The other day, I read an article in the New York Times Magazine. It was a little fluff piece where the writer was answering that age-old culinary question, "Why is my toaster so bad?" Turns out it's because most toasters are cheap pieces of plastic crap, but that's not what matters. What matters is how the writer discovered the answer to the question: She went right to the most reputable source, the latest in the ever-growing list of organizations-I-never-knew-existed-but-now-that-I-do-know-I-simply-MUST-join, the Toaster Collectors Association.
Established in 1999, the TCA is "a membership association of people who collect, research, document, conserve and
restore electric and nonelectric toast-making devices." I'd like to hear more about those non-electric toasters, myself; do they run on steam? The only non-electric bread-warming device I've ever used is my armpit, and I wouldn't really call the result. "toast."
The website features a lovely gallery of toasterporn, and the organization's next convention (!) will be held in Joplin, MO, October 4-6 (so, if you're looking for a birthday present for me. . . Hint, hint).
Given the fact that toast has been around for many centuries, and that the average breakfaster of, say 1312, didn't spend all his time standindin in a field with his arm raised, holding a piece of bread, hoping for the stray lightening bolt, of COURSE there were non-electric toasters.
ReplyDeleteThey were, mostly, wrought iron thingees that flipped open and, when closed... around bread... were held over a fire.
As for "why is (my) toaster so bad"?
There hasn't been a decent one since the guy who invented "Past the teeth and thru the gums; look out stomach, here it comes."