be hung in place and
then retrieved. At the moment, I use the 'eject and spear while in
flight' method.
I will watch this thread with interest.

--
Davey.

Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

FWIW We've had one of these which has performed satisfactorily for
nearly 20 years:

http://amazon.co.uk/Tefal-Avanti-Cla...dp/B0042AM3EU/

And they seem to be still making them, which must be a good sign.

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

Mike Barnes wrote:
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

FWIW We've had one of these which has performed satisfactorily for nearly 20 years:

http://amazon.co.uk/Tefal-Avanti-Cla...dp/B0042AM3EU/

And they seem to be still making them, which must be a good sign.


We had one of those. The slots are way too small and restrictive IMO. Nine
out of ten slices of what *I* wanted to put in wouldn't fit. Fine if you
don't mind your slice size being somewhat limited.

Tim

On Monday, 16 February 2015 17:44:08 UTC, Davey wrote:
I reckon there is a market for something like a thin version of the
chip shop frying basket, so that these items can be hung in place and
then retrieved.

There is, but don't bother writing in to Dragons' Den as it's already been done.

http://www.dualit.com/products/original-sandwich-cage

Owain

In message , Mike Barnes
writes
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

FWIW We've had one of these which has performed satisfactorily for
nearly 20 years:

http://amazon.co.uk/Tefal-Avanti-Cla...dp/B0042AM3EU/

And they seem to be still making them, which must be a good sign.


Both my mum and inlaws happen to have the 4 slot version. Both developed
the small fault - though I can't remember what ! - but it hasn't stopped
them using them whatever it is. Seem fine otherwise.

Still loving our dualit though.
--
Chris French

In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

...

What should I look at?

Dualit.

The traditional one, not the newer ones:

http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

But the last time that I recall this question cropping up here, there
was the usual: "I can buy 5 cheapies from Argos for the price of a Dualit"
type of response, so make of that what you will.

My Dualit is relatively new. Only about 5 years old.

Gordon

On 16/02/2015 17:07, Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

Chris

We've just been through this process - had a Swan 2 long slot toaster
which broke after very long service. We started looking for one with
stainless steel finish to match other stuff in the kitchen. Gave up in
the end - I think we found one long slot (Graef) listed at John Lewis at
£79.95 but it was only one slot. Apparently we were looking for a
toaster which handles "artisan bread" - you know, the unsliced stuff you
can get in any supermarket. We eventually bought a Kenwood TTP210
4-Slice 2 long slot toaster for £35.95 from John Lewis - seems to do the
job, my wife reckons it doesn't toast very evenly but I've not really
found a problem with it. It has a lever you can flick smaller items up with.

Dualit used to do a 2 long slot toaster but when we looked it had been
discontinued.

Since buying our toaster we have noticed several white 2 long slot
toasters in discount shops for around £10-£15 - no idea if they are any
good though!

I don't understand why anyone would buy a toaster which can only handle
square bread.

Biggles
Remove packaging. to e-mail me

On Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:12:55 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

On Monday, 16 February 2015 17:44:08 UTC, Davey wrote:
I reckon there is a market for something like a thin version of the
chip shop frying basket, so that these items can be hung in place
and then retrieved.

There is, but don't bother writing in to Dragons' Den as it's already
been done.

http://www.dualit.com/products/original-sandwich-cage

Owain


Darn! Beaten to it. Oh well.

--
Davey.

On 16/02/2015 18:49, Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

...

What should I look at?

Dualit.

The traditional one, not the newer ones:

http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

But the last time that I recall this question cropping up here, there
was the usual: "I can buy 5 cheapies from Argos for the price of a Dualit"
type of response, so make of that what you will.

My Dualit is relatively new. Only about 5 years old.


I inherited a Dualit about a year ago that looks the same as that linked
- it was already 10 yrs+. I've grown to like it.


--
Cheers, Rob

Biggles wrote:
I don't understand why anyone would buy a toaster which can only handle
square bread.

