Otis Singleton
The electric toaster has become a staple in kitchens across the world, but the journey to the modern toaster began long ago. Before the invention of the electric toaster, people would toast bread over a fire, using a long fork, a metal frame, or by placing the slices directly on a wood stove. The first electric toaster was invented in 1909 by Frank Shailor of General Electric, but it could only toast one side of the bread at a time. The first pop-up toaster, which could toast both sides of the bread, was invented by Charles Strite in 1919. The toaster has come a long way since its early beginnings, and it is now a common household appliance, with various features such as temperature sensors and smart capabilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Invention | 1909 |
| Inventor | Frank Shailor |
| Company | General Electric |
| Model | D-12 |
| Inventor of the modern pop-up toaster | Charles Strite |
| Year of Invention of the modern pop-up toaster | 1919 |
| Inventor of the bread slicer | Otto Frederick Rohwedder |
| Year of Invention of the bread slicer | 1928 |
| First commercially successful toaster | General Electric's D-12 model |
| Year of the first commercially successful toaster | 1909 |
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What You'll Learn
Early toasters: toasting bread over an open fire
Toasting bread is an ancient practice. Early civilizations, including the Romans, placed bread over an open fire to preserve it and prevent mould from growing. The word "toast" comes from the Latin "tostum" or "tostus", meaning "to burn or scorch".
Before the invention of the electric toaster, people would toast bread by placing it in a metal frame or on a long-handled toasting fork and holding it near a fire or over a kitchen grill. Long-handled forks were used as toasters from the 16th century onwards, sometimes with fitments for resting on bars of grates or fenders. Wrought-iron scroll-ornamented toasters appeared in Scotland in the 17th century, and another wrought-iron toaster was documented in 18th-century England. Utensils for toasting bread over open flames appeared in America in the early 19th century, including decorative implements made from wrought iron.
Simple devices were also created to toast bread in the fire, such as wire frames to cook the toast more evenly, or sticks like those used to toast marshmallows over a campfire today. In 1880, with the arrival of wood and coal stoves, a new toasting method was needed, leading to a tin and wire pyramid-shaped device.
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The first electric toaster: 1909
The history of the toaster can be traced back to ancient times, with early civilizations placing bread over an open fire to preserve it and prevent mould. The Romans, who brought the idea back from Egypt in 500 BC, called this process "tostum", meaning "to burn or scorch". However, the first electric toaster only came onto the scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The first electric toaster was invented in 1909 by Frank Shailor of General Electric. The model, called the D-12, was considered the first commercially successful electric toaster. It consisted of a cage-like device with a single heating element and could only toast one side of the bread at a time, requiring the bread to be flipped manually to toast both sides. Due to limited access to electricity in homes, the D-12 was primarily used in restaurants.
In the following years, several improvements were made to the electric toaster. In 1913, Lloyd Groff Copeman and his wife, Hazel Berger Copeman, applied for various toaster patents, and in 1914, Westinghouse introduced its own version of a toaster. In 1915, the Copeman Electric Stove Company added an "automatic bread turner" to their toaster, eliminating the need for manual flipping.
The first pop-up toaster, a significant innovation in the toaster's history, was invented by Charles Strite in 1919. This toaster included a timer that shut off the heating element and released a pop-up spring when the toast was done. However, it was not until 1926 that the first automatic pop-up toaster for household use became available to the public through the Waters-Genter Company, marketed as the "Toastmaster". This toaster could brown both sides of the bread simultaneously and set the heating timer, revolutionizing the toaster's design and functionality.
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The first automatic pop-up toaster: 1919
The history of toasters can be traced back to ancient civilizations, which placed bread over an open fire to preserve it and prevent mould. The word "toast" comes from the Latin "tostum", meaning "to burn or scorch". The Romans brought the idea of toast back from Egypt in 500 BC.
Fast forward to the late 19th century, and the arrival of wood and coal stoves meant a new toasting method was required. This led to the creation of a tin and wire pyramid-shaped device. In 1905, Albert Marsh created "Nichrome", a filament wire made from an alloy of nickel and chromium that was safe and durable when heated. This enabled the creation of the first electric toasters.
The first electric toaster was invented in the late 19th century, with some sources stating 1893 and others 1909. However, these early models could only toast one side of the bread at a time and needed to be monitored closely to prevent burning.
In 1919, Charles Strite invented the first automatic pop-up toaster. Frustrated by the burnt toast served in his workplace cafeteria in Stillwater, Minnesota, Strite set out to create a toaster that would toast bread automatically with minimal human intervention. His toaster not only warmed both sides of the bread simultaneously, but it also automatically turned off and ejected the toast when it was ready. He called his invention the "Toastmaster".
