How Toasters Work

Toaster Basics

Your basic two-slice toaster
Your basic two-slice toaster

You can purchase a toaster at any discount store for less than $20 (U.S.). The particular model shown on the right allows you to set the darkness of the toast it produces and also has a defrost mode.


The most common way for a toaster to create the infrared radiation is to use nichrome wire wrapped back and forth across a mica sheet, like this:

Toaster heating element, nichrome wire on mica sheet Toaster heating element, nichrome wire on mica sheet
Toaster heating element, nichrome wire on mica sheet



The very simplest toaster would have two mica sheets wrapped in nichrome wire, and they would be spaced to form a slot about an inch (2.5 cm) wide. The nichrome wires would connect directly to a plug. To make toast:

  • You would drop a piece of bread into the slot.
  • You would then plug in the toaster and watch the bread.
  • When the bread became dark enough, you would unplug the toaster.
  • Then you would tip the toaster upside down to get the toast out!

Most people don't have this sort of patience, nor do they like crumbs all over the counter. So a toaster normally has two other features:

  1. A spring-loaded tray pops the toast out. This keeps you from having to turn the toaster upside down.
  2. A timer turns the toaster off automatically and at the same time releases the tray so the toast pops up.