There's no such thing as a toaster that can only handle square bread.

If a slice is too long for your slot, just cut it in half. That works
for me, and the bread comes in all shapes and sizes *except* square.
That's because, in the best traditions of this group, I make it myself.

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

I fault I had frequently with my old Tefal Avanti was a few crumbs getting
onto the face of the electro magnet and redering the hold-down mechanism
useless until stripped and cleaned.

On 16/02/2015 18:49, Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

...

What should I look at?

Dualit.

The traditional one, not the newer ones:

http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

But the last time that I recall this question cropping up here, there
was the usual: "I can buy 5 cheapies from Argos for the price of a Dualit"
type of response, so make of that what you will.

My Dualit is relatively new. Only about 5 years old.

Gordon


A truly awful thing for the following reasons:

It is twice as big as it needs to be
The build is so heavy that you need to pre warm it by running it empty
in order to get elements evenly hot
You can't save the setting, you have to remember where to set the timer
dial
The timer is !NOISY! Click clicl cliclk click.
When the noise has annoyed you you will be outraged to find that the
noise doesn't stop when the elements do - the timer runs on a bit so it
doesn't even tell you when your toast is done.
The 1 or 2 slice switch turns off only 2 of 3 elements. You will
sometimes get bread toasted one side only if you can't remember which
slot is which.
The elements fail frequently. Because they were designed in the 19th
century the element is wrapped around a sheet of mineral mica so
replacement elements cost more than a normal toaster.
It's only good for Sunblest type bread. It won't toast buns, bagels,
baguettes, Batch or bloomer which is too thick/small/thin/wide unless
carefully cut to the dims of a slice of Sunblest.

Really. don't bother. If you are even slightly irritable in the mornings
you will learn to hate it, and hatred at the breakfast table is not
good. It can affect you marriage, your work life, your health,
everything. Walk away before you waste £150.

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)

On 17/02/2015 10:52, Tim w wrote:

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)



We have a Dualit. It has some advantages:

It is very robust - we are a large family and were going through 1
conventional toaster a year. The Dualit has lasted 10 years.

You can pop the toast up mid-toast to see how it's getting on.

The timer is large and easy to set pretty exactly. By now, I know what
settings to use, depending on whether the bread is frozen/fresh/slightly
stale and the toaster is warm or cold. The noise is not an issue.

On 16/02/2015 17:07, Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

Chris

Even if you've had a half century of toast making like me you might be
suprised to find that that chirpy dick from Essex is getting even richer
than he was by telling us all how to make toast the Italian way.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...mie-oliver-way
Tim W

If its not yet mass market and produced by every badge engineered company
out there, its probably got a problem you only find out about when you use
it.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Davey" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:12:55 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

On Monday, 16 February 2015 17:44:08 UTC, Davey wrote:
I reckon there is a market for something like a thin version of the
chip shop frying basket, so that these items can be hung in place
and then retrieved.

There is, but don't bother writing in to Dragons' Den as it's already
been done.

http://www.dualit.com/products/original-sandwich-cage

Owain


Darn! Beaten to it. Oh well.

--
Davey.

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 11:19:26 AM UTC, Brian Gaff wrote:
If its not yet mass market and produced by every badge engineered company
out there, its probably got a problem you only find out about when you use
it.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Davey" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:12:55 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

On Monday, 16 February 2015 17:44:08 UTC, Davey wrote:
I reckon there is a market for something like a thin version of the
chip shop frying basket, so that these items can be hung in place
and then retrieved.

There is, but don't bother writing in to Dragons' Den as it's already
been done.

http://www.dualit.com/products/original-sandwich-cage

Owain


Darn! Beaten to it. Oh well.

--
Davey.

We're a +1 for Tefal. Been functioning 10+ years, 2 slot, wide slots, muffin carrier on top. The only down side is that it doesn't have a spring system to throw the toast out when done!

Rob

In message , Tim w
writes
On 16/02/2015 18:49, Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

...

