To guarantee toast to perfection every time, the electric toaster was developed. The slices of bread lower into the appliance by means of a spring-loaded rack. When the rack descends, it triggers off heating elements which then start to brown both sides of the bread. A timing mechanism which is set manually by the user, switches off the elements when the toast is finished. The rack is then released by an electromagnetic catch.
There are three main components of an electric toaster. The first is the browning control. By turning this control, a trip plate can be moved. If lighter toast is required, the plate is pushed towards the heat sensor. Likewise, if darker toast is desired, the plate is moved away from the heat sensor. This component consists of a metal strip which enlarges and curves outwards as the temperature increases, and the toast begins to brown. The metal strip meets the trip plate when the toast is ready. This connection completes an electrical circuit. The action of this activates the solenoid, which is the third main component. The solenoid embodies an electromagnet that draws the catch, which trips the lever and frees the toast rack.
