Toasters

Between 1985 and 2000 or so I had a toaster that came from my deceased great aunt. A 1950's model with side flaps, but newer, more square than this example here. The idea is the same: it roasted the slices on one side at the time so you had to turn them around. Naturally it didn't have a timer. I totally loved the thing!

Unfortunately one day one of my darling cats swept it off the kitchen counter. A plastic part broke off, and though it still worked I didn't find it really safe anymore. So I started looking for a new one. The most affordable were with a plastic housing. Not just for not wanting plasic, but also for nostalgia of the chromed device we had at home in the 1970's I wanted one like that.

So I found this one by Princess.

I was in love! With all that shine but moreover the retro 1950's belly design. Less in love with the price. If I remember well it was 59 guilders (where I could have had plastic for around 25 or even less!), in € now roughly 26. Add inflation to that I'd think easily €40 now. But still working full time back then I guess I could afford it and my mind was set. Going for it I even cycled to the other side of town because it was sold out at my local afffiliate store.

Another bit less in love when at home I found out the slots were just not long enough to fit in a regular slice of bread. The model seems to be most fit for square casino bread. But I didn't want to give up and just cut off a part for all those years.

Then last week, while combining errands and looking for whatever I could find I spotted this really vintage Philips near a shop. It was lightly raining and it was in a low plastic crate with some mess over it. I took it for recycling assuming it was broken. But at home I found it was looking nearly new and barely used. So I thought is this a retro remake as well? It can't be. 

The colours are so authentic, even the cord is brown! And it doen't have the crumbs drawer. A gadget (pretty useless in my opinion, mum just used to turn the thing upside down from time to time) that all modern devices seem to must have. 

My 1999/2000 model has one.

On top it wasn't even dusty. This really puzzles me. If it's this old and so clean it must have been stored packed well for all those years. And then thrown out like shit in the rain. 

I let it dry overnight until it was safe to test and needless to so say it works perfectly.

But the best of all is that the slots, though not visible with they eye have that half a cm extra, that make at least my farmers bread slices just fit in!

Now which one to keep? I spent over an hour to clean off 25 years of partly burned in grease splatters of the Princess just for the pictures. Being surprised at how none of them had caused any damage to the chrome. Neither did I find any rust. Now I understand something. This quality made it worth the price I paid. But there are still some persistent very small spots. Also the brown in between the slots didn't come off yet. But for the moment I had enough.

In this condition I won't sell it yet. I know people will want to bargain if it's not good as new. That amount I paid still hurts a bit.

I think for now it will go upstairs. For when we have soup. Because Mr. there had one of those plastic ones, from our friend who moved back to the US and then back here again, but he ruined it somehow. Will make sure he takes care of this one.