What should I look at?

Dualit.

The traditional one, not the newer ones:

http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

But the last time that I recall this question cropping up here, there
was the usual: "I can buy 5 cheapies from Argos for the price of a Dualit"
type of response, so make of that what you will.

My Dualit is relatively new. Only about 5 years old.

Gordon


A truly awful thing for the following reasons:

It is twice as big as it needs to be
The build is so heavy that you need to pre warm it by running it
empty in order to get elements evenly hot
You can't save the setting, you have to remember where to set
the timer dial
The timer is !NOISY! Click clicl cliclk click.
When the noise has annoyed you you will be outraged to find that
the noise doesn't stop when the elements do - the timer runs on a bit
so it doesn't even tell you when your toast is done.
The 1 or 2 slice switch turns off only 2 of 3 elements. You will
sometimes get bread toasted one side only if you can't remember which
slot is which.
The elements fail frequently. Because they were designed in the
19th century the element is wrapped around a sheet of mineral mica so
replacement elements cost more than a normal toaster.
It's only good for Sunblest type bread. It won't toast buns,
bagels, baguettes, Batch or bloomer which is too thick/small/thin/wide
unless carefully cut to the dims of a slice of Sunblest.

Really. don't bother. If you are even slightly irritable in the
mornings you will learn to hate it, and hatred at the breakfast table
is not good. It can affect you marriage, your work life, your health,
everything. Walk away before you waste £150.

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)


I love our wedding present Dualit - now in it's 18th year. :-) (not sure
I could ever bring myself to buy one for myself though)

I've never preheated it, never had to replace an element, the noise is
useful - and it clicks as it turns off, just before the timer stops.

I fidn that I can easily set the timer to about the right amount
depending on the bread. And what I do like is that you can lift the
bread to see how it is doing with out cancelling the toasting.

True it's not great for things like teacakes etc as they are prone to
getting stuck, though crumpets are normally fine.- though I've always
preferred the grill for such things anyway. I toast all sorts of bread,
hand sliced or pre sliced in it though.

And it's great for having how far can we fire toast across the kitchen
competitions

--
Chris French

Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

Chris

Have a think about a small toaster oven. Prices start from as low as £20.99
on Amazon. Our niece has one in the US and finds it much more versatile
than a toaster.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008DCOTE...1C142R825PGVXT

Tim

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:57:36 +0000, GB wrote:

On 17/02/2015 10:52, Tim w wrote:

Tim W (Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)



We have a Dualit. It has some advantages:

It is very robust - we are a large family and were going through 1
conventional toaster a year. The Dualit has lasted 10 years.

You can pop the toast up mid-toast to see how it's getting on.

The timer is large and easy to set pretty exactly. By now, I know what
settings to use, depending on whether the bread is frozen/fresh/slightly
stale and the toaster is warm or cold. The noise is not an issue.

I'd agree with all that. I toast bagels in it with no problem. One learns
the timer settings so it not 'remembereing' is fine (and probably agood
thing as there can be several different things being toasted one after
the other).

Had ours about ten years. Replaced one element; that was probably
maltreatment by a teenager.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 16/02/2015 17:07, Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

It is a good few years old, and whilst I was able to make my way
inside and diagnose the failure (a bit of springy wire had
fatigued) the plastic it clipped onto was too fragile for me to
fashion and install a replacement.

For such an inexpensive item (unless you really want it to be) I
am loath to spend hours searching through on-line reviews. My
usual first look at Which? seems to produce Best Buys which have
nevertheless attracted a significant number of negative comments.

Similarly, Amazon seems to produce a wide spread of experience,
such that it is sometimes hard to believe they have used the same
hardware.

I suppose my requirements are 2-slot, able to take large or thick
slices, brown evenly and have high enough lift to remove teacakes
and similar small items without having to use tongs.

I have no particular need to toast one side of a bagel, warm my
buns, or be able to count down to l(a)unch.

What should I look at?

