Despite being the toaster enthusiast (read "fanatic") I am, I nearly passed on this Toastmaster model. I even went as far as to pay for my other items and get in my car. Then I asked myself, "What kind of toaster hoarder, I mean, enthusiast are you?" After all, it was only 75 cents. So without a concern for my dignity, I got back out and went back into the garage and bought it. The seller asked me, "You must like old things." Uh... Yeah.
Of course, this toaster isn't as old as the other toasters I've collected over the years. For the most part, I stick to '50's and prior.
But the graphics screamed '70's: The coffee pot, the fruit, the wicker background. And I'm starting to get a soft spot in my heart for the '70's despite disliking its styles for many years now. After all, the '70's were the prime of my youth and fond memories and all that.
It's a "Toastmaster food toaster (we're not just about bread anymore)/Custom".
It's a model B145RU.
This ad from the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph from May 5, 1976 places it squarely in the Bicentennial year of that decade.
Even if the year was missing from this paper, you'd know it was the '70's just by the availability of a Biorhythm Calculator (The Biolator).
$16.88 in 2020 dollars is $78.16, so my 75 cents went far.
As with all toasters, I like to give them an initial standardized test. I should add, prior to my first real toast run, I ran it through several cycles out in the garage. First to determine if it was safe, and secondly to burn off any dust. This one sent up some pretty good smoke, so it definitely needed a cleaning. And now on to the real test.
Ready to take the plunge.
The coils didn't glow at all, at least not in the light. I had to hold my hand over it to confirm it was heating up.
The first toast popped up too soon. I took a second pass, bumping up the darkness setting. I took my eyes off momentarily and that toast burned.
The second round, I set the darkness dial to 3/4 dark. That seemed to be the magic setting (at least to my liking).
My typical go-to is cinnamon toast, and this was no exception.
You might ask yourself, "I wonder what cinnamon-sugar blend Tom uses?" Even if you didn't ask yourself, I'm going to tell you. "Tom's" of course.
Okay, that's a re-purposed "Tone's" container I've written over in black Sharpie marker. But I do mix it myself. I use a 3/4 sugar to 1/4 cinnamon blend.
How about you? What tops your toast and what toaster toasts it?
it's been interesting to see what things from the 70s are making a comeback (macrame, bell bottoms, even color palettes -- but not the hairstyles or pantsuits!). i never hated the 70s -- there's just too much goodness there. i haven't seen toasters with still lives on them coming back, though.
ReplyDeleteI used to hate the browns and oranges of the '70's, but like I said, I'm warming up to them the further out we get.
DeleteI use to eat cinnamon toast a lot as a kid - it was my go to toast in my youth. Now I eat a slice of my home baked rustic loaf with his Lordship's homemade ginger rhubarb jam. We have a shit toaster that sets off the smoke alarms if one does not supervise it.
ReplyDeleteginger rhubarb jam sounds AMAZING, btw.
DeleteI've never had rhubarb jam, but my mom used to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie I was pretty fond of as a kid.
DeleteThat's cool that you found the toaster advertised in the Colorado Spring Gazette Telegraph.
ReplyDeleteI thought you might appreciate that, Lady M.
DeleteThis is GREAT! Indeed, when futurelings look back upon this Time of Legend, they will speak in hushed tones of the Amazing Toaster Enthusiast who collected and preserved all of the vintage toaster knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIf the memory of one toaster can be preserved, it will all be worth it.
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