Strite was awarded a patent for his toaster in 1921 and teamed up with investors Glen Waters and Harold Genter to start producing the Toastmaster specifically for restaurants, hotels and coffee shops. These early versions could toast up to eight slices at a time. In 1926, a redesigned version of the Strite toaster was sold to the public by the Waters-Genter Company under the brand name Toastmaster. It was a huge success and became part of the modern age of kitchen appliances.
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The first bread slicer: 1928
The first electric toaster was invented in 1909, but it could only toast one side of the bread at a time. It wasn't until 1919 that Charles Strite invented the modern pop-up toaster, which could toast both sides of the bread. However, the story of the toaster is intertwined with that of sliced bread, which was invented in 1928 by Otto Frederick Rohwedder.
Rohwedder's invention of the first automatic bread-slicing machine for commercial use revolutionized the baking industry. On July 7, 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri sold the first loaf of commercially sliced bread, marking a pivotal moment in the history of bread. Rohwedder's machine created uniform, half-inch slices, and the pre-sliced loaves were sold under the name Kleen Maid.
While the initial reception to sliced bread was mixed due to concerns about staleness and appearance, it soon gained popularity across the country. The availability of standardized slices also boosted sales of automatic, pop-up toasters, as toasting became an even more convenient way to enjoy bread.
Rohwedder's invention was not without its challenges. He had to overcome setbacks, such as a factory fire in 1917, and continuously improve his design to perfect the slicing and packaging process. His persistence paid off, and by 1932, American bakeries were producing more sliced than unsliced bread loaves.
The invention of the bread slicer by Rohwedder in 1928 not only transformed the baking industry but also played a significant role in the widespread adoption of toasters in American households.
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The toaster hoax: Alan MacMasters
The Toaster Hoax, which falsely claimed that Scottish inventor Alan MacMasters invented the toaster in 1893, was a prank that originated from a false Wikipedia entry posted in 2012. The hoax was created by a group of British students, including a University of Surrey aerospace engineering student named Alan MacMasters, and his friends. After a lecture on the dynamics where the class was warned not to use Wikipedia as a source, MacMasters and his friends found it amusing when the lecturer pointed out that his friend, Maddy Kennedy, had edited the Wikipedia article about toasters, claiming to be the inventor. They then visited the toaster article on Wikipedia and edited the article to replace Kennedy's name with Alan MacMasters.
The hoax gained traction, and in February 2013, one of the students, Alex, created a dedicated Wikipedia article about Alan MacMasters. He included a manipulated image of himself resembling a 19th-century photograph. Over time, Alex and other editors extended and embellished the fictitious biography, including false claims about MacMasters' contributions to lighting systems for the London Underground and the invention of the electric kettle. The hoax was perpetuated by newspapers, encyclopedias, museums, and even government bodies, with more than twelve books in multiple languages naming MacMasters as the inventor. A primary school in Scotland dedicated a day to MacMasters, and he was even nominated to appear on a £50 note during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
In July 2022, the hoax was exposed by a 15-year-old Kent-based student named Adam, who became suspicious of the manipulated photograph on Alan MacMasters' Wikipedia page. Adam's Reddit post about the fake image led to further scrutiny on the Internet forum Wikipediocracy, where users discovered the article's fraudulent nature. The Wikipedia page was labelled as a hoax and marked for deletion, and Alex's Wikipedia account was blocked. The hoax highlights the potential pitfalls of relying solely on Wikipedia as a source of information and the importance of verifying facts from multiple reliable sources.
The actual invention of the toaster involved multiple technologies and features invented between 1890 and 1920 by various people and companies. The first electric toaster was introduced by General Electric in 1909, and the first pop-up toaster was invented by Charles Strite in 1919.
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Frequently asked questions
The first electric toaster was invented in 1909 by Frank Shailor of General Electric. The toaster was called the D-12 model and could only toast one side of the bread at a time.
Before the invention of the electric toaster, bread was toasted over an open fire, using long forks or metal frames. Toasting bread over a fire was a common practice in ancient civilizations, including the Romans, who brought the idea from Egypt around 500 BC.
The first pop-up toaster was invented by Charles Strite in 1919. This toaster could toast bread and then pop it up automatically.
In 1905, Albert Marsh created "Nichrome," a nickel and chromium composite that was safe and durable when heated. This invention paved the way for the development of electric toasters. Additionally, Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first commercial bread slicing machine in 1928, making pre-sliced bread widely available and increasing the demand for toasters.