Chris

I looked at a Kenwood TTM310 s shown on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-TTM3.../dp/B000TZX2YW

Having seen them at their original ridiculously high price (can't
remember the number but it was more than I was willing to pay), I
actually bought one, at a very low end of line discounted price, from
Robert Dyas online. Seem to no longer be available at all.

Being so pleased, and utterly convinced that when it went wrong I
wouldn't be able to find a suitable alternative, I bought a second one
which is waiting in the loft right now...

Handles everything I throw at it from fully frozen croissants to
doorstep slices. Not good, however, if rate of toasting is an issue.
Being single slot it is relatively slow, but perfectly adequate for me
(partner doesn't eat bread at all). For those who care, it does not pop
up but does have a manual lifter.

--
Rod

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 10:52:51 AM UTC, Tim w wrote:
On 16/02/2015 18:49, Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I've just pronounced my Russell Hobbs Classic toaster beyond
repair.

...

What should I look at?

Dualit.

The traditional one, not the newer ones:

http://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

But the last time that I recall this question cropping up here, there
was the usual: "I can buy 5 cheapies from Argos for the price of a Dualit"
type of response, so make of that what you will.

My Dualit is relatively new. Only about 5 years old.

Gordon


A truly awful thing for the following reasons:

It is twice as big as it needs to be
The build is so heavy that you need to pre warm it by running it empty
in order to get elements evenly hot
You can't save the setting, you have to remember where to set the timer
dial
The timer is !NOISY! Click clicl cliclk click.
When the noise has annoyed you you will be outraged to find that the
noise doesn't stop when the elements do - the timer runs on a bit so it
doesn't even tell you when your toast is done.
The 1 or 2 slice switch turns off only 2 of 3 elements. You will
sometimes get bread toasted one side only if you can't remember which
slot is which.
The elements fail frequently. Because they were designed in the 19th
century the element is wrapped around a sheet of mineral mica so
replacement elements cost more than a normal toaster.
It's only good for Sunblest type bread. It won't toast buns, bagels,
baguettes, Batch or bloomer which is too thick/small/thin/wide unless
carefully cut to the dims of a slice of Sunblest.

Really. don't bother. If you are even slightly irritable in the mornings
you will learn to hate it, and hatred at the breakfast table is not
good. It can affect you marriage, your work life, your health,
everything. Walk away before you waste £150.

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)

Well, I loved the old 1950s Dualit. Noisy yes, so what, clockwork timers are. Yes the settings shift as it heats up if you make lots of toast. I never found that a problem. Having used various modern ones since, I'd take the old Dualit any day. Its as robust as a rock and does the job, day after day, decade after decade, and with a little maintenance it should do century after century. Gimmicks? none. Bit pricey now unfortunately.

Elements, upto a point you can just bolt broken ends together. But really they tend to break only if abused, just don't, how hard is it.


NT

"Tim w" wrote in message ...

A truly awful thing for the following reasons:

It is twice as big as it needs to be
The build is so heavy that you need to pre warm it by running it empty in order to get
elements evenly hot
You can't save the setting, you have to remember where to set the timer dial
The timer is !NOISY! Click clicl cliclk click.
When the noise has annoyed you you will be outraged to find that the noise doesn't stop
when the elements do - the timer runs on a bit so it doesn't even tell you when your
toast is done.
The 1 or 2 slice switch turns off only 2 of 3 elements. You will sometimes get bread
toasted one side only if you can't remember which slot is which.
The elements fail frequently. Because they were designed in the 19th century the
element is wrapped around a sheet of mineral mica so replacement elements cost more
than a normal toaster.
It's only good for Sunblest type bread. It won't toast buns, bagels, baguettes, Batch
or bloomer which is too thick/small/thin/wide unless carefully cut to the dims of a
slice of Sunblest.

Really. don't bother. If you are even slightly irritable in the mornings you will learn
to hate it, and hatred at the breakfast table is not good. It can affect you marriage,
your work life, your health, everything. Walk away before you waste £150.

