About a year ago, our cheap toaster broke. We often have toast for breakfast, as a surplus from the shop, and rather than starting the range first hing in the morning when it's not cold an electric toaster makes sense for us. Frustrated by the fact that it wasnot fixable (you couldn't even take the casing off without breaking the plastic) I had a look online and found Dualit Toasters. They are not so much the Rolls Royce of toasters as the Land Rover of toasters (and I mean that in the original 1950s sense not in the modern more-money-than-sense style-over-substance sense).
Anyhow I couldn't justify the price of a new one, but found a second hand one on ebay for about £30 which turned out to be boxed and about as new.
Things I like:
The fact it is fully servicable - Dualit carry spares for every toaster they have ever made, so I know if the knobs break, or the element burns out we should be able to fix it.
The styling - I'm a sucker for the steam punk knobs and chrome:
With knobs on!
The fact the operation is all manual (other than the electric element), the timer even ticks - when it stops the toast is done. Just wind the knob further for well done toast, or less for defrosting.
Easy to select one slice heating rather than two so the second doesn't get cold if you're eating alone, although the fact the toast doesn't pop up before you make it, means it keeps warm for a while inside the body of the toaster.
Things I don't like, or other people may dislike:
It does use electricity. Any electric heating is not the best use of electricity, unless it is surplus renewables I suppose.
It is quite chunky, even the two slice version takes up quite a bit of surface.
Anyhow. If you are thinking of a new toaster, and want one that is robust and fixable, the Dualit is great.
I thought that sounded lovely as our toaster only stays down when it's warmed up, but wow those prices. Found one second hand, still over the equivalent of £100!
Nancy Reading
steward and tree herder
Posts: 11024
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year
There's a few on ebay for auction at the moment, but I guess the postage would put the price up as well for you. If you were brave enough you could get one that needed fixing, I think it would be possible to make a bit of money refurbishing them .
I got mine for free so it just needed a new timer and a element, did it all myself and was fairly straight forward. Been working great for around 2 years now was the expensive 4 slot model too!
Fingers crossed someone else will give me one
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Companion Planting Guide by World Permaculture Association
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