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)



Without being an expert the above comments confirm everything I've
always thought about Dualits. Basically if you're running a canteen
or a transport cafe where you need a toaster which will be in
continuous use for 4 or 5 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week, often
being used often by untrained staff, and which is robust
enough to survive in a hostile environment, and where the amount
of noise it makes won't be an issue, then maybe the
cost of a Dualit is money well spent.
Otherwise if you're only going to be using the thing for 5
minutes a day and may become irritated by the its more
"industrial" aspects, then the fact it may last for 20 years
maybe isn't its biggest selling point.
Because they're spending so much money on a toaster, customers
may be led to believe that they're buying a Ferrari of toasters.
When in fact they're buying a Mark 1 Land Rover.


michael adams

....

I like the Land Rover analagy!

I find myself wondering how many actual manufacturers of toasters are out
there in China - and how many makers of elements.

The badge tends to infer many things - including the desire to spend more
money and infer status on an item.

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 08:28:07 +0000, michael adams wrote:

Without being an expert the above comments confirm everything I've
always thought about Dualits. Basically if you're running a canteen or a
transport cafe where you need a toaster which will be in continuous use
for 4 or 5 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week, often being used often by
untrained staff, and which is robust enough to survive in a hostile
environment, and where the amount of noise it makes won't be an issue,
then maybe the cost of a Dualit is money well spent.
Otherwise if you're only going to be using the thing for 5 minutes a day
and may become irritated by the its more "industrial" aspects, then the
fact it may last for 20 years maybe isn't its biggest selling point.

True, but there are times when we seem to have loads of peope here and
want a lot of toast in a hurry. We also have heavy handed teenagers. But
one thing that attracted me originally was something said here a long
while ago...about pop-up toasters jamming and catching fire. Not in the
nature of a Dualit.

Because they're spending so much money on a toaster, customers may be
led to believe that they're buying a Ferrari of toasters.
When in fact they're buying a Mark 1 Land Rover.

I expected a Land Rover! But then I used to own a Mark I Land Rover.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

In article ,
michael adams wrote:

"Tim w" wrote in message ...

A truly awful thing for the following reasons:

It is twice as big as it needs to be
The build is so heavy that you need to pre warm it by running it empty in order to get
elements evenly hot
You can't save the setting, you have to remember where to set the timer dial
The timer is !NOISY! Click clicl cliclk click.
When the noise has annoyed you you will be outraged to find that the noise doesn't stop
when the elements do - the timer runs on a bit so it doesn't even tell you when your
toast is done.
The 1 or 2 slice switch turns off only 2 of 3 elements. You will sometimes get bread
toasted one side only if you can't remember which slot is which.
The elements fail frequently. Because they were designed in the 19th century the
element is wrapped around a sheet of mineral mica so replacement elements cost more
than a normal toaster.
It's only good for Sunblest type bread. It won't toast buns, bagels, baguettes, Batch
or bloomer which is too thick/small/thin/wide unless carefully cut to the dims of a
slice of Sunblest.

Really. don't bother. If you are even slightly irritable in the mornings you will learn
to hate it, and hatred at the breakfast table is not good. It can affect you marriage,
your work life, your health, everything. Walk away before you waste £150.

Tim W
(Whose life was nearly ruined by a Dualit Wedding present)

I dispute most of the above, but I'm a happy Dualit toaster owner.

But I appreciate it's a bit like the Dyson vs Henry argument. You'll
never please everyone.

Without being an expert the above comments confirm everything I've
always thought about Dualits. Basically if you're running a canteen
or a transport cafe where you need a toaster which will be in
continuous use for 4 or 5 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week, often
being used often by untrained staff, and which is robust
enough to survive in a hostile environment, and where the amount
of noise it makes won't be an issue, then maybe the
cost of a Dualit is money well spent.

http://brodysbistro.com/images/brodysbanners_3.jpg

Student central in Exeter. There's almost always a queue out the door for it.

Otherwise if you're only going to be using the thing for 5
minutes a day and may become irritated by the its more
"industrial" aspects, then the fact it may last for 20 years
maybe isn't its biggest selling point.

I like kitchen gadgets that "just work". The quiet buzz of the timer
then the final click and the fact that it doesn't auto pop-up (which
keeps it warm) are things I like, but I also bake my own bread and have
never had an issue with it not fitting...

Because they're spending so much money on a toaster, customers
may be led to believe that they're buying a Ferrari of toasters.
When in fact they're buying a Mark 1 Land Rover.

There are more Mk 1 Land Rovers on the road than Ferrari's, and
they're easier to fix :-)

Gordon

In message , Bob Eager
writes
On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 08:28:07 +0000, michael adams wrote:

Without being an expert the above comments confirm everything I've
always thought about Dualits. Basically if you're running a canteen or a
transport cafe where you need a toaster which will be in continuous use
for 4 or 5 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week, often being used often by
untrained staff, and which is robust enough to survive in a hostile
environment, and where the amount of noise it makes won't be an issue,
then maybe the cost of a Dualit is money well spent.
Otherwise if you're only going to be using the thing for 5 minutes a day
and may become irritated by the its more "industrial" aspects, then the
fact it may last for 20 years maybe isn't its biggest selling point.

True, but there are times when we seem to have loads of peope here and
want a lot of toast in a hurry. We also have heavy handed teenagers. But
one thing that attracted me originally was something said here a long
while ago...about pop-up toasters jamming and catching fire. Not in the
nature of a Dualit.

Because they're spending so much money on a toaster, customers may be
led to believe that they're buying a Ferrari of toasters.
When in fact they're buying a Mark 1 Land Rover.

I expected a Land Rover! But then I used to own a Mark I Land Rover.


Indeed, maybe a Mk1 Landrover is appropriate technology for a toaster?
:-) Dunno about a Ferrari, most other toasters seem more like a Little
Tikes Cozy coupe to me :-) (those little red and yellow ride in toy
cars)

I like that it just goes on and on, that it's tough, that the timer
makes a nice clicking noise etc. etc.

I use various other toasters and they all annoy me in one way or another
and don't seem to add anything. If one was to actually take something
and to be able to toast it automatically to a given brownness then that
might be an improvement, but none has so far AFAICS
--
Chris French

Huge wrote:
On 2015-02-18, Chris wrote:

[35 lines snipped]

I use various other toasters and they all annoy me in one way or another
and don't seem to add anything. If one was to actually take something
and to be able to toast it automatically to a given brownness then that
might be an improvement, but none has so far AFAICS

This!


Doesn't seem very enlightening!

In article ,
Chris French wrote:

I use various other toasters and they all annoy me in one way or another
and don't seem to add anything. If one was to actually take something
and to be able to toast it automatically to a given brownness then that
might be an improvement, but none has so far AFAICS

You know what....

We've been making toast for 100s of years, yet we've not come up with
a good reliable design that "just works". My dualit is almost there - the
one niggle I have is that the 2nd load of bread through it toasts slightly
quicker... But then I've seen the opposite in toasters that have a bi-metal
strip type of "ready" mechanism.

The most repeatable ones I've used have been the chain/belt type -
used in cafes, etc. but then they need a warm-up time and also need
the public to not fiddle with the speed control or be stupid and put
criossants through it (I've seen them on-fire )-:

It seems simple enough - put bread next to something hot enough to heat
the bread and toast the surface - not too hot that you end up with toast
with a cold middle, nor too cool that it takes too long and the inside
ends up at furnace temperature.

Can we throw technology at it? I'm not sure - there are colour sensors
but what happens when you put in brown bread?

But given that the internal temperature affects the toasting time, can we
use a combination of internal temperature and time via either a mechanical
device, or some electronics?

And if-so, who wants to take up the challenge?

Or maybe we just put up with what we have and keep an eye on it. It's
either that or this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec

Gordon
(any excuse to post that link ;-)

Gordon Henderson wrote:
You know what....

We've been making toast for 100s of years, yet we've not come up with
a good reliable design that "just works".

uk.d-i-y calling Sir James Dyson...

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

"Gordon Henderson" wrote in message
...

It seems simple enough - put bread next to something hot enough to heat
the bread and toast the surface - not too hot that you end up with toast
with a cold middle, nor too cool that it takes too long and the inside
ends up at furnace temperature.

Can we throw technology at it? I'm not sure - there are colour sensors
but what happens when you put in brown bread?

But given that the internal temperature affects the toasting time, can we
use a combination of internal temperature and time via either a mechanical
device, or some electronics?

You appear to have overlooked the moisture content of the bread.
Without having conducted any actual experiments I'd hazard
a guess that moist bread will take longer to toast to the
same degree than drier bread. And this is assuming that the
moisture gradient of each slice - even if indivdually measured,
is the same all the way through.


michael adams

....

On Wednesday, 18 February 2015 13:13:07 UTC, Mike Barnes wrote:
Gordon Henderson wrote:
You know what....

We've been making toast for 100s of years, yet we've not come up with
a good reliable design that "just works".

uk.d-i-y calling Sir James Dyson...

but please make it for under £300 !

I wonder if Apple would consider making iToasters

Tim Streater wrote:
In article , michael adams
wrote:

"Gordon Henderson" wrote in message
...

It seems simple enough - put bread next to something hot enough to heat
the bread and toast the surface - not too hot that you end up with toast
with a cold middle, nor too cool that it takes too long and the inside
ends up at furnace temperature.

Can we throw technology at it? I'm not sure - there are colour sensors
but what happens when you put in brown bread?

But given that the internal temperature affects the toasting time, can we
use a combination of internal temperature and time via either a mechanical
device, or some electronics?

You appear to have overlooked the moisture content of the bread.
Without having conducted any actual experiments I'd hazard
a guess that moist bread will take longer to toast to the
same degree than drier bread. And this is assuming that the
moisture gradient of each slice - even if indivdually measured,
is the same all the way through.

This is a good point. Our toaster fails in this regard. We eat both
crusts off the loaf when it's fresh, because crusts on a loaf that
finished baking 5 mins ago are so good. This however leaves an exposed
bread face that slowly dries out over the next day or so as we gobble
the loaf, to the extent that when that is the last slice, it will
certainly catch fire in the toaster on a standard setting.

Surely it must be possibe to detect how done the toast is with a
photocell of some sort. I seem to remember many, many years ago there
was a toaster that did this.

--
Chris Green
·

Gordon Henderson wrote
Chris French wrote

I use various other toasters and they all annoy me in one way or another
and don't seem to add anything. If one was to actually take something
and to be able to toast it automatically to a given brownness then that
might be an improvement, but none has so far AFAICS

You know what....

We've been making toast for 100s of years, yet we've not
come up with a good reliable design that "just works".

We have actually, just not one that works well everywhere.

My dualit is almost there

Don’t agree with that in a number of areas, particularly
with having to remember what setting to use for the
variety of things you toast and at a sensible price.

In other words that design can't be mass produced in china.

- the one niggle I have is that the 2nd load
of bread through it toasts slightly quicker...

Yes, that is a major design deficiency.

Not that it would affect everyone, I almost never
do more than one batch of toast at a time.

But then I've seen the opposite in toasters that
have a bi-metal strip type of "ready" mechanism.

But you don’t get either variable effect
with well designed electronic toasters.

The most repeatable ones I've used have been the chain/belt type -
used in cafes, etc. but then they need a warm-up time and also need
the public to not fiddle with the speed control or be stupid and put
criossants through it (I've seen them on-fire )-:

Yes, those aren't suitable for domestic single slice toasters.

It seems simple enough

Its actually quite a bit harder to do than it looks.

- put bread next to something hot enough to heat the bread
and toast the surface - not too hot that you end up with toast
with a cold middle, nor too cool that it takes too long and the
inside ends up at furnace temperature.

The other problem is that with unsliced bread and asymmetric stuff
like crumpets, you need a different amount of heat on each side.

Can we throw technology at it?

Corse we can.

I'm not sure - there are colour sensors but
what happens when you put in brown bread?

It wouldn’t be hard to have the toaster decide
that its just been asked to toast brown bread
and do that differently to white bread.

But given that the internal temperature affects the toasting
time, can we use a combination of internal temperature and
time via either a mechanical device, or some electronics?

Obviously possible to measure the internal temp
before starting to toast the most recent slice(s)

And if-so, who wants to take up the challenge?

I have toyed with the idea of diying one but then
decided that it was a lot less work to just get $2
toasters at garage/yard sales, keep some on hand
for when they inevitably die and automate the beer
brewing and house alarm and control systems first.

Or maybe we just put up with what
we have and keep an eye on it.

That is basically what I am doing currently.

It's either that or this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec

In article ,
says...

Biggles wrote:
I don't understand why anyone would buy a toaster which can only handle
square bread.

There's no such thing as a toaster that can only handle square bread.

If a slice is too long for your slot, just cut it in half. That works
for me, and the bread comes in all shapes and sizes *except* square.
That's because, in the best traditions of this group, I make it myself.

Yerbut. The toaster should be designed to handle bread.

If you have to re-shape the bread in order to fit the toaster, the
designer of that toaster has really done a cr@p job.

Still, it's probably more important that a toaster looks like the Tardis
or a Dalek than to have the bliddy thing actually work.

--
Sam

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:15:50 +0000, Sam Plusnet wrote:

If a slice is too long for your slot, just cut it in half. That works
for me, and the bread comes in all shapes and sizes *except* square.
That's because, in the best traditions of this group, I make it myself.

Yerbut. The toaster should be designed to handle bread.

If you have to re-shape the bread in order to fit the toaster, the
designer of that toaster has really done a cr@p job.

Did you miss the point, that bread is not all the same size and shape?

What size do you make a toaster that'll handle _any_ bread you're likely
to have handy? And how the hell will you ever get, say, a crumpet out of
the bottom of it?

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:33:05 +0000, charles wrote:

What size do you make a toaster that'll handle _any_ bread you're
likely to have handy? And how the hell will you ever get, say, a
crumpet out of the bottom of it?

turn it upside down

Mmm. About the crumb tray that nobody's emptied lately...

In article ,
Adrian wrote:
On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:15:50 +0000, Sam Plusnet wrote:

If a slice is too long for your slot, just cut it in half. That works
for me, and the bread comes in all shapes and sizes *except* square.
That's because, in the best traditions of this group, I make it myself.

Yerbut. The toaster should be designed to handle bread.

If you have to re-shape the bread in order to fit the toaster, the
designer of that toaster has really done a cr@p job.

Did you miss the point, that bread is not all the same size and shape?

What size do you make a toaster that'll handle _any_ bread you're likely
to have handy? And how the hell will you ever get, say, a crumpet out of
the bottom of it?

turn it upside down

--
From KT24 in Surrey

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

On Wednesday, 18 February 2015 21:29:41 UTC, Adrian wrote:
Mmm. About the crumb tray that nobody's emptied lately...

Obviously the answer to that is a hose connecting the crumb tray to the vacuum cleaner. Not only will this tidy the crumbs away but it will also reduce the chances of the smoke detector working.

Owain

On Wed, 18 Feb 2015 13:34:21 -0800, spuorgelgoog wrote:

Mmm. About the crumb tray that nobody's emptied lately...

Obviously the answer to that is a hose connecting the crumb tray to the
vacuum cleaner. Not only will this tidy the crumbs away but it will also
reduce the chances of the smoke detector working.

But what about the bird table...?